*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

Vietnamese authorities have executed three ethnic minority Christians as part of a crackdown on "illegal" Christian churches, reported the Montagnard Foundation, a human rights watch group based in South Carolina. The three Montagnard believers from Buon Gram village in Vietnam's central highlands were reportedly injected with a lethal drug and after being convicted of participating in "anti-government activities" in February 2001. These activities included a peaceful protest by hundreds of Montagnards in favor of religious liberty and against government corruption in key central highlands cities. Following the protests, Vietnamese authorities began a systematic campaign to force Christians out of unregistered churches which they believe had been infected by "American Protestant thought." Meanwhile, Voice of the Martyrs reported that seven men from the mostly Christian Montagnard tribe have been sentenced to eight years in prison. An eighth church leader, Y Thuon Nie, 30, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for an attempt to flee from Vietnam to Cambodia a year ago. The sentences were announced last week after the men were found guilty of "organizing illegal migration to Cambodia" and "undermining state and Communist Party policy." Hundreds of Vietnamese refugees have fled to Cambodia in recent months, but that country has now closed its borders to refugees. Hundreds of refugees have been returned to Vietnam to face almost certain persecution. A report released last April by Human Rights Watch cited multiple instances of torture, mutilation and intimidation by Vietnamese authorities. (Baptist Press/Voice of the Martyrs)

LUTHERAN MISSIONARIES EVACUATED FROM CÔTE D'IVOIRE, VENEZUELA

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS) has evacuated almost all of its missionaries from the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and Venezuela, South America, amid growing political unrest in those two countries. Five of seven missionary families serving in Ivory Coast have been evacuated. A sixth family was already in the U.S. on home ministry, and the seventh, medical missionary Dr. William Foster, is assisting the Red Cross in Ivory Coast by caring for the wounded and ill until he can safely leave the country. Rebels, intent on ousting the government, began fighting there in September. Since then, many residents have fled across the border to Liberia. In Venezuela, five long-term volunteers were evacuated by LCMS World Mission on Dec. 10 because of an ongoing labor strike and growing tensions, including demonstrations and sporadic violence. Eight career missionaries and their families were expected to be evacuated by Dec. 28, based on recommendations from U.S. embassy officials. The missionaries were "not in any physical danger," said spokesman Ken Reimer, but because of the strike, necessities such as gasoline and food had become scarce. The LCMS World Mission crisis management team is "continuing to monitor the situation," Reimer said. Meanwhile, Mission Network News reported that STEM International has canceled a planned evangelistic trip to Venezuela this year due to the unrest. "We've had too revamp that and redirect the team to another nation," said spokesman Jim Levin. (Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod/MNN)

* HCJB World Radio's regional office for Sub-Saharan Africa is in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Fréquence Vie (Frequency Life), a partner FM station in Abidjan operated by SIM and local churches, continues to air programs of hope and encouragement. The station broadcasts 17 hours daily in French and some local languages.

INDONESIAN PASTOR POISONED WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY

Indonesian pastor Rev. Rinaldy Damanik received poisoned food while in police custody in Palu, Central Sulawesi, reported the Washington, D.C.-based human rights group International Christian Concern. The group learned that Rev. Damanik had been suddenly transferred from a detention center in Jakarta to Palu on Dec. 22 without any prior notification to his attorneys. After becoming ill, Damanik was taken to a hospital, confirming that his food had been poisoned. Friends and supporters of Damanik are urging authorities to move him back to Jakarta for his personal safety. Damanik was originally arrested on Sept. 9, 2002 in Jakarta, accused of carrying weapons in the back of a car and instigating violent attacks in Central Sulawesi. However, investigators have not been able to produce any evidence. As a result, the Central Sulawesi High Court has far refused to hear Damanik's case. However, pressure from Islamic extremist groups has resulted in continued imprisonment. (Assist News Service)

FUTURE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNSURE IN HONG KONG

Representatives of the Voice of the Martyrs in Hong Kong are voicing deep concern and alarm at the implications of the controversial Article 23 Legislation which is about to be introduced into Hong Kong law. When Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, there was a promise of 50 years of religious freedom. Religious persecution has been part of China's history, and should Article 23 come into force, religious persecution could spread to Hong Kong. Under Article 23, religious groups will be liable to be deemed a "national security risk" and appropriate action taken. (Religion Today)

BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS RESTRICTIVE RELIGION LAW

Evangelical Christians in Bulgaria were left wondering about their options after the country's parliament passed a strict religious legislation, Dec. 19, that forces all non-Orthodox denominations to receive official court registration. The bill, which has been condemned by human rights groups, defines Orthodox Christianity as a "traditional religion" in the Balkan nation that hopes to join the European Union in 2007. The new law targets non-Orthodox churches and seems to create obstacles for foreign missionary workers and evangelizing. Last week Rev. Theodor Angelov, a Sofia-based pastor who heads the European Baptist Federation, said he was worried about the "unauthorized" religious activity prescribed in the bill, with fines of up to about US$2,620. Under the new legislation, courts can also punish religious organizations for a variety of alleged offences by stopping their activities for up to six months and banning religious publications or their distribution as well as canceling an organization's registration. The bill passed by a 150-0 vote in the 240-seat assembly with others present boycotting the vote. Several churches have held street protests and demanded the intervention from the Council of Europe to stop the bill. (Assist News Service)

FAMILIES OF BOMBING VICTIMS IN PAKISTAN TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION

Provincial authorities in Pakistan have announced that the equivalent of US$1,700 will be paid to the families of each of the four girls killed in the bomb attack on Christmas Day in the village of Chianwala. About $425 will also be paid to the 14 people injured in the attack. Three girls between the ages of 6 and 16 were killed when an explosive was tossed into a church during a service particularly for children on Christmas Day. A fourth girl died the next day from her injuries. Three police officers have been suspended for failing to provide protection for the church. The Pakistan Christian Post reported that the police station house officer in Chianwala and two aides were not obeying orders to provide security. Two churches considered vulnerable to attacks were left without protection on Christmas Day. (Voice of the Martyrs)

MINISTRY PLANTS 10,000 NEW CHURCHES IN INDIA IN 2002

"Almost 10,000 new Christian groups were started in India in 2002, more than twice the number of new churches in 2001," reports Operation Agape's Dr. Alex Abraham. "One of our partners tells us that 1,400 members of the Banjara tribe in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh were baptized in the past four months." In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 17,000 prayer groups were formed with 7,000 churches planted last year. In Punjab there are now 8,500 churches, with 500 of these planted by the Operation Agape team in 2002. H.K. Patel reports from Chattisgarh in central India: "The 95 prayer groups with which we started in 1997 grew to 500 house churches in 2000 and 700 now. Many people in the Satnami tribe are coming to Jesus." In the village of Hinota, believers have started prayer walks, said Patel. "The land is known to be very dry, so we blessed it in God's name. Not long afterwards the village mayor was astonished by the amount of water which came out of the water pump. The government officials were so astonished that they asked us to pray for other arid areas." (Friday Fax)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. HCJB World Radio also broadcasts 11/2 hours of English programming daily to India via shortwave from South America. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.

OLD TESTAMENT TO BE TRANSLATED INTO 9 QUECHUA DIALECTS OF PERU

There has been a breakthrough in the outreach to Peru's Quechua Indians. The SEED Company is launching a project that will bring the Old Testament to nine different Quechua dialects in the next seven years. The SEED Company's Parke Brown says what's significant is the local church was the impetus behind the translation project. "They've really seen the need themselves for the Old Testament, and so the fact that the nationals themselves are calling for the Old Testament and are desiring to put the time and effort into making it happen, is a really neat part of the ownership that comes with these translations." Brown says this project is a tangible picture of the Peruvians' desire to bring God's Word to their people. "Pray as put this project in motion," he says. "What we're trying to do is take on Old Testament that's almost all completed, and transfer that, using a computer, into the remaining eight languages." The SEED Company is a ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators. (Mission Network News)

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