The severe persecution of Christians in parts of South East Asia and China was highlighted by MPs in a House of Commons debate last Wednesday (July 13).

David Drew MP (Labour, Stroud) introduced the debate. He said: "Whether we are a Christian or follower of another religion or none, we should never lose sight of what is happening to Christians in other parts of the world".

Mr Drew went on to give an overview of the situation in South East Asia and China, focusing in particular on Vietnam.

He spoke of "awful cases of the most direct action against Christians" and he noted many instances of persecution, including the deliberate withholding of aid by the Vietnamese Government from Christians in many parts of Vietnam.

Mr Drew also added: "We ask the Minister to raise the issue directly with the Vietnamese authorities to make it clear that there is documented evidence of mistreatment of people in their community trying to practise their religion...We should be taking up such cases and telling the Vietnamese authorities that we know what is going on and that they must desist".

Newly-elected Stephen Crabb MP (Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire), focused on religious persecution in China. He noted: "The Chinese Government seems to regard religion as a threat to their power. As a result, they place severe restrictions on religious activities and seek to control them."

He also drew attention to the brutal treatment suffered by Christians such as Liu Xianzhi during her interrogations by police and spoke of the massive police raid on Pastor Chen Dongming's village in order to capture him. Mr Crabb said the 50 police officers "had first surrounded the entire village, as if they were hunting dangerous armed criminals or terrorist suspects. Instead, their target was a harmless'Christian pastor who was doing nothing more than trying to serve God".

A number of the MPs who spoke paid tribute to the work of Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Conservative Front Bencher Anne McIntosh said: "I would like to praise and recognise the work of Christian Solidarity Worldwide'We congratulate it on its work and on the thorough research that it does in bringing issues to the attention of the wider public".

During the debate, Foreign Office Minster Ian Pearson said: "In general, we believe that dialogue with individual countries, wherever possible, is the best way to achieve our goals. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, both here and overseas, work closely with representatives of religious groups and Non-Governmental Organisations, such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide. I pay tribute to them and acknowledge the work that they do in this field."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide's Parliamentary Officer, Dr Alan Hobson, worked closely with MPs to initiate the adjournment debate and to prepare material for it.

David Drew MP said afterwards that it had been "a very good, detailed debate. I am pleased by the content of the Minister's speech. We will of course follow up with the FCO the issues raised, as a matter of urgency".

Mervyn Thomas, CSW's Chief Executive said: "The persecution of Christians in South East Asia, and particularly in Vietnam, has struggled to gain the attention of the international community. CSW is pleased this debate highlighted the appalling treatment some Christians receive. It is our hope this debate will result in action at the highest levels on behalf of people who struggle to speak up for themselves."