This should not have happened.
In Laos, authorities detained a pastor and several Christians while they were praying for Sunday worship, reported a human rights watchdog. The arrests occurred in Tahae village, Xaibouathong District, Khammouane Province. Those detained include Pastor Mum and individuals named Liang, Pa, Laen, Lan, and Khoon, who were taken from Pastor Mum’s home and are now held in the district prison.
Pastor Mum converted to Christianity in 2019 after experiencing what he believed to be divine healing and had been leading a home-based church. However, the situation worsened with the appointment of a new village chief, Lang, in May. Since then, there has been a significant crackdown on Christian activities in the village, culminating in these arrests, according to Sirikoon Prasertsee, the director of Human Rights Watcher for Lao Religious Freedom.
Article 30 of the Lao Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, including the choice to believe or not believe in any religion. Despite this, the U.S. Department of State’s 2023 report on international religious freedom notes that while urban authorities in Laos generally respect religious laws, improper restrictions are prevalent in rural areas. The report indicates ongoing discrimination against Christians in remote villages, where individuals are often expelled for refusing to renounce their faith.
In the previous year, leaders of the Lao Evangelical Church reported that local officials coerced 79 Christian families in various districts of Khammouane Province to renounce their faith. Additionally, in October, officials in Sa Mouay District forced several Christian families from three villages and demolished their homes following their conversion to Christianity. Similar incidents occurred in Salavan Province, where local officials destroyed the homes of Christian converts in four villages, compelling the families to relocate with minimal compensation.
The 2015 census shows that Laos has a population of 7.9 million, with 64.7% identifying as Buddhist, 1.7% as Christian, and 31.4% reporting no religious affiliation, including animist beliefs. Despite constitutional protections, many Christians in rural Laos continue to face significant challenges and persecution.