Your insight into religious freedom
Spring 2018
The struggle for justice and freedom in Burma
REUTERS/Soe Zeya
Winter 23
Also inside this edition: Our story: The CSW Manifesto On the frontlines: Mario FĂŠlix and Yoaxis In focus: Faith and a Future Special feature: North Korea and more...
Country in focus: Burma
Deacon Dumdaw Nawng Lat
Pastor Langjaw Gam Seng
The struggle for justice and freedom When two Kachin Baptist pastors tried to tell the truth, they paid for it: with their freedom.
They helped the journalists because local “ priests were not allowed to speak to media. ” Kachin Baptist Association “We last heard from them on Christmas Eve…” It was Christmas Eve 2016 in Kachin state, Burma, and Deacon Dumdaw Nawng Lat left a message for his sister saying he was meeting with military personnel that evening. That was the last she would hear of him for almost a month. Deacon Dumdaw and his colleague, Pastor Langjaw Gam Seng, disappeared without a trace that day.
We believe change is “ possible in Burma and we
”
will not rest until we see it
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Toby Madden/CSW
Their families and churches endured a month of silence – not knowing whether they were still alive – before the Burma Army announced on social media that they had arrested the men. Their crime? Telling the world the truth about the military attacks against the Kachin people.
Church leaders imprisoned for telling the truth Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw helped journalists to report a story that was getting no media attention, but one which deserved it. They guided journalists around a Catholic church which had been bombed by the military in a recent airstrike. Just three weeks later they were arrested, and convicted under the Unlawful Associations Act, and were accused of supporting the Kachin Independence Army, and also charged under the Import Export Act for operating motorcycles without a license. Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw were held incommunicado for several weeks after their arrest and interrogated repeatedly. They were held in military 3
Country in focus: Burma CSW is calling for: The unconditional release of Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw. The government of Burma to allow access to UN representatives and international aid agencies. Decisive action to tackle religious intolerance.
custody until their trial. In November 2017 the two men were tried and found guilty. Deacon Dumdaw, 65, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, while Pastor Langjaw, 35, was sentenced to two years and three months. According to reports, the prosecution’s case against them relied on statements signed by the men during their time in military custody, which defense lawyers said had been signed under “severe duress”. As yet, the families haven’t had any response to their request for the case to be heard at the state court. It’s unclear whether they will have any chance for appeal.
Over 100,000 people in crisis The truth that Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw sought to expose was the appalling suffering of the Kachin people. Around 140,000 people have been displaced, 200 villages have been attacked and 66 churches destroyed in the last five years. Deacon Dumdaw, Pastor Langjaw and their communities were among those forced to flee in 2016 because of the violence. Clashes between the Burma army and the Kachin Independence Army have been ongoing since the ceasefire agreement collapsed in 2011, but have intensified in the last six months, exacerbating what the United Nations (UN) describes as a “longstanding humanitarian crisis”. Burma’s government has denied access to UN representatives and humanitarian relief agencies.
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A refugee camp for internally displaced Kachin people.
And while international media attention has rightly focused on the barbaric treatment of Burma’s Rohingya Muslims, little has been reported about escalating violence in Kachin State. CSW has visited the region many
“ I KNOW THAT THE LORD SECURES JUSTICE FOR THE POOR AND UPHOLDS THE CAUSE OF THE NEEDY. ” PSALM 140:12 times, and we’ve seen for ourselves the devastation wrought on entire communities. The Kachin people are subjected to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, destruction of property, torture and inhuman treatment, and sexual violence.
Calling for concrete action We presented our analysis of the religious freedom situation in Burma in an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council last month. We raised the case of Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw, urging the authorities to release them unconditionally. Our East Asia advocacy team will continue to raise their unjust imprisonment with
Stand with Burma. Today.
policy-makers and journalists until they are freed. As part of our statement, we highlighted our serious concerns about rising militant Buddhist nationalism, which has created an atmosphere of religious intolerance. Decisive action is needed to address the root causes of such intolerance and to ensure that all of Burma’s citizens are free to choose, change and practise their religion or belief without repercussion. Despite what many describe as a return to repression, we will not lose hope. We pray into the flickers of hope, we stand for justice and we continue the good work to which God has called us. We believe change is possible in Burma and we will not rest until we see it.
Encourage
Give
Send a card to Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw to show them you’re standing with them: Lashio Prison, Lashio Township, Northern Shan State, Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Your regular gift will enable us to continue raising the case of Deacon Dumdaw and Pastor Langjaw with policy-makers, politicians and journalists. Use the enclosed response form to stand with us.
Pray Join us in prayer for justice and freedom using p6 of the Prayer Diary.
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Our story: The CSW Manifesto We believe everyone has the right to practise a religion or belief of their choice.
I’ve spent almost 40 years, in various roles at CSW, speaking up for and standing with those who are persecuted for their faith. Tackling the injustice they face and doing all we can to prevent it, is the heartbeat of our ministry. It is the reason every staff member, local partner and volunteer work tirelessly together to gather evidence, speak up, campaign, pray, lobby and seek justice. Over the past year, we have distilled the essence of our vision and calling into some clear and simple statements that set out what we stand for: we call this our Manifesto. They are the pillars of CSW: the foundations of what we do, how we operate and what motivates us.
People are at the heart of what we do: people who are persecuted, harassed and discriminated against because of their religion or belief. People like you and me, who should have the freedom to choose, change and practise their religion or belief without consequence or restriction. People that God wants us to speak up for, stand with and show his love to. 6
Giulio Paletta/CSW
A freedom worth standing up for
We want the CSW manifesto to be a public declaration of why we exist, a rallying call to you, our supporters, and an opportunity to lovingly hold us to account in ensuring the purpose to which God has called us becomes a reality. We won’t stand silently by while people face injustice because of
Not only is our right to freedom of religion or belief enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but more importantly it’s the first freedom given to humanity by God. We believe we are all made in the image of God, and the freedom to follow him – or not – is God-given. And we believe that freedom needs protecting and, in some places, restoring.
We believe as Christians we must stand with everyone facing religious persecution. We believe that working to protect and restore that ‘first freedom’ given to us by God means doing so for everyone. It doesn’t just mean freedom for those who believe the same thing as us. We’re following Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan to love our neighbour as ourselves – and our neighbours include those who don’t share our beliefs.
the religion they choose. We believe everyone has the right to justice, and in the words of Martin Luther King Jr, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’. I’m so grateful you’re with us as we campaign for justice and freedom. Mervyn Thomas Founder and CEO
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Our story: The CSW Manifesto We believe world leaders have a duty to protect freedom of religion or belief. With power and influence comes responsibility. Today’s politicians and policy-makers have the responsibility and duty to protect freedom of religion or belief. Our research and analysis on individual cases and countries enable them to shape policies and protect individual freedom.
We believe in empowering and equipping partners and communities to create lasting solutions. We believe that to bring lasting change we need to work with activists, journalists, religious leaders and partner NGOs in the countries we’re working on. It’s a priority for us to do all we can to equip and build up networks of partners and communities who stand up for their freedom, while we work with them to echo their voice on the international stage.
“ LEARN TO DO RIGHT; SEEK JUSTICE. DEFEND THE OPPRESSED. ” ISAIAH 1:17
I cannot count the number of times we have seen what seemed to be an impossible situation completely turned around, after we as a community of believers committed it to prayer. Prayer is the most powerful tool we have as we campaign for everyone to be free to believe, and we believe that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
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Giulio Paletta/CSW
We believe in the power of prayer to bring change.
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On the frontline: Mario Félix and Yoaxis
My contacts with CSW not only “ empower me, but also the brothers who remain on the island ”
In the USA, I continue my ministry and shepherding a small church of Hispanic immigrants. Also, in addition to continuing my intense work in social networks, I produce my own radio program that is transmitted to Cuba twice a week through a shortwave radio station. My program is called the same as my blog ¨Cuban Confessor¨ which I have written since September 2010, and now also with the facilities that exist in the USA I managed to publish in printed book format. I receive listening reports from my program in all the provinces of Cuba. Thanks to the radio, I now have more reach than I had before. And living in Cuba it was impossible to have even a minute on the radio. My contacts with CSW, and other organizations that promote religious freedom, not only empower me, but also the brothers who remain on the island and whom I now serve as a bridge. These relationships are facilitating workshops and seminars inside and outside of Cuba so that believers know and can better defend themselves and others. The networks that I left established in Cuba provide me with constant information that enable me to prepare reports, such as the one I wrote for the Patmos Institute about violations of religious freedoms in Cuba in the last four years. This report fulfilled the requirements demanded by the High Commissioner in Geneva for the Universal Periodic Review to which Cuba will have to present itself in May 2018. Since my departure the situation in Cuba has worsened – to continue living there now I would be imprisoned or dead. The news that I receive daily shows me that religious persecution has increased. But I am sure that God hears the prayers and that our work is not in vain. I believe that God is the most interested in Cuba being free; and that this will happen soon.
Thanks for continuing to accompany us! I arrived with my family in the USA as a refugee on 18 August 2016 and despite the challenges of finding my way in a developed society, I feel a security that I did not have in Cuba because of the persecution to which I was directly exposed. But I have not lived a single day in the USA in which I have not prayed or done anything for Cuba. 10
Exile may be preferable to death or imprisonment, but it is still a sad condemnation. Suffice it to say that since I left with my family in Cuba, I have not kissed my mother again. Also, despite being outside of Cuba, I remain a target for the intelligence services of Cuba, and even being away, I am still in danger. I still need your support and your prayers. Thanks for continuing to accompany us! Pastor Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso
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In focus: Faith and a Future
First steps to Faith and a Future
Stephanie At school in Cuba, Stephanie was targeted by teachers as a way to get to her father, a church leader. This tactic can be very effective – even the courageous people will say, “They can do anything to me, but the moment you touch my family, that I cannot take.”
In February we launched Faith and a Future, a campaign to ensure no child is denied a fair education because of their faith. So many of the injustices we see in our world today are rooted in hatred that’s learned in a child’s early years.
Farzana Khan My name is Farzana Khan.* I am a 15-year-old Ahmadi Muslim. A few of the children in my school told the other students, “She is Ahmadi, don’t play with her or eat with her, and stop treating her normally.’’ They punished me, they used to strike me with sticks, and tell me not to sit with the other kids. I haven’t told anyone in my new school that I am Ahmadi.
Tackle injustice. Today.
Act
Join the 1,500 people who have already signed our petition at faithandafuture.com
Share Print
off more petitions and get others in your church or small group to sign (please return by 18 May)
Give
Pledge your support by making a donation using the form enclosed to help further the work of our campaign.
On 27 February we launched our report on this in Parliament, and were delighted to see so many people pledge their support to the campaign. Around 30 parliamentarians joined us, along with journalists and representatives from NGOs working on children’s issues, to find out how they could work with us to tackle religious discrimination in education. *Name changed for security reasons. 12
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Country in focus: North Korea A decade of working for freedom in North Korea 2007 CSW publishes one of
Movies, markets and mass surveillance
the first comprehensive human rights reports on North Korea.
“When it comes to religion, North Korean people shudder because the punishments are so severe.”
“ Although the regime has not changed, the people have. ”
CSW calls for a United Nations Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate crimes against humanity committed by the North Korean regime – we are almost alone in our calls.
This was the response from one person CSW interviewed as part of a new report on the human rights situation in North Korea. It is a country which the UN Human Rights Council concluded did ‘not have any parallel in the contemporary world’ when it came to the ‘gravity, scale and nature’ of the violations of human rights.
2011 Other NGOs join our calls,
Based on research that included a survey of more than 100 respondents, ranging from recent North Korean escapees to UN officials to human rights experts, the new CSW report has found that in the past decade, ‘although the regime has not changed, the people have.’ There are signs of change in the economy and flow of information that has meant some North Korean citizens are living very different lives, although still under the world’s most repressive regime.
and we found the International Coalition to stop crimes against humanity in North Korea (ICNK). Together, 40 organisations join forces campaigning for UN action.
2013 The UN High
Our researchers found that as a result of these changes, the motivation for defection has changed. One escapee told CSW, “In the beginning, people defected because they were starving. But it is different now. [Now] more and more people want freedom, opportunities and hope.”
Commissioner for Human Rights adds her voice to support our calls. CSW gives evidence at the UN Commission of Inquiry in London.
2014 The CoI publishes their findings.
puts North Korea’s human rights crisis on it’s agenda.
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Reuters/Damir Sagolj
2017 The UN’s Security Council
Pray
In the areas of economy, information, criticism, and human rights awareness, those surveyed for the report provided a general suggestion of change of some kind over the past ten years. A notable exception to this trend was the subject of religion. Interviewees consistently reported that there was no religious freedom, and only 6% of survey respondents felt that there was more freedom for religious believers in 2017 compared to 2007. Join us to pray
for freedom for North Korea using p4 of the Prayer Diary.
But however encouraging the signs of change, it’s important that they are not over-stated. North Korea remains among the very worst abusers of human rights in the world. 15
Around the world: Latest News We must support “ North Korea’s people
to bring meaningful and genuine change.
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So, how do we respond to the findings? We should be encouraged that international advocacy can make a difference. It is slow and pain-staking without doubt; it entails tiny steps forward accompanied by frustrations and tragedy of course – but the regime is not as immune to outside pressure as we may once have feared. We must continue making a noise about North Korea’s crimes against humanity. We must learn from the changes we’ve seen in the past decade, and support North Korea’s people to bring more substantial, meaningful and genuine change. And we must seek bold and creative ways to ensure that human rights violations end, the regime is held accountable for its barbaric crimes, and the flickers of hope are fanned into a bright light that opens this closed country. csw.org.uk /2018-northkorea-report
Our manifesto #10
We believe human rights are critical to enabling societies and countries to flourish. 16
Latest news updates Iran In March, an Assemblies of God (AoG) retreat centre was served with an eviction notice, and given three days to remove all their belongings and hand the property over. The Council of AoG Churches in Iran acquired the centre in the early 1970s for use as a retreat for church ministers, for youth camps, and for other church functions. Since 2005, they have faced several attempts to confiscate the property, and the detention and interrogation of church leaders. Please pray that the eviction order would be unconditionally withdrawn, and that God would grant perseverance and wisdom to the leadership of the AoG Church in Iran.
Syria You may remember reading about Mayss and her family in a previous issue of Response. Mayss, a Christian teacher in a largely Muslim area in Hassakeh, Syria was saved by a Muslim friend when Islamic State (IS) gunmen broke into the school where she worked and demanded they reveal who was Christian. Mayss and her family fled from Syria, and were living in a one-bedroom apartment in Lebanon when we met them. We’ve learned from our contacts that Mayss and her parents were offered asylum in Australia late in 2017, but sadly Mayss’ mother passed away a few weeks after arriving there. Please do continue to pray for Mayss and her father.
Vietnam Six Hoa Hao Buddhists in Vietnam have been sentenced to up to six years in prison after holding a peaceful demonstration against suppression of the right to freedom of religion or belief. In April 2017, the six Buddhists held a peaceful demonstration after police prevented Hoa Hao Buddhists from commemorating the death of another member of the community at one of their homes. Please pray for the Six Hoa Hao Buddhists who have been sentenced, and all those in Vietnam facing extreme persecution and harassment because of their faith. 17
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ACT JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY AND WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD. MICAH 6:8 19
Our manifesto #5
We believe everyone has the right to practise a religion or belief of their choice.
As Christians, we stand with everyone facing injustice because of their religion or belief. T +44 (0)20 8329 0010 @CSW_UK /CSWUK csw.org.uk
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