Pastors Beaten in India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — Two pastors were badly beaten by a group of 20 Hindu radicals.

According to news issued by www.persecution.in, the attack took place on Feb. 22 at about 8.15 pm in Kosmi, Madhya Pradesh, India.

At around 8:15 pm .Pastor Tom George, a guest speaker from Kerala was sharing the word of God in a believer’s house. Suddenly, 20 Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) Hindu extremists came into where the believers were meeting, caught hold of George, and both verbally and physically assaulted him.

Pastor Sunil Marawi attempted to protect George, but then the radicals grabbed Marawi and began severely beating him. They used their fists and leather belt sticks to hit him.

When George asked the attackers to leave Marawi alone they started beating him again. The 30-minute attack resulting in the men being hurt badly. They both sustained severe internal injuries. Marawi was also injured in a variety of places all over his body.

Degar Montagnard tortured by Vietnamese authorities

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA (ANS) — Kpa Kloh was a 42-year-old Christian and a Degar from the village of Ploi Ring commune of Hbong district of Cu Se in the province of Gialai, Vietnam.

On October 12, 2004, he was arrested, tortured and then sent to Phu Yen province prison because he was accused of preaching the Good News about our Lord Jesus Christ and because he was accused of attending or being involved in the Easter prayer vigil in April of 2004, says a report from the Montagnard Foundation, which is dedicated to the preservation of the indigenous peoples of central Vietnam.

The Foundation says that after his arrest, the Vietnamese security police repeatedly tortured Kloh.

“They beat him, punching him and kicking him with their military boots. They struck him repeatedly with their batons and constantly shocked all over his body,” the report states.

“It seems as if Vietnam really intended to kill him because seeing that he had not died as of July 8, 2007, they intensified the torture. They beat him on his head with their police batons until blood came out of his ears, nose and mouth and he fell completely unconscious. They tortured him again on December 10, 2007 and again on February 9, 2008.”

Brother Kpa Kloh died the next day, February 10, 2008. Kloh died as a result of the severe and repeated torturing by the Vietnamese security police at the Phu Yen province prison. He leaves behind his wife R’mah H’Ne and six children, the Foundation says.

“Who has the responsibility for justice in Vietnam, the powerful government or the powerless indigenous people?” the e-mail report asks.

The Foundation states that in chapter five of Vietnam’s constitution on the “fundamental rights and duties of the citizen,” article 72 states that “no one shall be regarded as guilty and be subjected to punishment before the sentence of the Court has acquired full legal effect” and that “any person who has been arrested, held in custody, prosecuted, brought to trial in violation of the law shall be entitled to damages for any material harm suffered and his reputation shall be rehabilitated. Anybody who contravenes the law in arresting, holding in custody, prosecuting, bringing to trial another person thereby causing him damage shall be dealt with severely.”

The Foundation asks: “Who does this law apply to? Is this law only valid for the rich and powerful Vietnamese officials and people? What about the poor and powerless indigenous people of Vietnam? Are we not citizens of Vietnam too? Why doesn’t Vietnam allow Montagnards these same rights?”

Moreover, the group says, when the government of Vietnam violates its own rules, what then? Who will punish the Vietnamese government officials who violate this law?

The group asks: “The Vietnamese officials clearly violated the law in this cruel and inhuman act. Will they be held accountable? Who will be responsible for the cruel and inhuman actions committed by the Vietnamese officials?

“How could most of the world governments who are doing business with Vietnam say that the Vietnamese government has improved its human rights record in the Central Highlands?”

The Foundation’s statement concludes by saying: “We, the indigenous Degar people of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, pray that our Almighty God will touch the eyes of the world so that they can see, touch their ears so that they can hear and their hearts so that they will have compassion for our people.

“We pray that the world will sympathize with what our people have been enduring at the hands of the merciless Vietnamese government and help to stop it. In the United States of America, many people are upset when animals are abused. It is a serious crime to harm animals in this country and sometimes people are even sent to prison for cruelty towards animals. We, the indigenous Degar people, are not animals. We are treated far worse. We are human, like everyone else in this world, and we are asking the Vietnamese government to treat us like humans. Is that too much to ask?”

For more information, contact:

MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION, INC.
P.O. Box 171114
Spartanburg, SC 29301 USA
Ph: (864) 576-0698; Fax: (864) 595-1940
Email: kksor@degar.org ; Website: www.montagnard-foundation.org

Pastor Kidnapped, Again Forced into Hiding

Orissa, India – A Gospel for Asia native missionary in Orissa is once again in hiding for his safety. On February 19, Durga Gedam was traveling to an important meeting on his motorbike when he was abruptly interrupted by a group of anti-Christian extremists. They caught him and forcibly took him to the site of one of their religious festivals.

They put Durga in a room, searched him and took all his money. They also made sure someone was watching him around the clock. Thankfully, by God’s grace, one of the guards had compassion on Durga and allowed him to go free.

Durga was able to get his motorbike back and hurried to his original destination. Once there, he informed a GFA leader of the incident and is now staying there for his safety.

Persecution has come to be a regular part of life for Durga, whose ministry in Orissa is growing. The GFA-related church where he is pastor now has 12 families that regularly attend. This has not made anti-Christian extremist groups happy, however. While numerous threats upon Durga’s life over the past year have caused him fear, they have in no way deterred him from the work that God has called him to do.

On a previous occasion, he went for outreach to one area, knowing in advance that a group of extremists planned to attack him. Although he was beaten severely with sticks and a sword, the Lord protected him.

Today Durga is concerned for his church members, especially in his temporary absence, and hopes that they will find comfort and courage in the Lord to face these challenging times. He is also concerned for the safety and well-being of his wife; she is back at home and he has no way to contact her.

GFA leaders request fervent prayer that God will protect Durga and his wife, and that He will soften the hearts of their persecutors. They also ask for prayer that the believers in Durga’s church will find much strength and encouragement in the Lord throughout these times.

Learn more about Orissa, the state where Durga serves.

Christians Kidnapped in India

Himachal Pradesh, India – About 40 Christians were kidnapped February 27 by anti-Christian radicals in Himachal Pradesh, India. The extremists reportedly took the Christians to a religious temple and are trying to force them to renounce Christ and return to the country’s dominant faith.

Initial reports from the area indicate that some of those kidnapped are part of a Gospel for Asia-related church in the village where the kidnapping occurred.

GFA leaders in Himachal Pradesh ask for prayer for those who were captured, that they will stand firm in their faith, even in this difficult time. They also ask for prayer for the overall situation for Christians in this northwest Indian state.

An anti-Christian political party controls Himachal Pradesh, and it is possible that the group who kidnapped these Christians is affiliated with the political party. One of this party’s goals is to convert Christians to India’s predominant religion. It is not unusual for these extremists to kidnap believers and force them to bow before the statues that represent the country’s traditional gods. If the Christians refuse to bow to the statues, they risk being ostracized from society, which brings much shame in the Asian culture in which they live.

The extremist ruling party believes that keeping people in the traditional religion brings unity to the state, and ultimately to the entire country. Since Christianity is so radically different than the other religions, a person’s decision to follow Christ creates friction in families and sometimes entire villages.

Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous area that forms India’s border with Tibet. It is India’s least evangelized state. Read about the history of this state.

Hindu Extremists Attack Christian in Madhya Pradesh

Compass Direct News reports that:

INDORE, India– At least 125 Hindu extremists here yesterday attacked one of the oldest and best-known churches in Madhya Pradesh state, Masihi Mandir Church, brutally beating one of the fleeing members.

The assault followed an attack in Kosmi of the state’s Balaghat district on Friday (February 22) in which a mob of Hindu extremists dragged at least four people from a home where Christians were meeting and beat them with bamboo poles, rods and belts.

In Indore, the mob from the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal arrived at 2:30 p.m. as the third of the church’s four Sunday services was about to begin, forcibly making their way into the church compound angrily shouting slogans.

Full story at Compass Direct News.