Christian School in India Censured for Distributing Bibles
A Hindu fundamentalist group has accused a Christian school in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, of forcibly distributing copies of the New Testament to students with intent to convert them.
Christian Persecution – Asia
Two Indonesian Churches Attacked, Three People Injured
Assailants simultaneously attacked two churches in the town of Palu, Central Sulawesi, during church services on Sunday night, injuring at least three people.
Indian Hindus Build Temple on Church Property
Hindu villagers have constructed a temple on the grounds of St. John’s Church of England in Jatni in the eastern state of Orissa, India, triggering a knotty battle over the rights of minority Christians.
Indonesian Pastor Kidnapped, Still Missing
Villagers on a small Indonesian island who recently joined a search for their missing pastor found only a red T-shirt with three bullet holes in it, lying on the beach near his home.
Buddhist Monks in Sri Lanka Threaten to ‘Fast Unto Death’
Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka have declared a “fast unto death” beginning December 12 if the government does not concede to a proposed constitutional amendment and the adoption of anti-conversion laws.
Churches Attacked in Sri Lanka While Extremists Aim to Make Buddhism the State Religion
The ‘Believers’ Church’ in the village of Kammalawa in Kuliyapitiya came under attack on December 2. At about 5pm more than 100 people arrived at the church in western Sri Lanka and told the pastor to stop holding worship services.
Vietnam Pressures Pastor’s Wife for Church Activity, Secret Tape Reveals
New evidence has come to light, in secretly recorded tapes obtained by Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom, of oppression of native Mennonite leaders in Vietnam.
Imprisoned Vietnamese Christian Hospitalized for ‘Mental Disease’
Le Thi Hong Lien, the sole woman among six Mennonite church workers sentenced to prison in Vietnam last Friday, is hospitalized with a “mental disease,” according to prison officials.
Indonesian Church Closing Sparks Public Debate
Members of a Protestant church in Indonesia are still waiting for resolution on an incident with Muslim neighbors, who attacked the church on October 24. The church was then closed down by authorities.
Harassment Continues in Vietnam on Eve of Mennonite Trial
Authorities in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, came to the home of Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang and ordered his wife to appear at a neighborhood “review” meeting at 7 p.m.
Harsh Sentences for Vietnamese Mennonites
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City handed out harsh sentences to six Vietnamese Mennonite church workers in a four-hour trial which ended at noon today.
Pastor Damanik Released from Indonesian Prision
Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, imprisoned on what many believe were false charges, walked free today (Tuesday, November 9) – almost a year earlier than his original release date.
Indonesian Man Shot in Church
Around 9:30 p.m. on October 21, snipers shot and injured Hans Sanipi, 25, custodian of the Tabernakel Pentecostal Church in Poso, Central Sulawesi. Sanipi was speaking with several other people in front of the church when two men on a motorbike passed and shot randomly into the crowd.
News Sources State Christians Murdered in North Korea
A North Korean army general who become a Christian was, after he had begun to evangelize in his unit, shot dead by another senior army officer in 2003, Protestant sources have told Forum 18 News Service.
Early Release for Indonesian Pastor
On Saturday, September 25, Rev. Damanik — an Indonesian pastor imprisoned under what many believe were false charges — celebrated his 45th birthday.
Indonesia Closes 12 Churches in Bandung
Local authorities recently ordered 12 churches in the sub-district of Rancaekek, Bandung, Indonesia, to close their doors. The order came after Muslim clerics protested that the churches were meeting illegally.
Pakistani Police ‘Stumped’ on Christian Murders
Two years after seven Christians were gunned down at the Karachi headquarters of one of Pakistan’s established Christian welfare agencies, local police investigators have failed to identify a single suspect.
Debate Continues on Sri Lanka Anti-Conversion Law
Buddhist monks from the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party have launched an international campaign to win support for a proposed anti-conversion bill in Sri Lanka. The monks have met with representatives at the United States, United Kingdom, Canadian, Indian, Australian, French and German embassies in Sri Lanka, according to local press reports.
GFA Missionaries Held Hostage to be Killed Within 48 Hours
Anti-Christian elements in Bihar have captured, severely beaten and are threatening to kill Gospel For Asia (GFA) native missionary Pastor Manrathan and his wife. GFA Bible woman Sarita is also being held hostage.
Indian Missionaries Released by Hostage Takers
Gospel for Asia (GFA) said late Friday, September, 10, that three of its native missionaries who were captured and threatened with death in India’s north-eastern state of Bihar have been released by anti-Christian militants “in a miraculous turn of events.”