Tahae village (ບ້ານທ່າແຫ່), Xaibouathong district, Khammouane province, Lao PDR | Human Rights Watcher for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF) | Advocacy Alert No. 03/2024 | June 24, 2024
On June 22, 2024, approximately 10:00 a.m. (Laos time), the Tahae village authorities comprised the village chief Mr. Lang (ທ້າວລັງ), deputy village chief Mr. Khampune (ທ້າວຄຳປຸນ) and deputy village chief Mr. Ang (ທ້າວເອງ), and three security officials Mr. Bounma (ທ້າວບຸນມາ), Mr. Jit (ທ້າວຈິດ), and Mr. Kam (ທ້າວຂັນ) conducted the arrest of a Lao church leader Mr. Mum (ທ້າວຫມ່ຳ) and 5 other Lao believers in Lahae village, Xaibouathong district, Khammouane province, Laos, for exercising their right to Christian religious freedom in worshiping God. The five Lao Christians are: (1) Liang (ທ້າວລ້ຽ), male, age 40; (2) Pa (ທ້າວປາ), male, age 24; (3) Laen (ນາງແລນ), female, age 50; (4) Lan (ນາງລານ), female, age 23; (5) Khoon (ນາງຄູນ), female, age 28. The arrest took place on Saturday (June 22nd) at Mr. Mum’s home while they were meeting for prayer in preparation for Sunday morning worship on the following day (June 23rd). They are currently being imprisoned in Xaibouathong district prison.
Around 2019, Mr. Mum became a believer after his mom experienced God’s healing. Others in Tahae village and nearby villages also have exercised their right to religious freedom to accept the Christian faith. The group of believers led by Mr. Mum has grown to approximately 40-50 believers, who have been gathering faithfully in Mr. Mum’s home for church meetings and religious worship, exercising their right to religious freedom.
The believers in Tahae village had been enjoying their right to religious freedom under the former Tahae village chief since 2019 until recently when there was a change of village government to another person. The new village chief Mr. Lang was appointed in May 2024 to govern Tahae village and the crackdown on Christian freedom and practices became severe that led to the arrest of Mr. Mum and five Lao believers.
The Lao Constitution, article 30, recognizes the RIGHT and FREEDOM of the Lao citizens “to believe or not to believe in religions.”
The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief.”
The UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), article 18 (para. 1), specifies: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice.”
The UN Declaration of the General Assembly, 1981, article 1 (para. 1), demands: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have a religion or whatever belief of his choice.”
The UN Human Rights Committee, general comment 22, explains: “Article 18 does not permit any limitations whatsoever on the freedom of thought and conscience or the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of one’s choice [para. 1]…the Committee observes that the freedom to “have or to adopt” a religion or belief necessarily entails the freedom to choose a religion or belief, including the right to replace one’s current religion or belief with another or to adopt atheistic views, as well as the right to retain one’s religion or belief [para. 5].”
The Lao government is a party to all the agreements/declarations above.
The right to have, adopt, change, or replace religion or belief is an “absolute” right not to be subjected to any restriction, and limitations cannot be allowed, even for maintaining public order. In addition to the Lao government’s duty to respect every Lao person’s “absolute” right to have, adopt, change, or replace religion or belief, they are also obligated to prevent any religious right violation from non-government, or private, actors.
The Lao government is duty-bound to protect the Lao villagers who have adopted, changed, or replaced their former religion or belief with the new Christian faith. They are obligated to protect the Lao Christian believers from acts of aggression from government officials or other villagers based on their decision to have or adopt the Christian religion or belief.
Furthermore, article 2 (para. 3 [a]), ICCPR provides that States should “ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized are violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.”
The HRWLRF urges the Lao government to respect the Lao Constitution and the Lao government-ratified UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and fulfill their duties as follows:
- To respect the freedom of religion or belief of the Lao Christians, in particular Mr. Mum and five other believers in Tahae village, Xaibouathong district, Khammouane province, to their adoption and practice of the Christian religion or belief,
- To investigate this incident of human rights violation per ICCPR, article 18 (para. 1),
- To punish the village authorities responsible for the acts of aggression against the six Lao Christian believers,
- To release immediately the six believers from prison or detention,
- To allow the believers to continue to adopt the Christian faith and practice in Tahae village,
- To ensure effective remedy whereby the local officials’ human rights violations and discrimination with regard to freedom of religion or belief are ceased and the damage to the believers is compensated, and,
- To promote the freedom of religion or belief for the six believers and other Christians in Tahae village and throughout Xaibouathong district.
Additionally, the HRWLRF is calling upon the UN Human Rights Committee, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to hold the government of Lao PDR accountable for their violations and non-compliance with the Declaration, Covenants, and Guidelines referenced above.