As a pregnant British woman is sentenced to life in Laos, Release warns of appalling conditions in Laos jails

As a pregnant British woman is sentenced to life imprisonment in Laos, Release International is warning about the appalling conditions in that country’s jails.

20-year-old Samantha Orobator was jailed for life on Wednesday in the capital Vientiane, for drug smuggling. She escaped execution because she became pregnant in custody. Under an agreement with Britain she could be transferred to a British jail and serve her sentence in the UK.

Ex-prisoners from Laos tell their stories on a new documentary by Release: Enemies of the State?, available from www.releaseinternational.org  They describe being held with their feet in stocks and forced to lie in their own excrement. They spoke of being beaten unconscious. Hunger and sickness were widespread and many needed medical treatment after being released.
 
‘Samantha should be returned to the UK immediately,’ says Release CEO Andy Dipper, ‘for her and her baby’s sake. Our interviews with former prisoners from Laos reveal appalling conditions in jail.’

Release travelled to Laos to investigate the treatment of Christian prisoners. They uncovered a catalogue of abuse. Several had been imprisoned without trial. They include ‘Stephen’ – not his real name – who was arrested and jailed after a village head man objected to him talking about his faith. 

He told Release: ‘The police put my feet in stocks and chains on my hands. I could not move. The cell smelled like a toilet. Sometimes I could not breathe because of the smell.’

Pastor ‘Timothy’ was arrested for bringing foreign religious to Laos. He claims to have been beaten almost to death. He told Release:

‘They asked me to sign a piece of paper that said that I would not be a Christian because Christians are not good or not right for the Lao people. I didn't sign it because of my faith.’

Christians in Laos are under surveillance. Pastor ‘Silas’ had previously been jailed three times for his Christian activities. Undeterred, he went to a village to talk about his faith. But the authorities were watching him. He was arrested and thrown in jail without trial.

‘Abigail’ looks after her husband’s church. Her pastor husband was murdered for setting up churches. She says if she could catch up with her husband’s killer – she would tell him she forgives him.

She said: ‘The reason I believe my husband was killed was because he served God. But I would tell [his killer] I love him, because God loves him too and God will forgive him.’

The Laotian constitution provides for religious freedom and bans religious persecution - yet at a local level the authorities maintain firm control over religious activity and harass religious minorities.

Religious groups must gain state approval for evangelism, printing religious literature, and owning or building places of worship. Christians report having been forced at gunpoint to renounce their faith. Others have had their property seized.

The communist state openly encourages Buddhism and Buddhist organisations, but regards Christianity as a threat to national unity. So Christians refusing to take part in state-organised religious events are seen as seditious. Evangelists have been charged with treason.

Release is working with its partners in Laos to support persecuted Christians. Its new documentary Enemies of the State? is available from www.releaseinternational.org/catalogue/

Through its international network of missions Release supports Christians imprisoned for their faith and their families in 30 nations. It supports church workers, pastors and their families, and provides training, Bibles, Christian literature and broadcasts. Release is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network.

ENDS

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

For a country profile on Laos, please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/country-profiles/laos.php

For further information please contact Release International on 01689 823491 or by email at info@releaseinternational.org

And for more information on Release International please go to: www.releaseinternational.org