Laos: 15 Hmong Christian families arrested
Apr 01 2008
Postings >> Laos

Release International is increasingly concerned about 15 Hmong Christian families arrested in Laos, who could be repatriated to Vietnam.

It is now more than five weeks since the Laotian authorities raided two villages in Bokeo district – Ban Sai Jarern and Fai – and seized 58 believers, including women and children.

Many of those arrested are thought to be church leaders who had fled persecution in Vietnam. If deported, they are likely to face brutal treatment – even death.

The arrests are further evidence of the Laotian authorities' crackdown on Hmong Christians. The following day, a court sentenced nine Hmong church leaders to 15 years each in jail because their ministries had grown 'beyond acceptable levels'.

These nine had been arrested last July during raids on suspected separatist rebels at a large evangelical church in Ban Sai Jarern – the same village targeted this February. At least 13 innocent Christians died in the assault last year (7x7, 21 August 2007).

Hmong refugees are regarded with particular suspicion inside Laos. They are viewed as either anti-communist rebels or supporters of Laotian separatists.

The authorities in Vientiane have so far refused to disclose where the 58 Bokeo Christians are being held. A source told Compass Direct: 'What will happen to them is greatly feared and unknown.' One of the Ban Sai Jarern church leaders arrested last July – Dzong Tho Siong – was reportedly sent back to Vietnam in September and has since disappeared.

Meanwhile, eight ethnic Khmu pastors from Oudomxay province, Laos, were arrested as they tried to enter Thailand for meetings on March 18. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Pray:

* Pray for the safety and release of the 58 Hmong believers arrested in Bokeo. Pray too for the release of the eight pastors from Oudomxay.
* Pray that international pressure will prevent the Laotian authorities from deporting the Hmong refugees back to Vietnam.

Act:

* Write a polite letter expressing your concern over the recent mass arrest of Hmong Christians in Laos to: His Excellency Mr Soutsakhone Pathammavong, The Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 74 Avenue Raymond-Poincaré, 75116 Paris. Fax: 00 33 1 47 27 57 89. Please do not mention Release International in your letter.