Page 4 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians - Apr-Jun 2023 - 122

Remembering Raymond Koh
Faith under fire
February 13 marked the sixth anniversary of the disappearance
of Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh (pictured). A lawsuit to disclose his whereabouts brought by his wife, Susanna, against the police and Government, was due to be heard in December. It is now expected in June.
Raymond was abducted in broad daylight on the streets of Malaysia in a military-style operation that was captured on CCTV. Responsibility has been laid at the door of the Malaysian Special Branch.
Indian police target Christians
Reliable Christian sources in India have spoken directly to Release International about
the increasing violence and attacks on the church there, which are being attributed to anti-conversion laws. Reports include a number of recorded incidents of mob attacks on Christians and Christian churches or institutions. We have seen witness statements evidencing state police brutality. The police have made many unlawful arrests and have been complicit in torture against Christians held in custody.
Our contact told us: ‘I travel a
lot around the Hindi-speaking churches in the north of India. I have just received another report that Broadwell Christian hospital in Fatehpur [in Uttar Pradesh] has been targeted for harassment by the local police and they have brought many false charges against doctors and nurses there. The police walked into the labour room and threatened the doctors and mothers. It is a horrendous experience for the women. A local fringe group has been printing pamphlets saying that Christians are illegally converting people which is completely untrue. It is
a frightening experience to go
to church. The police have also stopped Christians entering churches. We have asked people
to be very cautious. We need a lot of prayer as conversion is freely given and we continue to proclaim the gospel.’
Please pray that the truth of Raymond’s whereabouts will be made known. A petition calling for his release can be signed at www. releaseraymond.com.
Susanna told Release International:
‘Sometimes it is difficult to understand what is going on but I believe
God’s timing is the best timing. Even though it is disappointing and just prolonging the family’s agony of not knowing what happened to Raymond, we surrender everything into His hands. Whatever happens, happens for a reason and we want to be in God’s perfect will. He knows best.’
Politician supports Mayflower Church
A prominent American politician has called for the resettlement of Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church.
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul published a letter sent to Department of State officials calling for US intervention for the 64 Chinese Christians applying for UN refugee status in Thailand. In the letter Mr McCaul wrote: ‘The United States must intervene to help ensure the safety of the group, protect them against refoulement [the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they are liable to be subjected to persecution] and continued harassment by the PRC [People’s Republic of China], and support their prompt assessment for protection as refugees, including consideration by the United States Refugee Admission Program.’
Beginning in late 2019, 28 adults and 32 children from Shenzhen Holy Reformed left their homes in China and travelled to South Korea to seek asylum after years of persecution at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. After exhausting the immigration system in South Korea and receiving continuous threats from the Chinese Government, the group moved to Thailand last autumn. Now numbering 64, they had hoped to secure refugee status through the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, but remain at risk of refoulement or kidnapping as the Chinese Government continually harasses the group and threatens their family members in China.
Advocates call the exiled Christians the ‘Mayflower Church’ in reference to the English pilgrims who set out to find religious freedom after experiencing persecution in the 17th century.
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