*ARCHIVED OCTOBER 2007 // CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT DATA
Laos (click here to view a satellite map)
Laos, Southeast Asia
Population: 6,217,141
Christians: 2%
Dominant Religion: Buddhism
Persecution Ranking: 9th
Political Leader: President Khamtay Siphadon
Religious Freedom in Constitution: Yes
Laos is one of the few remaining Communist countries in the world. Its constitution, ratified in 1991, guarantees "the right and freedom to believe or not believe in religions," and also states that the government will respect and protect "the lawful activities" of Buddhists and adherents to other faiths. However, since the late 1990s, Christians have faced a harsh wave of persecution, often involving village-level campaigns aimed at forcing Christians to renounce their faith. Despite some recent improvements, this has been ongoing in 2005. In addition, ethnic groups such as the Hmong have been extremely harshly repressed.
Prayer Points
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Pray for those Christians who have suffered pressure to renounce their faith. |
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Pray that Laos' leaders would respect their constitution and allow Christians to worship in freedom. |
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Pray that Christianity would not be seen as a destructive foreign religion. |
Almighty God, we lift to You the Christians suffering in Laos. We ask that Your Spirit would encourage and comfort them in these times of persecution. May You comfort and heal the harshly repressed and bereaved and meet all their needs. We pray that the worldwide Church would become aware of the need to pray and provide for the oppressed in this country and that governments around the world would press for real and positive change in Laos. |
