COMPASS DIRECTGlobal News from the Frontlines

July 11, 2003

Compass Direct is distributed monthly to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted or edited by active subscribers for use in other media, provided Compass Direct is acknowledged as the source of the material.

Copyright 2003 Compass Direct

**********************************************************************IN THIS ISSUE

CAMBODIA

Religion Becomes an Issue in July ElectionsMajor opposition party takes an anti-Christian stance.

CHINA

Another Month of Arrests Police detain 53 house church Christians in June.

China Denies Mistreatment of Gong ShengliangMinistry of justice says jailed pastor has not suffered torture.

New Anti-Subversion Law Worries ChristiansHong Kong residents warn of impending danger to religious freedom.

China Reduces Official Bible PrintingChristians face growing shortage if trend continues.

INDIA

Christians Lose Appeal Against Conversion Law High court justices dismiss plea as ‘premature.’

Election Campaigns Increase Violence Against Christians Incidents reported of police harassment, attacks on churches.

Pastors, Nuns Suffer Attacks in ‘Evangelical Capital’Fifty crimes reported against Christians in six months.

India Not Designated as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ Christian leaders criticize U.S. for omitting India from persecution list.

INDONESIA

Pastor to Appeal Three-Year Prison Sentence***Decision sparks threats, intimidation against Rev. Damanik and defense team.

Churches Destroyed, Pastor Murdered Militant Muslim groups are suspected of violence against Christians.

Justice Sought in Deaths of Two Pastors in PapuaChristian leaders seek independent inquiry into human rights abuses.

MEXICO

Government Hesitates on Acteal Case***Despite international appeals, 35 innocent evangelicals remain imprisoned.

Catholic Bishop Calls for End to Persecution of Chiapas EvangelicalsFelipe Arizmendi seeks reconciliation between diverse religious groups.

NIGERIA

Government Gives Compensation for Destroyed Places of WorshipProblems continue as Muslim militants lay siege to Christian church.

Muslim Extremists Attack Christians in Plateau StateChildren of slain evangelist refute ‘distorted’ media reports.

Nigerian Pastor’s Children Killed in Ethnic ClashChristians are endangered by tribal, religious disputes.

PAKISTAN

Kidnapped Christian Girl Wins Divorce Case*** Muslim ex-husband’s child custody case is still pending.

Catholic Priest Murdered Homicide linked to restoration of former parish school.

SAUDI ARABIA

Eritrean Christian’s Deportation StalledCar transfer said to delay departure.

SRI LANKA

Three Churches Attacked Series of assaults highlight ongoing religious tensions.

TURKEY

European Court to Rule on Turkish Christian’s Legal Appeal***Prisoner Soner Onder awaits decision.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Filipino Pastor’s Departure Stalled***Dubai prosecutor appeals cancelled deportation order.

VIETNAM

200 Police Halt Church Construction Cooperation growing between Protestant and Catholic religious liberty advocates.

***Indicates an article-related photo is available electronically. Contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

***********************************Religion Becomes an Issue in Cambodia’s July ElectionsMajor Opposition Party Takes an Anti-Christian Stance by Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- Christians in Cambodia fear the issue of religion may be a key factor in national elections set for July 27. All three elections since the return to democracy in 1992 have been marred by vote-buying, intimidation and the murder of key political figures.

Earlier this year, Ken Huff from the evangelistic “Book of Hope” project claimed the major opposition group, led by Sam Rainsy, was running an anti-Christian campaign. Huff believed the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) was trying to win votes by speaking out against Christianity.

Bruce Hutchinson, coordinator of Call to Prayer Ministries, explained that a cult group had claimed the ancient temples of Angkor Wat were built by Jehovah. This statement was used by the SRP to stir opposition to Christians and gain political leverage. “In a country that reacts extremely to rumors, and is developing a strong culture of nationalism based on their cultural and Buddhist roots, this is something of a concern,” said Hutchinson.

The majority of Cambodia’s 12.4 million people are Buddhists. However, their beliefs are a mixture of ancient Khmer, Buddhist and Hindu traditions, centered on the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is the spiritual home of Cambodia’s mysterious “Angka,” a godlike figure believed to have supreme power over the people.

“There is a Buddhist prophecy of the return of the capital to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located,” said local missionary Ros Sokhum. Many believe the restoration of Angkor Wat will bring renewed peace and prosperity to Cambodia, and explains why the cult’s claim to Angkor Wat was seen as a threat to Cambodia’s national identity.

The Cambodian government officially estimates that 100,000 Christians worship in more than 200 registered churches. However, the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia (EFC) says the figure is closer to 130,000 Christians, meeting in approximately 2,000 small churches scattered throughout the country.

At the time of the first elections in 1992, only 200 Christians remained in Cambodia, meeting in a handful of underground churches. The growth since then has been dramatic and is of great concern to the leaders of the majority Buddhist population.

Religious freedom is protected in Article 43 of the constitution, but Christians often face persecution and opposition, particularly in rural areas. Their faith is perceived as a threat by village headmen and local Buddhist authorities.

In early March 2003, the Ministry of Cults and Religion issued a new “disciplinary order” to control the activities of “outside religions.” According to an article in the Cambodia Daily on March 8, the goal of this new directive was to prevent “religious conflict” between Buddhism and other religions.

In the words of the directive, “All public proselytizing activities are prohibited. Christians are not allowed to proselytize citizens’ houses by knocking on doors or waiting for them, saying ‘the Lord is coming,’ which is an interruption to daily life or may intrude on privacy in the community.”

Chea Savoeun, Minister of Cults and Religion, told the Cambodia Daily that people had complained to the Ministry over this issue. According to Savoeun, Christian groups were accused of “looking down” on other religions and disturbing people in their homes.

The directive also warned mission groups and local Christians not to share their faith with or try to convert children.

However, the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, maintains an open relationship with Christian missionaries and relief agencies, because contribution through social work and funding for development is vital for the recovery of Cambodia’s economy.

The U.S.-based International Republican Institute (IRI) conducted a series of pre-election assessments in April in Phnom Penh and seven provinces. The report showed widespread voter intimidation at a provincial level. According to the IRI, “Voters have received threats from village chiefs and local authorities that retaining their jobs or their land is linked to their support for certain parties.”

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report issued on June 13 called on the CCP to investigate recent incidents such as the murder of opposition party member Om Radsady. HRW also urged the government to give all opposition parties free access to the media and lift the ban on public gatherings and political rallies in the lead-up to the elections.

“Unless concrete changes are immediately implemented, Cambodians will go to the polls with minimal information about their political choices and with fears about their safety influencing how they vote,” said James Ross, HRW senior legal advisor.

Pastor Barnabas Mam, a board member of the EFC, said Christians were uniting across denominations to pray for the future of Cambodia. Far from causing division and religious conflict, they want to bring healing and reconciliation to a country still besieged by fear.

(Return to Index)***********************************Another Month of Arrests in ChinaPolice Detain 53 House Church Christians in Juneby Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- As the threat of SARS abates in China, authorities seem to be re-focusing their energies on the house church movements. Reports say at least 53 members of unregistered house churches were arrested during the month of June.

Twelve key members of an unregistered house church movement were arrested on June 6, according to the group Human Rights in China (HRIC). Police have carried out several raids on this house church movement since January 2003. The movement finally applied for government permission to hold their meetings and was delighted when the police made contact in early June, promising to grant them official status.

The 12 agreed to meet with officials on June 6 to sign the relevant documents. However, on their arrival at the Funing County Public Security Bureau (PSB) office, they were met by functionaries of the local offices of the Court Marshall and the public prosecutor.

According to a report by Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), four leaders were immediately indicted and held for trial. The remaining eight church members were sentenced to three years of re-education through labor.

HRIC said family members received notices from the Funing County PSB informing them that the eight were being held indefinitely for engaging in “feudalistic superstition.”

A local religious official told reporters from the Reuters news service that the 12 were arrested because they had “spread superstitious words to villagers twice a week and asked poor villagers to donate.”

VOM also reported the arrest of 40 Christians in a house church meeting in Lisoning in the third week of June. These Christians were tied up and their names recorded. However, they were released later that night, after a warning not to continue their “illegal gatherings.”

On June 16, a Catholic priest was arrested in Wenzhou. The Catholic News Agency “UCA News” reported that Father Xiaozhou had gone to the Wenzhou City Hospital on the afternoon of June 16 to visit sick parishioners. Security officials arrested him en route to the hospital, and then went to his house to confiscate all of his belongings, including church documents.

The PSB had put pressure on Father Ziaozhou to join the government-approved Catholic Patriotic Association, but he refused. He is unlikely to be released unless he concedes and joins the official Catholic Church.

Finally, on June 18, a group of key leaders were arrested in southwest China while meeting in a private home to discuss plans for their house church movement. PSB officers raided the meeting. There is still no news on the whereabouts of the pastors.

(Return to Index)***********************************China Denies Mistreatment of Gong ShengliangMinistry of Justice Says Jailed Pastor Has Not Suffered Tortureby Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- Officials at China’s Ministry of Justice have denied claims that Pastor Gong Shengliang, currently held in Jingzhou prison, Hubei province, has been tortured.

They made the statement in response to accusations in early June that Gong, founder of the unregistered South China Church, had been severely beaten and was near death.

In a statement to the Associated Press on June 26, the Ministry said, “Reports that Gong is near death as a result of abusive treatment have no basis in reality.” The Ministry further claimed that Gong was convicted of rape and assault last October and was serving a life sentence for these crimes.

Gong was arrested in August 2001 as part of a government crackdown on the South China Church. He and four other church members were sentenced to death in December

2001; however, an outcry from the international community led to a suspension of the death sentence in January 2002.

A re-trial was then ordered in October 2002. During this trial, all church-related charges against Gong were dropped and he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of rape and assault.

Letters received from fellow church members strongly suggest that these rape charges were obtained under duress. Several young women, arrested as part of the crackdown in 2001, were tortured to extract testimonies that Gong raped them. In a letter written on December 10, 2001, Zhang Hongjuan described their treatment at the hands of the PSB:

“August 13, two more sisters were arrested in Shayang. Their names are Li Tongjin, Chi Tongyuan. After they were arrested, the Gongans (Public Security Bureau) questioned them at night. They threatened the sisters, wanting them to say they were having affairs with Gong. These sisters refused to do so. These so-called ‘law-enforcers’ put their electric rods into the clothes of these girls, touching their breasts and their lower privates. Their bodies were burnt with blisters.”

The young women later tried to retract their testimonies, but the PSB refused to drop the charges. Their testimonies were then used to convict Gong during the retrial.

In early June, a source inside the prison informed Gong’s family that he had been beaten and seriously injured by the police. Members of the South China Church then wrote to friends in the West, claiming Gong was passing blood and near death.

This news prompted the U.S. State Department to initiate its own inquiry through the U.S. Embassy in China. Several other groups, including Amnesty International, voiced their concern for Gong and other members of the South China Church. In their June appeal, the South China Church had claimed that 63 other church members were still being held on religious charges.

(Return to Index)***********************************New Anti-Subversion Law Worries Chinese ChristiansHong Kong Residents Warn of Impending Danger to Religious Freedomby Xu Mei

NANJING (Compass) -- Hong Kong has attracted little attention in the world media since the British handed over rule to China in 1997. However on July 1, up to half a million people poured onto the streets in angry but peaceful demonstrations against a new anti-subversion law.

The Hong Kong government is determined to press ahead with new laws banning treason, subversion and sedition despite the growing opposition of Hong Kong’s well-educated middle- and professional-class population.

The imposition of harsh new anti-subversion laws has serious implications for Hong Kong’s large Christian community. Many foreign mission organizations still operate freely in Hong Kong, while churches in the autonomous region continue their quiet support of Chinese believers on the mainland. All this could change if the new laws are strictly enforced.

Hong Kong residents are concerned about clauses which would ban groups judged by Beijing to be a threat to national security. The new laws would also make it a serious offense to reveal state secrets -- a very broad category in mainland China.

Many marchers dressed in black to symbolize their mourning for Hong Kong’s “lost freedoms.” Many fear the last shreds of democracy and freedom in Hong Kong are on their way out, despite promises from Beijing to honor the “one country, two systems” formula which gave Hong Kong a large degree of autonomy.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was in Hong Kong to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the handover. He was taken aback by the scale of the protests. Officials quickly led him away when a small band of protesters burned the Chinese flag and demanded the release of political prisoners in China.

Hong Kong’s grievances after six years of Chinese rule have finally come to a head. The economy has nose-dived, property prices have decreased 60 percent since 1997 and unemployment has soared. The Hong Kong government’s ineptness in handling the recent SARS outbreak was the final straw for many Hong Kong residents. There is also growing contempt for Tung Chee Hwa, Hong Kong’s millionaire chief executive, recently re-appointed to a second five-year term but widely viewed as a puppet of the Beijing government.

Christians in Hong Kong have traditionally avoided political action. The Anglican Bishop of Hong Kong has close ties with China’s state-controlled Three Self Protestant church. Hong Kong evangelicals are critical of communist control of the church on the mainland, but rarely speak out.

Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph Zen has taken the lead in Christian circles against the new legislation. He is no stranger to communist control. Born in Shanghai, he taught on the mainland for seven years at a Catholic seminary controlled by the Patriotic Catholic Association. Constant battles with the authorities over religious freedom issues led to his eviction.

Now he has no hesitation in openly condemning communism. “It’s just that the system is evil,” he says.

“I was frightened. I realized I couldn’t just keep quiet,” Zen said after studying the draft legislation. “I was in a position to understand this legislation as I knew the situation in China.”

He sees the new law as “very dangerous” and a “destruction” of Hong Kong’s autonomy. “I surely do not expect persecution of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong tomorrow or in two years’ time. But it becomes possible, and in China everything is unpredictable.”

Bishop Zen gives a stark warning about the threat of communist totalitarianism swallowing the last vestiges of freedom in Hong Kong. “It is in the present, the dictatorship. It’s against human dignity.”

(Return to Index)***********************************China Reduces Official Bible PrintingChristians Face Growing Shortage if Trend Continuesby Xu Mei

NANKING, China (Compass) -- Official Bible production in China has been quietly reduced by more than 20 percent over the past three years.

The Amity Printing Company based in Nanjing, which has official permission to print an annual quota of Bibles, said recently that 519,493 copies were printed in the first quarter of 2003. This is higher than the figure for the same period in 2002 and is on track to reach the target of two million copies “approved for this year.”

However, from 1994 to 1999 the total number of Bibles printed each year was, on average, 2.6 million, according to Amity’s own figures. This means that the total number of Bibles legally printed in China has dropped by about 23 percent in recent years.

Compass reported that Bible production might be reduced after Rev. Bao Jiayuan of the officially recognized China Christian Council said the number of Bibles printed in 2001 had “decreased slightly.” (See related report in the October 19, 2001, issue of Compass Direct.) Now, it seems that report has been confirmed.

There is no apparent reason for this decrease other than government policy. Many Chinese Christians still do not possess a Bible. The United Bible Societies, which cooperates closely with Amity, reported five years ago that “as many as 40 percent of the Christians in China, mostly in remote areas, still do not have their own Bibles.” (UBS World Report 329, March 1998)

With the dramatic increase in converts in recent years, it is unlikely that this percentage has changed much. If the conservative estimate of a total number of 60 million Christians in China is accurate, this means 24 million believers are still without Bibles.

Over 30 million Bibles were legally printed in China over the past two decades. This is a considerable achievement. However, if the supply of Bibles is limited to the two

million copies produced annually in Nanjing, most Christians now without Bibles will have to wait for years to receive a personal copy of the Scriptures.

In addition, some observers fear that the current annual quota of the Amity Printing Company may be cut further in coming years.

(Return to Index)***********************************Indian Christians Lose Appeal Against Conversion Law High Court Justices Dismiss Plea as ‘Premature’by Abhijeet Prabhu

BANGALORE, India (Compass) -- The Gujarat High Court has dismissed petitions filed by the All India Christian Council (AICC) challenging provisions of the highly controversial Gujarat anti-conversion bill, on the grounds that that the petitions are premature.

The Buddha Gaya Mahabodhi Vihar, a Buddhist organization, supported the AICC appeal. The Christian and Buddhist petitioners challenged Section 8 of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, which makes it compulsory for an individual or organization wanting to convert to another religion to seek prior approval from a district magistrate. It imposes heavy fines and prison sentences on both the agents of conversion and the converts.

As many as 55,000 Dalits (untouchables) have declared in writing that they are ready to voluntarily convert to Buddhism in defiance of the law.

On June 30, Advocate General S.N. Shelat presented counter-arguments to the court, asserting that the state government has not yet issued a notification of the Act in the official gazette, a step required to make the law operational. He said that, because a law is open to challenge only after it comes into force, the AICC appeal was premature.

The advocate general also told the court that there was no present threat to the religious rights of the petitioners.

Attorney R.D. Raval, appearing before the court earlier on behalf of the AICC, had argued that because the state legislature has already passed the bill and the governor approved it on April 7, the government could at any time issue a notification and bring the law into force.

Raval also asserted that the government had given no indications of rescinding the act; therefore the AICC challenge was justified.

(Return to Index)***********************************

Election Campaigns Increase Violence Against Christians in IndiaIncidents Reported of Police Harassment, Attacks on Churchesby Vishal Arora

DELHI (Compass) -- “Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) is a way of life and soul of Bharat. But it is not going to be a poll issue.”

M. Venkaiah Naidu, president of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), released this statement on May 30 following a BJP brain-storming session to map out strategy for state assembly elections to be held in November this year and national parliamentary elections scheduled for 2004.

Despite Naidu’s assertion, hate propaganda against Christians has charged the atmosphere in India. In June, national media reported at least three attacks on Christians.

The Hindu fundamentalist “Jagran Manch” organization and activists from the BJP disrupted a Christian religious meeting organized by a Chennai-based Christian group at St. John’s College in Agra on June 8. They felt the meeting was aimed at promoting conversions.

The same day, hooligans assaulted Catholic priests, locked six clergymen in a room and damaged church property in Tarri village in the district of Chhattisgarh. They threatened dire consequences if the church continued their prayer meetings.

A day earlier, the “Parivartan Rally,” a pro-BJP campaign procession, had passed through the village and raised the issue of conversion.

On June 14, villagers of Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, set a church on fire to protest “mass conversion” in the area.

Observers believe the aggression came as the result of instructions that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee recently gave state party presidents, urging them to raise ideological issues to fight the political battle against the opposition Congress Party.

Political parties have embarked on election campaigns for the upcoming polls in four states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.

In an attempt to associate the BJP with the majority of voters and to portray it as the “savior of Hindus,” various Hindu organizations affiliated with the BJP are raising the issue of “conversion,” especially in areas with a large number of Dalits and tribal peoples.

For example, to propagate the false notion that Christians have converted thousands of poor and illiterate tribal peoples using force and allurement, the Union Minister of State for Forests and Environment, Dilip Singh Judeo, initiated a massive re-conversion program on June 23 in the predominantly tribal state of Chhattisgarh.

Christians in Gujarat have alleged that the police in Kheda district questioned Christian institutions yet again about their sources of funding. This is now the fifth attempt since 1999 to gather sensitive information, despite a recent visit by the National Commission for Minorities in response to complaints by Christians.

Furthermore, recent remarks of Pope John Paul II, appealing to Indian bishops to “courageously continue to spread the gospel despite unjust conversion laws,” are being taken out of context to suggest that Christians are engaged in an orchestrated attempt to convert Hindus.

Police have accused missionaries and Oraon tribal Christians in the Balmikinagar jungles bordering Nepal of having links with the militant Maoist Communist Center (MCC). The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) previously accused Christians of involvement with the MCC. As a result, police detained priests for questioning and asked some of them to leave the area.

Meanwhile, the Graham Staines murder trial took an ugly turn when a female defense witness, Hemalata Karua, testified before the court on June 12 that the Australian missionary, under whose influence she had been converted to Christianity, tried to “outrage her modesty.” The court, however, declared the statement false.

Finally, the Times of India newspaper reported in June that the Bajrang Dal, the Hindu extremist organization implicated in the murders of Staines and his two young sons in 1999, has provided training courses in the use of handguns and rifles to its members in Andhra Pradesh state. According to the report, some 200 Bajrang Dal activists completed sharp-shooting classes during a five-day camp held in the Mahbubnagar district.

Given these incidents, the Christian community in India is bracing for more politically motivated attacks.

(Return to Index)

***********************************Pastors, Nuns Suffer Attacks in India’s ‘Evangelical Capital’Fifty Crimes Reported Against Christians in Six Monthsby Abhijeet Prabhu

BANGALORE, India (Compass) -- They are calling it “serial persecution.” Christians in the state of Karnataka have never faced it before. In the past five months, they have reported at least 50 crimes; many more cases have gone unreported.

Karnataka’s capital city of Bangalore, known as India’s Silicon Valley and garden city, serves as the nation’s evangelical capital, as well. Ninety percent of India’s mission organizations maintain headquarters and training centers in Bangalore. Together they

deploy some 44,000 missionaries. Bangalore is also home to 10 major theological colleges and 100 Bible schools.

During a one-day public hearing organized by the All India Christian Council (AICC) on June 12, a “jury” heard 50 cases of persecution against Christians. Justice H.G. Balakrishna, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court, former planning commission member L.C. Jain, and other prominent Karnataka citizens formed the jury.

Typical of incidents occurring almost daily in smaller towns is the case of Brother Prashant from Tumkur. On March 9, Prashant had finished ministering to a small church in Devagiri when one of the members invited him home for breakfast.

Minutes later, a group of saffron-clad men wielding knives and sticks knocked at the door and asked the hostess if anyone from the church was present in the home. They saw Brother Prashant and dragged him outside.

According to testimony, the assailants “manhandled” Brother Prashant, tearing his cassock and forcing him to utter slogans like Jai Hindu Dharma (“glory to the Hindu religion.”) They tossed Bibles, Christian literature and household goods on the ground and, as a final mark of humiliation, applied a red religious powder to Brother Prashant’s forehead.

The mob warned the evangelist “not to be seen in the vicinity again,” or he would answer to Bajrang Dal activists, as they described themselves.

Brother Prashant filed a police complaint over the incident.

Another case, that of Mrs. Chowdamma of Mysore who recently converted to Christianity, exemplifies the dilemma that Dalit (untouchable) converts face. Her tiny cottage doubles as the worship center for 15 Christians who pay a high price for practicing their faith. They are ostracized, harassed and denied access to the village well and other community facilities. Shopkeepers face boycotts of their businesses.

A government order in Mysore banning religious gatherings of any sort is selectively and “viciously” applied to the Christian community, the panel learned.

AICC general secretary John Dayal said that Karnataka now registers the greatest number of anti-Christian incidents in India. Pastors, evangelists and nuns have experienced vicious daylight attacks.

For instance, a group of six Hindu activists wielding knives attacked an Assemblies of God pastor in the late afternoon of May 23 as he was on his way to church.

Pastor G. Selvadass had just started out in his van when a car swerved into his path and forced him to brake to a halt. Three assailants got out, forced open the doors of Selvadass’ car and climbed in.

“The men did not utter a word,” Selvadass said, describing the attack. “They held me down and started to shower blows on my head and face. The man on my right grabbed my neck and began to choke me. I was gasping for breath. The man on my left pulled out a knife from his shoe and was able to plunge it into me.”

When he saw the knife, Selvadass closed his eyes and prayed, thinking he was going to die.

“When I opened my eyes after a few moments, the men had run away, leaving behind their car because they could not start it.

“My shirt was drenched with blood. I staggered back home and informed the police.” Selvadass then received treatment for his wounds at a local hospital.

A police inspector rushed to the scene and took charge of the deserted car. Police found iron bars, knives and chains inside.

Sources in Bangalore believe the evangelistic activities of Selvadass’ church and the Karnataka Bible Institute that he leads triggered the attack.

In other incidents, Hindu fundamentalists wrecked a Christian meeting place after learning that T.L. Patil, a high-ranking, retired official of Karnataka University who had converted to Christianity, was to hold an evangelistic meeting there. Police brought the situation under control but said that they could not make arrests because Mr. Patil refused to register a complaint.

Finally, two unidentified men in an automobile abducted a novice nun in broad daylight while she walked along a road in the Kammanahalli district of Bangalore.

According to testimony, the 20-year-old novice managed to escape from her abductors when the car came to a halt at a traffic signal. However, the incident so traumatized the woman that she is reportedly in a state of shock and under treatment in a local hospital.

Sources in Bangalore say a number of attacks on Christian workers have gone unreported because mission organizations fear that their evangelistic activities will be exposed and sources of funding jeopardized should they file complaints.

Clarification:Last month Compass reported a grenade attack on St. Luke’s Convent School in

Kashmir in late May. We mistakenly identified St. Luke’s as a Catholic school, when in fact it belongs to a Protestant organization and receives assistance from the Christian Aid evangelical ministry. The teachers who were wounded and killed were not Catholic sisters, but unmarried Protestant women.

Due to the high degree of credibility accorded Catholic schools in India, a number of Protestant and even private secular schools attach the term “convent” to their names. Moreover, in evangelical circles in India, single women in the ministry are often addressed as “Sister.”

Compass regrets the error.

(Return to Index)***********************************India Not Designated as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ Christian Leaders Criticize U.S. for Omitting India from Persecution List by Abhijeet Prabhu

BANGALORE, India (Compass) -- Given the climate of increasing violence against Christians and other religious minorities and recent laws that infringe their constitutional rights, church leaders in India have expressed regret over the United States government’s refusal to designate India a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).

Last March, officials of the Bush administration published a list of CPCs, citing Burma (Myanmar), China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Sudan for severe religious freedom violations, but left off several other nations where Christians suffer.

“We never said there is religious persecution in India, but there have been a number of attacks on Christian institutions,” said Donald D’Souza, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, in criticizing the U.S. decision. “We expect the government to do more so that minorities can feel safe and secure in the country.”

Indian leaders are not the only ones of the opinion that conditions in the country warrant a CPC designation. In May, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported that it was “deeply disappointed that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell did not designate India, Pakistan, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Vietnam” as CPCs.

“Since 1998, there have been hundreds of attacks on Christian leaders, worshippers, and churches throughout India,” the report stated. The USCIRF advises the U.S. President, Secretary of State and Congress on matters of global religious freedom.

In September 2002, the USCIRF asked Powell to place India in the category of “egregious religious freedom violators.” The Commission also urged Powell’s deputy, Richard Armitage, to take up the matter with New Delhi.

The USCIRF said it was “increasingly concerned about abuses of religious freedom in India, including the communal violence and killings that took place in Gujarat last year.” The panel expressed particular concern over Christians and other minorities periodically subjected to severe violence in a democracy, with those responsible rarely held to account.

The Commission also recognized the hostility of major Hindu fundamentalist groups and its nexus with the government. “It has become increasingly clear,” said the report, “that an increase in such violence has coincided with the rise in political influence of groups associated with the Sangh Parivar (Hindu fundamentalist movement).” The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is considered as the political arm of the Sangh Parivar.

Earlier this year, All India Christian Council president John Dayal presented testimony of 100 cases of persecution against Christians at a hearing of the USCIRF. “We are greatly disappointed, especially after the Gujarat riots,” Dayal said of the decision to leave India off the CPC list. “Our human rights record continues to be terrible.”

Referring to the Anti-conversion Bill passed by the Gujarat state government, the USCIRF said that such a law “inhibits the ability of persons in Gujarat to exercise their internationally recognized right to adopt a religion free from coercion.”

Meanwhile, Pope John Paul II strongly criticized the anti-conversion laws imposed in India. In a meeting on May 23, with bishops of Calcutta, Guwahati, Imphal and Shillong provinces, the pontiff said it was “most disconcerting that some who wish to become Christians are required to receive the permission of local authorities, while others have lost their right to social assistance and family support, while still others have been ostracized or driven out of their villages.”

The pope encouraged the Indian bishops to boldly carry on the task of evangelism and not “be discouraged by these injustices, but rather continue to engage society in such a way that these alarming trends can be reversed.

“It is the bishop’s responsibility to support those involved in the vital task of evangelization by ensuring that they never lose the missionary zeal which is central to our lives in Christ,” he added.

Church leaders are hopeful that the U.S. administration will consider the USCIRF’s recommendation and continue to assess violations of religious freedom in India.

(Return to Index)***********************************Indonesian Pastor to Appeal Three-Year Prison SentenceDecision Sparks Threats, Intimidation Against Rev. Damanik and Defense Teamby Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- Indonesian pastor Rinaldy Damanik, charged with illegal weapons possession, plans to appeal a three-year sentence imposed on him June 16.

Mona Saroinsong, a senior church official in Sulawesi and a key supporter of Damanik, said on June 17, “We are doing fine, although honestly speaking we are disappointed with the whole process of the law we have been through.”

Supporters met with Damanik on the night of June 16 and agreed to mount an appeal to free him because they are convinced he is not guilty of the charges.

“Rev. Damanik is still strong, though as a human being, definitely he is sad,” Saroinsong said. “On the other hand he is not surprised with it, because he has experience with the law in Central Sulawesi towards the Christians who are involved or being victimized in the Poso conflict.”

In the week following the verdict, the defense team registered its appeal at the Central Sulawesi High Court. However, they soon faced strong opposition from local authorities.

Mr. Johnson Panjaitan, head of the defense team, was told he would be called for questioning regarding statements he made after the verdict was handed down.

Muslim lawyers on the defense team were accused of violating their religion by taking part in the appeal process. The lawyers responded by saying they were duty bound to defend an innocent man.

The names of Damanik’s supporters were published in local newspapers with threats that they too would be arrested.

Saroinsong received phone calls warning her not to visit Palu, where the trial was held. Damanik himself was warned that family members or friends would be kidnapped if he proceeded with the appeal.

Citizens of Tentena, Damanik’s home town, were pressured by police to admit that Damanik was carrying guns. However, the citizens have maintained their strong support of Damanik’s innocence.

In a further worrying trend, citizens watched a group of over 70 men wearing robes of the militant Muslim Laskar Jihad arrive by ship in Palu Harbor on June 28. Seven of these men were reportedly Pakistani nationals.

The previous day, police arrested 12 illegal immigrants who were found in a rented house in Palu. They confiscated a collection of automatic weapons, grenades and ammunition.

According to sources, police recently discovered documents showing 22 sites marked in Palu, which they suspect are targets for terrorist attacks. Police in Central Sulawesi are presently on high alert, and citizens in Palu, Poso and Tentena are worried not only for the future of Rev. Damanik, but for their own families.

Meanwhile, Damanik and his support team will continue with the appeal process, despite growing tensions in Palu.

“The way is still long but still open, too,” Saroinsong said. “Please keep praying and campaign for true justice.”

***A photo of Rev. Damanik is available electronically. Please contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

(Return to Index)***********************************Churches Destroyed, Pastor Murdered in IndonesiaMilitant Muslim Groups Suspected of Violence Against Christiansby Samuel Rionaldo

JAKARTA (Compass) -- Violence has continued against Christians in Indonesia in recent weeks, with attacks on churches in Bekasi, West Java, and the murder of a pastor in Nias, North Sumatra.

The situation in Bekasi has been tense for some time, with Muslim militants threatening to destroy unregistered churches. The situation came to a head on June 9 when a Muslim mob destroyed a church in Pondok Ungu Permai Village, North Bekasi.

Assailants surrounded the Indonesian Christian Church on Sunday during worship. With loud cries of Allahu Akbar (God is great), they set fire to the building while the service was still in progress.

“They sprinkled the church with oil first and then burned it to the ground,” said Jones Hutapea, a member of the church.

The local government had sent a letter to the church, demanding that they cease meeting in the unregistered building. A soldier stationed in the village had asked for money from the church in return for allowing the services to continue.

A local Muslim cleric said the villagers had no quarrel with the Christians. He believed the mob had been provoked to attack the church. Eyewitnesses agreed that most of the mob were Muslim radicals, not local residents. “The base of the Muslim fundamentalists in our area is not too far from here,” said the church pastor, Rev. Marpaung.

Battier Hasanuddin Tambunan, the local police chief, promised to track down the instigators of the attack. So far he and his fellow officers have arrested seven suspects.

Meanwhile, Rev. Marpaung said he and his congregation will persist in their application for a church permit, although this process has become increasingly difficult in Indonesia.

In a separate attack in mid June, an angry mob used a bulldozer to destroy a Pentecostal church in North Bekasi after removing a cross from the altar and depositing it at the local police office.

The pastor of the church said the building had a permit from the local government. “This attack was really hurtful,” he said. “It seems we have no freedom now to worship in our country.”

Alexander Doloksaribu, a member of the local legislative assembly, said he would do his best to prosecute the offenders. “We will follow this case and those responsible will be brought to justice,” Doloksaribu said.

Meanwhile, a pastor was murdered in a vicious attack in North Sumatra last month. Rev. Wau led services as usual on a Sunday morning. About 5 o’clock in the afternoon, a man came to his home and called for the pastor to go with him. Wau left the house without saying anything to his family.

Two hours later when he had not returned, his wife became worried. She and a neighbor searched for Wau in the surrounding neighborhood but found nothing. On returning home, they found his dead body lying in the front yard.

Mrs. Wau was shocked to find bruises all over her husband’s body and deep wounds around his neck, indicating that he may have been strangled.

Sources said Wau and local Muslims had clashed over church activities in the village and that Muslim clerics had warned Wau not to hold church services or engage in other Christian activities outside his home.

The death was reported to local police, who investigated the case. The local police chief led a team that gathered evidence and arrested eight suspects. At press time, the eight are reportedly in jail awaiting trial.

(Return to Index)***********************************Justice Sought in Deaths of Two Pastors in Papua, IndonesiaChristian Leaders Seek Independent Inquiry into Human Rights Abusesby Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- Leaders of religious groups have called for an independent investigation into the recent crackdown by the Indonesian military in Wamena, a district in the Central Highlands of Papua.

As reported by the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), 15 unidentified men raided a military post in Wamena on April 4. As a result, the Indonesian military (TNI) sent hundreds of combat soldiers, including 144 special forces, into the region.

In the resulting crackdown, the military destroyed many houses and at least 11 churches. Members of the Institute for Human Rights Advocacy and Study, commonly known as ELSHAM, said officers of the TNI burned at least 50 Bibles recovered during the raids.

The raids also resulted in the deaths of two pastors, Kutis Tabuli and his brother, Engellek Tabuli.

Papua was part of neighboring Papua New Guinea until the territory was annexed by Indonesia in 1963. The Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) or Free Papua Movement continues a low-key resistance to Indonesian rule. However, church leaders cooperated with President Megawati Sukarnoputri in writing a Special Autonomy law for the region in December 2001.

Many Papuans are dissatisfied with a presidential decree issued in February 2003, dividing Papua into three separate provinces. Some observers fear the Christian population in Papua may be forcibly concentrated into a single province, leaving the remaining two provinces for Muslim immigrants from mainland Indonesia.

According to the BWA, over 90 percent of all indigenous Papuans are listed as Christians in official census data.

Following the raids in Wamena, a coalition of non-governmental organizations formed a team to conduct their own inquiry. The team held a press conference in Jakarta on June 2 to announce their findings. Spokesman Anum Siregar said they had collected evidence of 35 cases of arrest, torture and intimidation; 17 cases of arson and 16 robberies.

Members of the team also recovered the bodies of three civilians in a forest in Kuyawage village. The three were identified as brothers Yesaya and Obenus Tulenggan, and Eretene Murib. The men apparently died of starvation while hiding from the military in the forest.

The Jakarta Post quoted Rev. Herman Saud of the Evangelical Church in Papua, who said, “We call on the central government and local authorities in the province to pay serious attention to the human rights abuses in the military operation in Wamena.”

In a previous incident on December 28, 2002, three people connected with ELSHAM were shot to death at a remote border post between Papua and Papua New Guinea. The victims included Elsye Rumbiak, wife of ELSHAM’s director, and the couple’s son, Marlin Bonay.

ELSHAM works closely with the Evangelical Christian Church (GKI) in Papua. Rev. Saud of the GKI believes the army was responsible for the December shooting. The TNI denies any involvement, placing blame on Papuan rebels.

A foreign national who maintains close contact with church leaders in Papua said that approximately 3,000 Laskar Jihad warriors have infiltrated the predominantly Christian region in recent years. The army is also active in the area, with an additional 4,000 troops assigned to Papua in 2002 for special military training maneuvers.

Sources report that clandestine figures known as “ninjas” -- so-called because they wear black masks -- were systematically terrorizing the Papuan community. The ninjas have offered five million rupiah ($611) to anyone who burns down a church and 50 million rupiah for the assassination of a pastor or priest.

Rev. John Barr said Christian leaders were working hard to maintain peace in the region.

“The moderator of the GKI church in particular is a wonderful mediator who is no doubt saving lives through his careful liaison between government, military and the local community,” Barr said.

“However, the subtle process of Islamization in Papua continues unabated.”

(Return to Index)***********************************Mexican Government Hesitates on Acteal CaseDespite International Appeals, 35 Innocent Evangelicals Remain Imprisonedby Elisabeth Isais

MEXICO CITY (Compass) -- On December 22, 1997, a tragic massacre left 45 people dead in Acteal, Chiapas. Most of the 80 men imprisoned for that crime are evangelical Christians who claim total innocence. Nevertheless, they have spent more than five years behind bars and one inmate, an elderly man, has died of natural causes in jail.

Recently the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico made declarations indicating its concern about the injustice and lack of due process in the Acteal case. The prisoners’ families, all indigenous Tzotzil Indians, are suffering from the absence of their principal providers, although Mexican churches have helped.

On June 10, Mexico’s official news agency Notimex reported a press conference in which relatives of the jailed men declared that the authorities had acted with partiality in the case. “The prisoners are innocent and the criminals continue free,” said Maria Santiz Ruiz. “Our relatives are unjustly imprisoned; they never committed crimes. The witnesses never were able to identify the aggressors.”

Santiz was accompanied by other relatives of the Acteal prisoners, including Maria López López, Maria Lopez Perez, Guillermina Sarmiento Camacho, Maria Lopez Luna and Maria Perez Gomez, all indigenous women, as well as their children. The group

asked Rosario Robles Berlanga, national president of Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), to help their cause.

In a meeting over a year ago, the Presbyterian National Assembly recommended that all evangelical churches in Mexico hang a sign on their buildings asking for a review of the Acteal case, but the plan was not carried out. The denomination has hired two defense lawyers to work on the case.

“It appears there is no official will to help to resolve the problem,” wrote pastor-reporter Ruben Hernandez Diaz in a recent issue of the official Presbyterian magazine El Faro.

Jorge Lopez Perez, president of the Presbyterian assembly, and other leaders prepared a document that states: “The majority of the 80 people originally detained as probable culprits in the so-called Acteal Massacre, have in common (1) that they were arrested without a warrant and (2) that they are closely related to the evangelical community of the region. This fact is especially relevant when considering that their accusers form part of the Catholic sector identified theologically and ideologically with Zapatismo” (the guerrilla group known as Zapatista Army of National Liberation, EZLN, formed in 1994 in Chiapas).

The document continues, “(3) They form part of the official and traditional structure of the government of Chenalhó municipality, so that their detention translates into a void of authority which the Zapatistas have taken advantage of in the region. (4) The majority (of the prisoners) were selected as guilty by means of a raised hands vote in the popular assembly conducted by Zapatista authorities in the so-called Autonomous Municipality of Polhó, on December 25, 1997.”

The document adds, “Five of those detained in Cerro Hueco have accepted total responsibility for the attack at Acteal. They have identified the other four members of the attacking group, who are now refugees in Zapatista territory, and as such are outside the reach of the judicial authorities. Furthermore, they have repeated the innocence of the rest of the prisoners who are presumed guilty.”

On May 5, the Mexican news magazine Milenio published an article by Eugenia Jimenez Caliz stating, “In an investigation carried out by an evangelical group and given to president Vicente Fox in March, it was stated that those responsible for the massacre were members of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), who later went into hiding and were not judged in order to avoid further friction between the government and the EZLN.”

The Milenio article also stated, “Furthermore, indications are that a catechist (Catholic teacher) was the one who drew up the list to detain the evangelicals, in a clear example of religious intolerance.”

On May 7, an international delegation including representatives of England, Holland, the U.S. and Mexico requested the national office of human rights in Mexico to press the authorities to resolve the Acteal problem. However, the Presbyterians have concluded that there is no interest on the part of the government to re-open the case.

Mexican attorney and Harvard University graduate Dr. Hugo Eric Flores carried out an intensive investigation of the Acteal case, which is to be published soon under the title El Otro Acteal (The Other Acteal).

The principal concern at this time, according to church leaders, is to obtain the freedom of the innocent evangelical prisoners who have languished in jail for nearly six years.

***A photo of women in the Acteal church is available electronically. Please contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

(Return to Index)***********************************Catholic Bishop Calls for End to Persecution of Chiapas EvangelicalsFelipe Arizmendi Seeks Reconciliation between Diverse Religious Groupsby David Miller

MIAMI (Compass) -- The Catholic bishop of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in Mexico’s southernmost state of Chiapas, has appealed for an end to the violent and prolonged persecution of evangelical Christians by “traditionalist” Catholics.

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel called for “no more expulsions or divisions on the basis of religion” in a sermon delivered at the ordination service of an indigenous priest. He asked that “there be no more destruction nor house-burnings, nor skirmishes, nor the shedding of blood due to religious, political, cultural or economic differences.”

The bishop’s remarks made in the village of Yaaltén, San Juan Chamula, later appeared in the Chiapas newspaper Cuarto Poder.

For the past 30 years, native Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Tojolabal Indians who have embraced evangelical Christianity have faced great opposition. Religious intolerance has triggered the forced expulsion of some 35,000 evangelicals from ancestral lands in Chamula and other districts.

Evangelical Christians have endured threats, beatings and false imprisonment. Their children have been denied access to public education. Worst of all, hundreds of evangelicals have been brutally assassinated and, in the vast majority of cases, authorities have made no attempt to bring their murderers to justice.

Despite the unrelenting pressure, evangelical Christianity has grown steadily throughout the Chiapas highlands. According to government census figures, 35 percent of

the state population adheres to evangelicalism, up from 16 percent in 1991. Chiapas now has more Protestants per capita than any state in Mexico.

“Since the early 1980s, we have been working in Bible distribution, training and community development projects, with a vision to contribute to conflict resolution and reconciliation,” said Richard Luna, director of Open Doors Latin America. “As such, the statements from Bishop Arizmendi are very welcome in the context of current conflicts,” Luna added, “especially if actions follow up his words.”

Powerful “caciques” (local village leaders) have been the instigators of most of the religious persecution in Chiapas. Since evangelical Christianity first took root in the humble farming communities of the central highlands some 40 years ago, caciques have violently opposed the “new” faith.

In their view, evangelicals are an unwanted influence because they do not take part in semi-pagan religious festivals or drink large quantities of alcohol, as local custom dictates. The caciques, who enjoy a monopoly on the sale of alcoholic beverages, see evangelicals as bad for business.

In 1997, violence involving evangelicals increased dramatically as supporters of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) clashed with peasant farmers who opposed the Marxist organization’s incursion into their traditional communities. The conflict culminated in the infamous “Acteal Massacre” in which 45 people -- most of them women and children -- died in a gunfight at a Catholic hermitage.

Over 70 peasant farmers who opposed the EZLN have been imprisoned for the past five years for allegedly participating in the massacre, despite clear evidence that the majority of them are innocent. Thirty-five evangelicals, some of them pastors and church elders, are among the prisoners.

Bishop Arizmendi, a conservative church leader who three years ago replaced long-time San Cristobal bishop Samuel Ruiz, is a key figure in the Inter-Religious Council of Chiapas. The council serves as a forum for evangelical pastors and Catholic clergy who are seeking peaceful solutions to what Arizmendi calls the “polarized belligerence” that plagues the region.

Last April, Arizmendi outlined his vision of reconciliation in an inaugural address before the Tojolabal chapter of the Inter-Religious Council held in the community of Las Margaritas.

“We are not in favor of the expulsion of those who decide to profess another religion, different than that of the majority of a given community,” he said. “Surely, religion cannot be imposed with violence, and no one should be hindered from practicing the faith that is most in accord with his or her conscience.

“The religious plurality that exists in Chiapas can be a treasure and a force for good, if we unite to combat vice, drunkenness, drug addiction, underdevelopment and lack of faith. Together we can and should construct progress, peace and social harmony.”

San Cristobal attorney and veteran religious rights activist Abdias Tovilla admitted that many evangelicals distrust the Inter-Religious Council, as they would any initiative involving the Roman Catholic Church. Their attitude is understandable, given the long history of persecution.

However, Tovilla is careful to point out that the “traditionalist” religious practices the caciques follow differ radically from the orthodox Catholic faith which the diocese of San Cristóbal professes.

“In the final analysis, the problems in San Juan Chamula are more political and social than religious,” Tovilla said.

“Efforts at reconciliation, especially those involving Catholic-evangelical cooperation, are very controversial,” Luna acknowledged. “At times they open old wounds.”

“Nevertheless, we support evangelical Christians who want to become involved in these efforts at conflict resolution. We should not settle for being mere observers or critics. We should be participants in these efforts.”

(Return to Index)***********************************Nigerian Government Gives Compensation for Destroyed Places of WorshipProblems Continue as Muslim Militants Lay Siege to Christian Churchby Obed Minchakpu

KADUNA, Nigeria (Compass) -- The government of the northern Nigeria state of Kaduna has released nearly $10 million as compensation for Christian churches and Muslim mosques destroyed in last year’s religious riots.

According to a government spokesman, the money is to help finance the reconstruction of 119 churches and 39 mosques destroyed in violent clashes between Muslims and Christians.

In a letter to Christian and Muslim leaders, Kaduna state accountant-general Malam Ya’u Shehu indicated that $8.9 million will be made available to Christian churches whose sanctuaries were destroyed and about $1 million will go toward the reconstruction of mosques.

The accountant-general disclosed that checks have already been written and forwarded to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), umbrella organizations for the two faiths.

Meanwhile, Muslim militants in Kano, a city in northern Nigeria, forcibly occupied a church building and threatened to “spill blood” if the state government does not close the church.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God was built in the city seven years ago and burned last April by Muslim militants. Last month, church leaders decided to reconstruct the building. When Muslim militants learned of the decision, a mob numbering more than 200 stormed the premises and lay siege to it, threatening to kill any Christian who came to worship.

State police authorities dispatched armed officers to the church, but the action did not deter the extremists. The leader of the Muslim group said, “Blood will flow if a church service is organized here today.”

Police said they cannot guarantee the safety of church members.

CAN Chairman Dr. Joseph Fadipe told Compass that they have resolved to find an alternative site for the church to build its worship center.

(Return to Index)***********************************Muslim Extremists Attack Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau StateChildren of Slain Evangelist Refute ‘Distorted’ Media Reportsby Obed Minchakpu

MABUDI, Nigeria (Compass) -- Muslim fundamentalists attacked the Christian communities of Galadum and Wahim in the Langtang South local government area of the state of Plateau, central Nigeria, killing one person and burning churches and houses.

The militants also drove off 300 head of cattle belonging to the two communities. An unspecified number of Christians were displaced from the two villages following the attack.

Mr. Nandan Bako, a member of Nigeria’s national parliament representing the area, blamed the incursion on police laxity.

“The police posted to this area since religious crisis broke out in this state in 2001 have not proved that they have wherewithal to protect our communities,” Bako told Compass. “They should be reassigned and more competent men brought in to check the menace of these Muslim fanatics.”

However, Plateau state police commissioner Innocent Ilozuoke said, “The police are doing their best to stop the attack on innocent persons in the state.”

In April, Muslim militants attacked Kadarko, Zambwar, Fobur, and Wereng, four Christian communities in Langtang, Jos, and Wase local government areas of the state. In those assaults, at least 50 people were killed and more than 100 homes burned to the ground. Thirty people are still missing, according to reports.

The unrelenting crisis in the state of Plateau has claimed over 10,000 lives since 2001; the Christian community has suffered the majority of the casualties. Also, properties worth millions of dollars have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, the children of a Christian evangelist murdered last month in Numan, a town in the northern state of Adamawa, have denied that their mother died as the result of an argument between her and her Muslim killer, Mohammed Salisu.

Salisu, a vendor who supplied the Ethan household with water, stabbed Esther Jinkai Ethan to death at her home on June 9. Media reports later attributed the murder to an argument between Salisu and Mrs. Ethan.

“Our mother had just returned from street evangelism, which she has been doing for sometime now, when Mohammed Salisu came around to see her,” Benedict Ethan said, speaking on behalf of his three siblings.

“After a short while, he came out of the house running with a blood-stained knife and escaped before we could raise alarm. We never heard our mother quarreling with Mohammed Salisu.

“Our mother’s killing was religiously motivated,” he concluded.

Speaking to journalists, family spokesman Samuel Aleideino regretted that reports about the pastor’s death were distorted by media organizations in Nigeria, believing that her Muslim assailant killed her without provocation.

“There was no argument over water payments as claimed by the police,” Aleideino said. “The water hawker went on a mission to kill the pastor.”

Benedict said the family has resolved to forgive their mother’s killer, as that would have been her wish.

“Whoever is responsible for the murder of our mother has been forgiven. Whoever masterminded the killing of our mother, we leave him or her to God.”

(Return to Index)***********************************Nigerian Pastor’s Children Killed in Ethnic ClashChristians Endangered by Tribal, Religious Disputesby Obed Minchakpu

JOS, Nigeria (Compass) -- A tragic burst of ethnic violence in the southwestern town of Koko claimed the lives of four young children of a Foursquare Gospel pastor.

Tensions between Ijaw and the Itsekiri tribal groups of the Niger Delta escalated between April and June, resulting in at least 15 deaths.

Pastor Matthew Omodion was at his church on the day his children, Joy, 12; Love, 10; John, 6; and Paul, 4, were killed.

Eyewitnesses to the violence told Compass that Ijaw militants attacked Koko, a predominantly Itsekiri town, and set fire to the Omodion home. The four children died when the attackers threw them into the burning building.

“I saw the pastor’s children, the four of them being thrown into the fire,” Mrs. Patience Ewetan, a survivor, said. “We watched helplessly as they were throwing the children into the fire, one after the other.”

Pastor Omodion was thought to have escaped the attack on Koko. At press time, his whereabouts remain unknown.

Eleven other people died in the rampage and 145 buildings were reportedly destroyed. Those included the town’s hospital and a water treatment plant.

Ethnic violence engulfed Nigeria’s Niger Delta beginning in 1997 due to a policy creating local government areas. Disputes over local council headquarters have pitched the ethnic groups against each other.

In other news, an evangelist from the All Saints Anglican Church in Oraifite, a town in the southeastern state of Anambra, has escaped two attempts on his life during the past year. A group of idol worshippers has tried to kill Obinna Onuchukwu for demolishing a traditional African shrine on his family’s property.

Onuchukwu destroyed a shrine to “Okwu Ogwugwu” that sat on family land in August of last year, after obtaining his father’s consent.

In March, a gang of 16 idol worshippers retaliated, attacking the pastor with hand weapons and setting fire to his car.

In another attack in late April, a group of animists knocked the pastor to the ground, drugged and abducted him. Police later rescued Onuchukwu and arrested the kidnappers, but released them a few days later without prosecuting them.

A spokesman for the Anambra state police told Compass that they are investigating the motives behind the attempt on Onuchukwu, and that they can only provide protection if he applies for it.

(Return to Index)***********************************Kidnapped Christian Girl Wins Divorce Case in PakistanMuslim Ex-Husband’s Child Custody Case Still Pendingby Barbara G. Baker

ISTANBUL (Compass) -- Five years after she was kidnapped, sold and forcibly married to a Muslim stranger, a young Pakistani Christian woman has won a legal divorce from the man who held her captive and enslaved in his home for two and one-half years.

By order of the Lahore Family Court this past February, Maria Samar John was granted the formal dissolution of her marriage to Abdul Ghaffar. The forced wedding ceremony had been recorded by a Muslim cleric in May 1998, when the unwilling bride was forced to thumbprint her marriage certificate.

In the landmark February 28 court decision, the presiding judge cited the proven circumstances of Maria’s kidnapping and forced marriage as grounds for formal dissolution of the marriage.

Now 23, Maria was only 17 when she was tricked by an aunt’s Muslim husband to leave her home in Lahore. She was locked into a room in Gujranwala by herself for five months. Her family had no information as to her whereabouts, and she was given no explanation for her detention by an older woman she had never met who brought her food and water daily.

Finally, on what turned out to be her wedding day, her isolation was broken by a handful of visitors, including armed men. A stranger she soon realized was to be her bridegroom paid her kidnapper 80,000 rupees (equivalent at the time to $2,000), and a wedding ceremony was performed.

Although her name on the marriage certificate was changed from Maria to Kalsoom, the young girl refused to repeat the Islamic creed and convert to Islam. But she was forced to put her thumbprint on a document declaring that she had “of her own free will” converted from Christianity to Islam.

Maria’s new husband turned out to be a member of an influential family in Gujranwala affiliated with the Muslim extremist Sipah-e-Sabah Party (SSP). In the coming months, both her husband and mother-in-law beat her repeatedly because she refused to memorize the Quran or say the Muslim prayers.

She bore a son to Ghaffar in September 1999 and was pregnant for a second time when she managed to find a house key and escape with her baby from Ghaffar’s home. After taking shelter for several months with her mother, who had given up hope of ever finding her again, Maria was tracked down and threatened with recapture by Ghaffar.

In December 2000, she was introduced to the Lahore-based Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), which found safe-house lodging for her and filed a divorce case on her behalf. Her second child, a daughter named Miriam, was born in May 2001.

It took 26 months to resolve the divorce suit, complicated when Ghaffar opened a counter suit from Gujranwala to obtain custody of their son, who he declared must not be raised as a Christian. Given the name Hassan Ali by his father, the boy was renamed Joshua by his mother.

The Lahore Family Court was obliged because of the father’s lawsuit to defer divorce hearings until the custody case had been transferred from Gujranwala to the jurisdiction of the Lahore courts.

During the months prior to the final civil court ruling on their divorce, Ghaffar reportedly threatened Maria’s mother and brother, demanding that Maria and the children return to his home. “They were all very tense in those days,” a CLAAS representative said.

But after the divorce became final, Ghaffar stopped appearing at the court hearings for the case he had opened to gain custody of his son. Maria’s family has heard or seen nothing of him since.

“Neither he nor his lawyer have been following the custody case for the past four months,” CLAAS lawyer Justin Gill confirmed in early July. If they fail to appear at the next hearing on July 10, Gill said, the judge can be expected to notify them in writing of the court’s intention to dismiss the case.

Together with her two children, Maria continues to live in a secret location in Punjab province. But once the custody case is dismissed with a default judgment in favor of the mother, her lawyer says, it presumably would be safe for her and her children to live and move about openly in the community.

Still, Maria is nervous about sending her son off to school this fall.

According to research by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the country is experiencing a rising trend of minor girls being abducted each year. Bowing to the prevailing taboo against “shaming family honor,” few families try to reclaim their daughters or permit them to sue for judicial protection.

During 2001, 226 underage girls were reported kidnapped in the Punjab province alone, where most of Pakistan’s minority Christian population lives. Only 12 were recovered and returned to their families.

Criminal charges against their abductors are rarely pursued by police authorities, who insist that in most cases the girls are eloping with their so-called kidnappers.

*** Photos of Maria and her two children are available electronically. Please contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

(Return to Index)***********************************Catholic Priest Murdered in PakistanHomicide Linked to Restoration of Former Parish Schoolby Barbara G. Baker

ISTANBUL (Compass) -- Six gunmen shot and killed a Roman Catholic priest in his home in eastern Pakistan in the early hours of July 5, according to church and police authorities.

Father George Ibrahim, 38, was gunned down about 1 a.m. while sleeping in his home near Okara, 180 miles south of Islamabad in the Punjab province.

The night watchman of the Renala Khurd Catholic Church told police investigating the crime that six unidentified men overpowered him shortly after midnight, threatening to kill him if he resisted or sounded any alarm. After shooting the priest, the assailants all escaped. There have been no reported arrests or claims of responsibility.

According to Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Lawrence J. Saldanha, “the main motive” for the priest’s murder appeared to be linked to the government’s decision last fall to return ownership of a former church school to Fr. Ibrahim’s Catholic parish.

Initially founded and run by Catholic sisters, the parish school had been returned to the church last October after 30 years under state management. “But the process of getting it back was very, very difficult,” Saldanha told Compass by telephone from Lahore.

Pakistan’s minority Christian community had been stripped of its Urdu-language private schools in the Punjab and Sindh provinces in 1972, when the government nationalized the institutions without compensation and imposed state management. But after the Supreme Court declared the forced nationalization unconstitutional 20 years later, private school owners began to file for court restoration of their former institutions.

Government-hired administrators and teachers of these schools have actively resisted Islamabad’s orders to return the institutions to church control, protesting the anticipated loss of their jobs. “They weren’t acting on behalf of the government, because the government was trying to get them out,” Saldanha said. “But they were using very influential ways to remain in control.”

According to Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Catholic Church’s National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), both the former headmistress of the

expropriated Renala Khurd school and officials of the local education department had refused to cooperate in the government-ordered transfer.

The archbishop said he was not aware of any direct death threats made against the priest. “But in a general sense, he felt insecure, he felt unsafe,” he admitted.

Saldanha denied police claims reported in the Pakistani press that the church watchman had been injured in the attack. “The watchman was not wounded. They left him alone, and they went only for the priest,” he said. Allegations that the priest himself had “opened fire on the intruders” were also unfounded, he said.

“The Christian community feels deeply disturbed at this cold-blooded attack on a priest who had devoted his life to the selfless service of the poor and downtrodden,” Saldanha declared in a written statement to the press on July 5.

Fr. Ibrahim was buried July 6 in his home village of Khushpur. Memorial services planned for him there will be held on July 10, which would have been the priest’s 39th birthday.

(Return to Index)***********************************Saudi Arabia Stalling Eritrean Christian’s Deportation Car Transfer Said to Delay Departureby Barbara G. Baker

ISTANBUL (Compass) -- After nearly three months in a Saudi Arabian jail, Eritrean Christian Girmaye Ambaye is still awaiting deportation for his alleged participation in “Christian activities” prohibited under the country’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Summoned to his sponsor’s office on March 25, Ambaye has remained under arrest at Jeddah’s Bremen deportation center ever since. Ambaye had been an active member of the Ethiopian-Eritrean Christian congregation in the port city for the past five years.

According to a representative of the Eritrean Consulate in Jeddah who spoke with Compass on June 17, Ambaye’s March arrest “has something to do related with religion. It’s beyond our ability to do anything when it comes to religion in Saudi Arabia,” the consulate officer explained.

However, the official stated that Ambaye, who worked as a tailor in Jeddah, had maintained a legal residence permit in the Saudi kingdom.

The only reason Ambaye still had not been deported, the consulate said in early June, was the fact that government computers showed ownership of a car registered under his name. “In order to deport him, he has to sell his car or transfer it to someone else,” the official said, so that it no longer appears under his name during the final security check at the airport before departure.

Ambaye has confirmed that he signed transfer papers for his car on June 8.

“Maybe this Saturday he will travel home,” a friend who had visited him a few days ago told Compass on June 17. Weekly flights from Jeddah to Asmara, the Eritrean capital, are scheduled on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Ambaye confirmed to Compass that he had lived and worked in Saudi Arabia since 1987. “But I became a believer in Jesus Christ five years ago,” he said, “and this changed my life completely.”

The jailed Eritrean shares a cell at the Bremen deportation center with about 50 other prisoners, he said. He estimated that at least 500 prisoners from more than 20 countries are in the jail’s 10 deportation wards.

Ambaye, who is 42 and unmarried, said he had no contact since his arrest with his family in his hometown of Mendefera, 50 kilometers south of Asmara.

Another member of Ambaye’s house church congregation in Jeddah, Ethiopian Endeshawe Yizengaw, was held for three weeks in the same prison before his deportation on May 16. Saudi security police have kept the congregation under strict surveillance in recent months, warning some members to stop attending and accusing others of trying to evangelize Muslims.

Nine Ethiopians and two Eritreans from the same congregation were among 14 foreign Christians subjected to six months or more of detention in the autumn of 2001 until all were deported the following spring. Saudi officials refused to give a formal reason for their arrest, denying them consular access for the first five months and severely beating three of them after their transfer from prison to the deportation center.

Saudi authorities regularly arrest and deport expatriate Christians whom they accuse of conducting meetings for Christian worship or trying to evangelize Muslims, although such charges are rarely produced in writing.

(Return to Index)***********************************Three Churches Attacked in Sri LankaSeries of Assaults Highlight Ongoing Religious Tensionsby Sarah Page

DUBLIN (Compass) -- On May 25, assailants broke into the Heavenly Harvest Church in Kaluvenkerni, Sri Lanka, beat the pastor and ransacked the building. One week later, a mob destroyed St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Orutota, Gampaha. On June 13, assailants broke into the home of a Christian pastor in Neluwa, assaulted the minister and burned his house to the ground.

These attacks on churches and church leaders highlight the ongoing tension between religious groups in Sri Lanka.

The remote village of Kaluvenkerni is located in eastern Sri Lanka, a predominantly Hindu area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A group of about 135 Christians were meeting regularly at their pastor’s home in the village.

Three days before the attack, 12 people -- some of them from the Village Development Council -- walked into the pastor’s house and warned that if the Heavenly Harvest Church continued to worship there, they would suffer a fate worse than death.

Undeterred, church members gathered for the Sunday service on May 25. As they worshipped, a frenzied mob of about 500 Hindus armed with sticks, clubs and homemade weapons surrounded the building.

Attackers pelted the church with stones as a group of 30 men entered the church and dragged the pastor outside. They beat him mercilessly while another group stood guard at the doorway, preventing anyone from leaving the building. Eventually, a few church members broke through the barrier and ran out to assist their pastor.

At that point, the mob ran into the church and began breaking windows and furniture. They beat the church members, including children. Many of the adults were beaten into unconsciousness and needed medical attention following the attack.

When the police arrived at the scene, an angry and well-armed mob threatened to kill them if they intervened to protect the Christians. Hopelessly outnumbered, the officers got back into their vehicle with the pastor. They managed to break away from the crowd and drive the pastor to safety.

The mob then attacked the homes of all 25 Christian families in the village, setting their houses ablaze. Attackers reportedly attempted to rape three young girls, but all managed to escape without serious harm.

The mob dragged two Christian men to the Hindu temple and beat them severely, demanding they renounce their faith. The men refused, saying, “You can kill us if you want, but we will never deny our God.”

The following day, LTTE officials learned that the pastor and some church members had reported the incident to the police. The officials went to the Christians and demanded that they immediately withdraw the complaint.

A second attack occurred in Orutota, Gampaha province, on June 3. A mob of approximately 100 people surrounded St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church at midnight and proceeded to break streetlights and destroy a small church hall still under construction.

A Christian family living next door was threatened with death if they reported the incident. Local authorities made one arrest after the attack but took no other action.

Villagers have since threatened to bomb the church if the Christians attempt to rebuild it.

Finally, unknown assailants attacked Pastor Rozairo and his family in the village of Neluwa at midnight on June 13.

Rozairo was at home with his pregnant wife, their two-year-old son and two other Christian couples, when a group of men wearing masks broke into the house.

The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL) reported that the intruders gathered clothing, furniture and Christian literature and set it ablaze before turning on the occupants. They beat one of the house guests with iron rods and tried to stab him, but held back when the man’s wife screamed.

The mob threatened to kill the group of Christians if they did not leave the village immediately. By this time, the house was ablaze and the family had to jump out of the window to escape the flames.

On the following day, the incident was reported to local police, who reportedly know the identity of the attackers. There have been no arrests to date.

Rozairo had been threatened on several previous occasions. In those instances, police reports were filed but no action was taken. The pastor’s enemies have told police they are not interested in the law and will solve the “problem” themselves.

At press time, the Christian communities in Neluwa, Gampaha and Kaluvenkerni remain in great danger. Many have taken refuge with Christians in other areas and cannot return to their homes.

A Sri Lankan pastor, who chose not to be named, appealed for prayer and intervention on behalf of fellow Christians.

“We live in a democratic nation where our constitution guarantees equal rights to all people,” he said. “We are making a strong appeal to the government of Sri Lanka and to the international community to intervene, to ensure that our fundamental rights be protected.”

(Return to Index)***********************************European Court to Rule on Turkish Christian’s Legal AppealPrisoner Soner Onder Awaits Decision by Fallby Barbara G. Baker

ISTANBUL (Compass) -- The highest court of appeals in Europe is expected to hand down its final ruling this fall on the case of Soner Onder, a Syrian Catholic Christian of Turkish citizenship.

Jailed 11 years ago, Onder has been waiting since January 1998 for Europe’s judicial review of his criminal conviction under the Turkish court system.

On April 1, Onder’s case was unanimously accepted for judicial review by the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Less than 10 percent of the cases registered for appeal before the ECHR are accepted for formal consideration.

According to Onder’s lawyer Hasip Kaplan, a seven-judge panel of the ECHR listed four “admissible complaints” filed against the Turkish government’s handling of Onder’s case in their 10-page April memo.

Soner’s lawyer and representatives of the Turkish government were given a deadline of May 28 to submit any further evidence or written statements concerning the defendant’s four claims, which the ECHR concluded “cannot be declared unfounded.”

The complaints included inhumane and degrading treatment during his detention, the absence of an independent and impartial tribunal, ignoring the principle of presumption of innocence and the court’s acceptance of contradictory police reports.

Now 29, Onder was arrested at age 17 on charges of participating in a Kurdish terrorist attack at an Istanbul department store that killed 12 people on December 25, 1991.

Onder testified at his trial that he was arrested off a bus near the scene of the attack while on his way home from Christmas Day services at his church. He was forced under torture, he said, to sign a false confession stating that he was arrested while throwing Molotov cocktails at the crime scene.

He and his family believe that he was arrested and then convicted simply because his identity card lists his birthplace as Diyarbakir, center of the Kurdish separatist movement in southeast Turkey.

Official ECHR scrutiny and review of Onder’s case was to have begun in June, his lawyer said, with announcement of the court’s decision expected after two or three more months.

Kaplan said that an ECHR ruling in Onder’s favor would not automatically secure his client’s early release. But it is expected that if miscarriage of justice is proven in his case, the Turkish government would be required to pay the imprisoned Christian a sizeable compensation.

The Turkish government lost 105 cases before the ECHR last year, forcing it to pay thousands of euros in remuneration to aggrieved citizens.

In a recent June ruling, the ECHR ordered Turkish authorities to pay 25,000 euros as well as court costs to a young man of Kurdish descent who had been tortured and degraded after his 1992 arrest on charges of political separatist activities in southeast Turkey.

Onder was originally given the death penalty in his 1994 court verdict, which was commuted to life in prison or 30 years. But because he was under age 18 at the time of his arrest, the courts were later obliged to reduce this sentence by half. Under the Turkish penal system, Onder is eligible for parole after serving three-fourths of this reduced sentence.

He will be due for release from the high-security Umraniye Military Prison in Istanbul on May 25, 2004 -- 12 years and six months after his arrest on Christmas Day, 1991.

This spring, Onder received official approval for the extension of his student status so that he can pursue a university education after his release. This automatically exempts him from conscription into the Turkish military until he has completed his course of study.

According to one of his older brothers living in Istanbul, Onder has studied to improve his basic English skills during his years in prison. He has told his family he hopes eventually to study international relations at an English-medium university.

Most of Onder’s family, including his widowed mother and six older siblings, had immigrated to Switzerland or Germany before his arrest. He has a sister and one married brother still living in Istanbul.

***A photograph of Soner Onder is available electronically. Please contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

(Return to Index)***********************************Filipino Pastor’s Departure from UAE StalledDubai Prosecutor Appeals Cancelled Deportation Orderby Barbara G. Baker

ISTANBUL (Compass) -- Despite a suspended jail sentence and cancelled deportation order from court authorities of the United Arab Emirates, a Filipino pastor and his family are still waiting for court permission to leave the Arab Gulf state.

Rev. Fernando P. Alconga, 54, told Compass that he expected a final ruling on July 12 from the Dubai Supreme Court that would end the eight months of judicial tangles surrounding his criminal case over illegal Christian missionary activity.

“We are praying that the Dubai Supreme Court will be decisive to uphold the Court of Appeal’s cancellation of my deportation, so that we will be cleared to leave the UAE immediately,” Alconga said.

He and his family have confirmed flight reservations to leave for Manila on July 13, pending Supreme Court approval and the return of his passport, he said. An ordained Conservative Baptist minister, Alconga had planned to return to the Philippines last January to pastor a congregation in Manila.

Arrested in November 2002, Alconga was jailed for 36 days and then put on trial for “preaching other than the Islamic religion” by giving a Bible and Christian literature to an Arab Muslim at a shopping mall in Dubai.

Although Alconga was found guilty of “abusing Islam” and conducting Christian missionary activity in his April 27 verdict, the presiding criminal court judge suspended his one-year prison sentence.

Subsequently, Alconga’s lawyer Hamad M. Kadfoor Al-Hemairi filed a petition before the Dubai Court of Appeals, requesting the cancellation of the pastor’s deportation order. The appeal, which was approved on May 25, enabled Alconga’s 13-year-old son to remain in the UAE to complete his school exams, which concluded on June 11.

Under Emirati law, it also cleared Alconga’s name of criminal charges so that he would be free to visit the UAE again.

But on June 8, when Alconga’s passport was to have been released by the court, his lawyer learned that the Dubai Prosecutor General had filed an objection against the appellate court’s decision to drop the pastor’s deportation order.

Although a hearing was set for the appeal before the Supreme Court on June 28, it was postponed until July 5 and then again until July 12. As a result, Alconga’s son has missed the opening of his next school term in the Philippines, where schools started on June 16.

In terms of the pending Supreme Court ruling, “Deportation is the only issue,” Alconga said.

There has been no legal debate raised against the leniency extended by the Criminal Court of First Instance in suspending his one-year jail sentence. Alconga and his family have lived in the UAE since 1994.

Under the UAE’s penal code, non-Muslim missionary activities and possession of materials which oppose Islam’s fundamental principles are strictly prohibited. However, the relatively tolerant federation of seven sheikdoms allows its resident expatriates, who compose 80 percent of the population, to establish a number of Christian churches which meet openly for worship on government-allotted land.

***Photographs of Rev. Fernando Alconga are available electronically. Please contact Compass Direct for pricing and transmittal.

(Return to Index)***********************************200 Police Halt Church Construction in VietnamCooperation Growing Between Protestant and Catholic Religious Liberty AdvocatesSpecial to Compass Direct

HO CHI MINH CITY (Compass) -- For the second time in three years, authorities in Thu Thiem district of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) halted the construction of a church building. This time, however, they did not destroy the initial construction, as Christians involved showed increased sophistication in their organization of the building project and in subsequent protests against government interference.

At 4 a.m. on June 9, building materials were transported to the building site. One group of Christians, wearing on their heads a white mourning cloth emblazoned with a red colored cross, gathered to pray at the site, while another group constructed the building’s frame. By 5 a.m., the frame of the temporary building had been completed.

At 7 a.m., an estimated 200 police arrived on the scene. The pastor of the church, Truong Van Nganh, and Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a Vietnamese Mennonite activist, peacefully engaged the authorities. The police left after realizing they could not legally stop the building project. However, officers apparently sent a gang of trouble-makers to the scene to cause problems. The gang tried unsuccessfully to provoke the praying Christians.

The Christians called high police authorities, who eventually sent police to call off the trouble-making gang. Authorities then ordered electricity to the area cut, but the Christians had brought their own generator. An officer from the U.S. Consulate also appeared at the scene.

The incident ended when authorities seized and hauled away all the building materials but did not destroy the frame.

On June 16, the church’s building committee chairman, Mr. Le Thanh Dung, and treasurer, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc, were summoned for police questioning. Police also called on the home of Rev. Quang on June 18. Investigations continue.

The Thu Thiem congregation belongs to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South), which was legitimized by the Vietnamese government in April 2001. Nevertheless on June 19, authorities ordered the ECVN (S) executive committee “to work with Pastor Nganh and his congregation to dismantle their church building.” This will likely prove an impasse, sources said, because the Thu Thiem church members have declared they will defend their church to the death.

Three years ago on July 1, 2000, authorities destroyed a similar church construction attempt. As a result, Pastor Nganh, along with Mennonite Pastor Quang, determined to obtain official approval for the church’s construction by carefully following and testing existing laws. In November 2001, with authorities stalling on the building permit request, Christians threatened a hunger strike in front of city hall. Because the hunger strike occurred on the eve of a visit from former U.S. president Bill Clinton, a building permit was immediately provided.

The building permit, however, included a requirement for an additional engineering permit. A year and a half later, that permit still had not been issued. In May 2003, Pastor Nganh requested a permit for a “temporary” building. According to law, applicants may proceed if officials do not respond within 20 days. When that period passed, the Christians proceeded with their early morning construction.

On June 13, four days after construction was halted, an account of the incident was distributed worldwide by the Vietnamese Catholic Conscience in San Jose, California. It was sent to human rights organizations, leaders of Western governments, and Protestant and Catholic advocacy groups.

The news was also circulated in Vietnam. On June 24, two Catholic priests in Hue, Peter Nguyen Huu Giai and Peter Phan Van Loi, published an unprecedented “Letter of Solidarity with the Protestant Church in Vietnam.” The two priests are supporters of well-known Father Nguyen Van Ly, recently sentenced to 15 years in prison for saying Vietnam lacked religious liberty.

In the letter, the priests thanked Pastor Quang for his courageous support of Father Ly’s three relatives, who are charged with treason. They also expressed strong support for the persecuted Montagnard Protestant Christians and for the Thu Thiem Christians involved in the church building project.

Cooperation between Catholic and Protestant religious freedom activists appears to be growing. The Catholic bulletin, Thu Nha (Letter from Home) connected to activist Father Stephen Chan Tin, recently published details about the persecution of Hmong Protestants.

In April, the prestigious Catholic journal Eglises d Asie (Churches in Asia) of the Paris Missionary Society published a French translation of “Distinct and Conflicting Policies: Religious Human Rights in Vietnam -- The Protestant Experience,” a paper authored by the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

Catholics also circulated a Vietnamese copy of the paper on the internet.

(Return to Index)**********************************************************************COMPASS DIRECTGlobal News from the Frontlines

David Miller, Managing EditorGail Wahlquist, Editorial AssistantSuzi Quinones, Design

Bureau Chiefs:Barbara Baker, Middle EastSarah Page, Asia

For subscription information, contact:

Compass DirectP.O. Box 27250Santa Ana, CA 92799USAPhone: 949-862-0314FAX: 949-752-6536E-mail: info@compassdirect.orgwww.compassdirect.org