*Tato a další zprávy jsou v originální anglické verzi zde.

Local contacts indicate that a third member of the "Mennonite Six" (arrested one year ago) was released on Thursday, March 3. Evangelist Nguyen Van Phuong appeared to be in fair health when he was met by his wife and 1-year-old son. He is the third Christian from the group to be released in recent months. Two brothers, Nguyen Huu Nghia and Nguyen Thanh Nhan, were released in early December. Concern continues for those still in prison. At last report Le Thi Hong Lien was being held in Tong Le Chan prison in Binh Phuoc province. She has suffered both emotional and psychological torture. In mid-February her father, Nguyen Quang Du, was able to visit her and reported that her health was "very bad." Despite her severe mental condition, she is not due to be released from prison until June 2005. Appeal hearings for the other two, Nguyen Hong Quang, general secretary of the Vietnam Mennonite Church, and Pham Ngoc Thach, have been postponed. No hearing date has been announced. On Friday, March 4, Le Thi Phu Dung, wife of Nguyen Hong Quang and acting president of the Vietnam Mennonite Church, sent a letter to the Vietnamese president outlining the persecution facing Mennonites in Vietnam and asking for fair treatment. (Voice of the Martyrs)

MISTAKEN IDENTITY LEADS TO ARREST OF PERUVIAN CHURCH LEADER

A Protestant pastor was arrested and detained in Lima, Peru, Thursday, March 3, on false charges of terrorism. Pastor José García Pena, who pastors an evangelical church in Cuzco, was visiting Lima with his wife and planned to meet with Peruvian Congressman Walter Alejos to discuss a business matter. But when García went through security clearance, he was informed there was a warrant for his arrest and was promptly arrested and imprisoned. His name apparently appeared on wanted lists for crimes of terrorism issued by courts in the northern cities of Piura and Lambayeque. However, García said he has never visited the remote area in question northwest of Cuzco, and he has never been involved in any terrorist activity. He appears to be the victim of mistaken identity as the warrants carry only a name and no other identifying information. The problems date back to ex-President Alberto Fujimori's anti-terrorism campaign and have yet to be addressed by the Peruvian government. More than 12,300 Peruvians have warrants out for their arrest, many of whom have no idea that their names are on wanted lists. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

CHINESE CHRISTIANS SKEPTICAL ABOUT NEW RELIGIOUS REGULATIONS

On Tuesday, March 1, China adopted the new Regulations on Religious Affairs, first announced by the government in December 2004. The government claims the new regulations are a step towards religious freedom. However, legal scholars say the law is vague, reinforces government control of religion and increases penalties for unregistered churches. The regulations have already sparked debate among house church Christians. Some younger house church leaders are optimistic and say they will register, while an older generation of leaders -- those who survived the Cultural Revolution -- maintain suspicion of the government and are less likely to register. Last year the government carried out a survey of unregistered house churches, obtaining data from members of registered Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches who had contact with unregistered churches. Results showed there are thousands of unregistered meeting points with more than 100,000 members in Beijing alone -- far outnumbering the membership of registered churches. Unregistered churches oppose registration mainly on two grounds. First, they believe Christ, rather than any political body, is the head of the Christian church. Second, registered churches are subject to much tighter control over administration, church activities and the ordination and training of leaders. (Compass)

NATIVE MISSIONARIES BRING FOOD, HOPE TO AMPUTEES IN SIERRA LEONE

In 1991 civil war began in Sierra Leone with the forming of the Revolutionary United Front, a group that claimed it intended to free the population from an "incompetent government," provide free schooling and medical care and end corruption. But rebel fighters in Sierra Leone launched a campaign of terror across this West African country, slaughtering and maiming thousands. The effects of the decade-long civil war are still felt today, particularly by those who lost arms, legs and even ears in the mass amputations conducted by rebels. Amputees suffer not only from unemployment and poverty due to their condition, but also psychological trauma and feelings of worthlessness. Soon after peace was established in Sierra Leone, native missionaries began reaching victims of amputation with practical aid. They continue to visit amputee communities throughout the country. Missionaries have also provided scholarships for amputees' children and have distributed hundreds of pounds of maize to poverty-stricken victims. At a recent distribution of food, the native leader of a Sierra Leone ministry reported that one amputee began to cry when given a bag of grain. "He let us know that this was the first time he had received such a gift since he became a victim of the rebel war in Sierra Leone," the leader wrote. (Christian Aid Mission)

EVANGELIST CALLS RADIO 'MOST EFFECTIVE WAY' TO PRESENT GOSPEL

Evangelist Luis Palau believes that radio is the most effective way of getting the gospel out, especially in areas closed to missionary activity. "Radio penetrates behind closed doors and can be listened to in absolute secrecy and privacy," he said. "Nobody, even in the most antagonistic city or state, could ever stop you from listening to radio. They might catch you on the Internet, and they might pick up the signal on television, but they can't catch you on radio unless you're really careless. And I do believe radio is very intimate, very personal and very powerful. I think that part of the harvest all around the world -- I know in China -- is due to radio being beamed there for decades." Palau urges believers to take advantage of other media as well, including the Internet, to proclaim the gospel. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB WORLD RADIO MEDICAL CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON CARE OF ELDERLY

HCJB World Radio held its 18th annual Jornadas Médicas (medical conference) in Quito, Ecuador, Feb. 14-18 with more than 230 medical professionals from across Ecuador and Latin America attending in person and another 270 taking part via video conferencing. The Catholic University of Loja also broadcast parts of the conference by satellite to five other countries and on the Global Learning Network.

This was the first medical conference sponsored by HCJB World Radio-Healthcare to focus on the theme of gerontology. Ten professors from the U.S., Colombia and Ecuador shared more than 40 hours of training on "Integral Attention for the Elderly Adult."

Integral attention focuses not just on the physical but also on the social, psychological and spiritual aspects of care. Various workshops in Quito covered topics such as "How to Give Bad News" and "Evidence-Based Medicine." In addition, a workshop on evidence-based medicine was held in the southern Ecuadorian city of Loja.

The event was sponsored by HCJB World Radio's Hospital Vozandes-Quito and was cosponsored by several pharmaceutical companies. Jornadas Médicas began in 1987 as way to provide extended training for residents studying at the 76-bed hospital. Today the focus of the conferences is continuing education for doctors outside of Hospital Vozandes-Quito with an emphasis on primary care. (HCJB World Radio)

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