February 2024 Persecution Magazine

eaking the Vietnamese Penal Code by fleeing the country or remaining abroad to
oppose the people’s government.” ICC is currently working with other agencies and
ministries to support Vietnamese Christian refugees like Lu A Da, providing basic
necessities like food, money for rental accommodation in Thailand, and advocacy
support. One current project involves a Vietnamese mother who became a Christian
and immediately faced beatings from her husband and local police. This mother
and her baby fled to Thailand where we helped through local ministry partners to
support them with food and money for a phone and rent. However, these ministry
partners have informed us that Vietnamese government agents are actively working
in Thailand harassing Christian refugees and seeking to inflict harm or extradition
back to Vietnam. Local ministry partners are extremely worried about this recent
development. Praise God for generous ICC supporters who partner with us to support
the tragic yet resilient stories of Vietnamese Christian refugees in Thailand.
FIERCE CIVIL WAR DISPLACING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
About 2,000 kilometers to the east of Vietnam, Myanmar is experiencing a savage
and brutal war. After two years of tyrannical control from the Tatmadaw, who
forcefully took control of the country in 2021, ethnic and pro-democracy forces have
joined together and are inflicting huge losses on the military dictatorship. Fighting is
fierce, particularly as soldiers from predominantly Christian regions like Chin State,
Kayah State, and Kachin State advance throughout the country, combining with other
militias against Tatmadaw. But, as with every war, there are huge impacts for civilians.
The UN reported in late December that more than 6 million Burmese children were
facing severe food shortages, and one-third of the country’s population were facing
immediate humanitarian crises. As of Christmas 2023, nearly 700,000 Burmese are
deemed IDPs. Huge numbers of these are Christian refugees who have fled their
homes. Additionally, IDPs or refugees have also fled to Manipur State in India because
of the fighting. This has created new problems with reports emerging of growing
tensions in Manipur between Hindu nationalists and pro-democracy fighters from
Myanmar who have crossed the border amid all the fighting. The predominantly
Christian Chin and Meitei forces from Myanmar are closely and ethnically related
to the mostly Christian Kuki people in Manipur. Consequently, the war in Myanmar
is leading to other religious challenges and confrontations in neighboring India.
These Christian refugees are literally living between the proverbial rock and hard
place! Again, ICC is trying to work with local partners to help in some way to support
suffering and displaced Christians in this ongoing civil war.
ISIS DISPLACING THOUSANDS AND TARGETING CHRISTIANS IN SOUTHERN
PHILIPPINES
Finally, 2,000 kms southwest from Myanmar is Mindanao, the southernmost island
group of the Philippines. We have previously highlighted Mindanao and the rise of
radical and violent Islam, with ISIS-affiliated terror groups like Abu Sayyaf and Dawlah
Islamiya-Maute fighting to establish the island region as a ‘wilayat,’ functioning under
Sharia law and ISIS control. Over the last six years, more than 400,000 people have
been displaced in Mindanao alone because of the ongoing battles between these
terror groups and Filipino military and police. In early December 2023, ISIS bombed
a Catholic mass in Marawi, Mindanao, killing more than 50 church goers and leading
to more displacement of locals. With every new conflict and battle comes a new
wave of displaced refugees. And the majority of IDPs in Mindanao are Christians as
well, navigating this aggressive form of Islam. ICC has recently re-started our work
in Mindanao, and we are building a new network of local partners to help Christian
refugees suffering from these scary battles and ideological Islamic control.
“He defends the cause of
the fatherless and the
widow, and loves the
foreigner residing among
you, giving them food and
clothing.”
- DEUTERONOMY 10:18
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE
REGION?
Refugee issues abound across Southeast
Asia. Christian refugees again feature
prominently in these stories too. For
instance, Burmese Rohingya Christians
face severe persecution in Myanmar
and now in Malaysia where hundreds
are fleeing to. Then there are those
North Korean defectors (including many
Christians) who have escaped into South
Korea and northern China, but who
are now being wickedly returned and
extradited back to North Korea to face
certain death there. And ongoing wars,
conflicts and persecution in China, West
Papua, Brunei, and Cambodia lead to
more Christian refugees in the region.
FINAL WORD FOR CHRISTIAN RÉFUGIÉ
The state for refugees in this region,
especially Christian refugees, is
deteriorating at a fast rate. ICC’s specific
mission to serve and strengthen suffering
Christians in Southeast Asia is lived out
strongly as we support Christian refugees
amidst all the wars, political instability,
Communist control, and radical Islamic
forces. Praise God for the privilege to live
out this mission in this region and across
the globe.
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