Officials Forcing the Abandonment of the Christian Faith on the Assumption of American Religion, by Sirikoon Prasertsee, at Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom
"'On December 2, 2013, five Christian families (namely Mr. A-boun, family of 4; Mr. Lahaw, family of 4, Mr. Bountun, family of 4; Mrs. Achak, family of 2, and Mr. Sorn, family of 10) received eviction order from the Natahall village authorities (namely, Mr. Amka, village chief; and Mr. Juayjong, village religious affairs official) and the Phin district police stationed at Saybanghiang sub-district (namely, Mr. Bounthong). The 5 families, who are legal residents of Natahall village, decided to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed religious right in embracing the Christian faith. However, acting in contrary to the Lao constitution, these Lao authorities deemed that believing in the Christian faith was contrary to local religious beliefs and customs and therefore acted to ban the Christian faith from the village and expulse village residents who are Christians from the village if they continue to exercise their religious freedom to embrace the Christian faith.
"fter Natahall Christians insisted on and defended their religious right to the Christian faith, the village chief took further action in order to coerce the Christians to abandon their faith. On December 8, the village chief publically declared that the Christians would be personally responsible for any death coming upon Natahall villagers because the village chief and the village elders maintained that believing in God violated the village’s longstanding spirit beliefs and customs. The village chief was prepared to issue legal documents for relocating Christians to other Christian communities in the province."
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