Laos: Religious Freedom report

Executive summary

This briefing is an assessment of recent and current trends in the area of religious freedom in Laos, particularly focusing on the Christian community. The information in this report is based upon first-hand testimony from sources within Laos, providing an assessment of the situation as viewed on the ground.

The macro concern with respect to religious freedom in Laos is the weakness in the rule of law, with limited legal protections existing for religious activities and arbitrary approaches towards religion being exercised at the local level. With respect to Protestant Christianity, the legality of congregations is dependent upon their subscription to the Lao Evangelical Church (LEC) or Seventh Day Adventists, the only Protestant denominations recognised under the 2002 Decree Regarding Governance and Protection of Religious Activity in the Lao PDR’ (Prime Minister’s Decree No. 92/PM), popularly known as Decree 92.

Given the relative lack of domestic legislative protection, international standards on human rights and religious freedom are of vital importance. Laos ratified the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2009. The ratification itself is to be welcomed. However, several reservations were made against Article 18 on freedom of religion or belief. Laos should be encouraged to remove these reservations and implement the protections of the ICCPR in full.

Laos has seen improvements in the level of religious freedom during recent years, including a significant reduction in the number of Christian prisoners of conscience. However, one longterm Protestant prisoner continues to serve a fifteen-year sentence in Udomoxai prison, while a number of short-term detentions in prisons and police stations have also occurred during recent years. Cases of individuals being arrested and charged with “being a Christian” have declined, although this still occurs in isolated incidents. Instead, recent arrests of Christians have seen a rise in spurious charges being made, such as one pastor who was accused of “human trafficking”.

Protestantism is generally perceived as a ‘foreign’ or ‘enemy’ religion, and suspicion of religious activities and their potential to cause ‘social disorder’ is enshrined in policy documents such as Decree 92. The prevailing attitude towards the religious activities of Protestant groups continues to be one of control, perpetuated from the central government level. When this method of control is mediated at the local level there is room for arbitrary implementation. CSW sources have confirmed that Christian communities are still subject to the whims of current local authorities, without sufficient access to legal protection or knowledge of their rights. Central government can blame local officials for poor implementation of religious protection at the local level, and thus avoid taking responsibility for the macro level.

Attempted forcible renunciations of faith and forcible evictions of Christians from their villages continue to be reported on occasion, and usually constitute the most serious infractions of religious freedom for Protestants. Such incidents usually occur in remote provinces far away from Vientiane and often affect ethnic minority Protestants, particularly among the Khmu. Research for this report found at least two incidents of forced eviction and two of forcible destruction or seizing of church property. Although such incidents have become less widespread, many churches continue to operate under restrictive circumstances, and there exists a particular intolerance of evangelism. Some provinces, particularly in the far north and the south, have areas where it is currently impossible for Christians to meet together openly, demonstrating a tangible lack of religious freedom at the local level.

As Laos’ standing on the world stage continues to increase, not least with the hosting of the Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) in November 2012, it is imperative that the international community raise human rights concerns, including that of the country’s religious freedom situation, with Laos’ government to ensure that the rights of all Lao citizens are improved along with much-needed economic growth and development.

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