Persecution in Laos - From Mission One

FROM MISSION ONE:

Persecution Case in Borikamxay…Please pray!!!

A serious effort to eliminate Lao Christian presence from Nakoon village, Borikan district, Borikamxay province, Laos, has been taking place for weeks. However, more are coming to the surface in the last five days.

Nakoon village is located southeast of Borikan district/town. The only way to get from Borikan district/town to Nakoon village is to travel by boat through the Say River. The travel time takes about 8 hours and the boat only leaves on time per day.

The officials forced 11 of 47 Lao Christians living in the village of Nakoon to renounce/sign a document that they would no longer “believe” in (hold to) the Christian faith or else a serious danger will come upon their lives. This same life-threatening danger was declared by the Lao authorities upon Pastor Arun (the church leader of Borikamxay province) which consequently resulted in his martyrdom just over a year ago.

After unable to rid of Christian presence from Nakoon village under the provincial and district’s policy of “zero Christians” since only 11 of 47 Lao Christians had been forced to leave their faith, the village officials called a village meeting which was attended by all the Nakoon villagers. The village officials called for a vote which would force the remaining 36 Lao Christians to renounce their Christian faith or face threats to their lives which had been made sampled of by the murder of their leader, Pastor Arun, just a little over a year ago. However, at the end of the meeting, the Lao Christians made a stand for their faith and refused to renounce Christ. As result of unsuccessful attempts to force all of the Lao believers to renounce their faith, on March 13, 2007, the village officials wrote and gave an official deportation order on the basis of the official provincial and district’s policy of “zero Christians” which was in effect in the area in which Nakoon village was located. ]

Since they are unable willing to give up their Christian faith, the Lao Christians in Nakoon village was ordered to be deported from the village and they must leave their homes and land and find other places to live. This order affected all 10 families/households:

1. Tao Jer (3 family members)
2. Tao Khamsing (5 members)
3. Tao Ku (5 members)
4. Mae Pet (7 members)
5. Tao Sang (5 members)

1. Tao Pai Yai (3 members)
2. Tao Pai Noi (5 members)
3. Tao Sorn (4 members)
4. Mae Pheng 1 (3 members)
5. Mae Pheng 2 (7 members)

On March 14, 2007, Tao Jer (leader) and Tao Khamsing (co-leader) escaped from Nakoon village to seek help from the body of Christ. However, they are being still hunted down by the Lao authorities. We ask that you would pray for their safety and all the Lao believers in Nakoon village. Also, we would like to pray for freedom to worship God in Nakoon village.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS.