There has been a steady growth in the rate of Christian persecution in Laos as villagers in Vientiane province are being made to pay a high price for turning to Christ.
This indication is part of the report by the Release International (www.releaseinternational.org) a United Kingdom (UK) registered charity organization adding that four Christian families in one village recently signed papers renouncing their faith after their baptisms reportedly angered the village chief.
It noted that the officials detained for questioning a group of visiting Christians who led the baptism – although they were later released. Meanwhile, in another village, the chief and other members of the community appear to be making every effort to drive out three Christian families.
“The families were originally given land in the village when they arrived – but, since they turned to Christ four years ago, the village chief has turned against them. He first demanded they pay for the land he had given them as a gift, then tried to evict them. More recently, he started to have their goats killed and orange trees uprooted,” it stated.
In a related report, Release said legal representatives for Beijing lawyer Gao Zhisheng have been from visiting him by officials at the prison in Xinjiang province, north-west China, where he is being held.
Quoting China Aid, it noted that Gao, who has been detained since February 2009, is currently serving a three-year jail term for ‘violating the terms of his probation’. His lawyers, who travelled to Shaya Prison on August 27, had come to discuss his appeal – but were told Gao did not wish to see them.
“Pray that officials will respect Gao’s right to legal counsel and please continue to pray for his release,” it stated.
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