China: 4th week of Church arrests
A Chinese ‘illegal’ church refused to follow government orders not to meet in a public square. (See Prayer Alert 16-2011). This week over 31 of its members were arrested, and again, reporters were blocked from the site. The arrests of Beijing's Shouwang Church members came after clergy said they would not buckle to Communist Party pressure. Over 160 were arrested the first week they met outdoors, 50 were arrested the second week and approximately 40 on Easter Sunday. The declining number of arrests is due to many members being under house arrest. On Easter Sunday, over 500 Christians including every church staff member, lay leader and choir member were under house arrest. The church is attempting to meet outdoors because the government blocked all attempts by the church to rent or purchase a building. Members say failing to come together and worship would be an abandonment of biblical commands. Pray: that God would enable the church to fulfil His purposes in the area that he has placed them and be strengthened in the face of all opposition. (Eph.2:10 & Rev.3:11) More: http://www.chinaaid.org/2011/05/4th-week-china-arrests-30-church.html#more
China: 20 lawyers to defend pastor
Last week we asked you to pray for a Church pastor and 25 of his congregation who were forcibly detained on November 16th. See: http://site.prayer-alert.net/images/read%20pa%20now.pdf This week there are signs of Christians speaking out against persecution. Rights defenders ChinaAid have now assembled more than 20 lawyers to defend Pastor Zhang Shaojie and his congregation members. The US-based rights group took this action after the original defence team encountered little cooperation from authorities in Henan province. On November 18 CSW reported 100+ supporters of the pastor joined a protest calling for his release from prison. Zhang, 48, is a Protestant pastor of the Nanle County Christian Church, which is part of the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Earlier this month, ChinaAid reported another protest in Henan involving thousands of Christians over a land dispute between a church in Anyang city and the local authority.
Pray: for the much talked about reorganization of the penal system to be acted upon and for the immediate release of unjustly held victims of the current system. (Ps.120:1)
China: 'Jasmine' blogger arrested
A Christian activist in Sichuan who is a friend of the arrested man said that ‘Ran Yunfei is a writer and literature magazine editor from Sichuan who was detained without charge for over a month as unrest rippled across the Middle East. Later he was formally charged for inciting subversion of state power. Ran is a prominent writer and his arrest for challenging the Communist Party is the latest in a string of crackdowns on dissent. The 46-yearold was detained as many online calls for similar ‘Jasmine Revolution’ protests in mainland China spread. His arrest was described by friends as ‘the crime of expressing your opinions, and in this case the prosecutors will probably use essays that Ran has published on the Internet.’ The charge against Ran of inciting subversion was also used to jail Liu Xiaobo, the dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Pray: for God's peace and comfort to the dozens of lawyers, bloggers and ‘dissidents’ in Beijing's harsh prisons. (Ps.140:4) More: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=3&art_id=109582&sid=31823447&con_type=1&d_str=20110329&fc=1
Chile: Student protests turn violent
Students and police clashed in Santiago during the latest protest over education reform. Student leaders are demanding wholesale reform of Chile's education system, which they say is unequal and under-funded. Police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters who set up barricades and threw petrol bombs. With more demonstrations planned for Wednesday 26th the government said it will invoke emergency security law to quell the violence. The protest movement started in May by students and are backed by teachers and trade unions after talks with the government broke down earlier this month. Chile's education system is heavily reliant on private funding with 40% of all education paid for by students. Representatives of the movement went to the heavily guarded presidential palace to present an unofficial plebiscite on their demand for educational reform.
Pray: for a peaceful resolution that implements adequate funding for the country’s education. (Is.54:13)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15358921
Child Slavery in Africa Continues 10 Years After Cocoa Protocol
Children are still being sold by slave traffickers in Africa and forced to work on cocoa farms that help produce chocolate products for many companies over ten years after lawmakers tried to initiate measures to stop the inhumane practice. The chocolate industry initially resisted, but the Cocoa Protocol, or Harkin-Engel Protocol went into effect in 2011. The voluntary protocol, which was signed by the heads of the chocolate industry, was designed to stop the worst forms of child labour and to make sure the cocoa trade was child-labour free. A researcher that spent five years in the Ivory Coast said that he has seen very little implementation of the original commitments to end child slavery. Kraft-Cadbury says they are working with others in the industry to support the Harkin-Engel Protocol to work towards eliminating the worst forms of child-labour. Nestle say that they believe child labour has no place in their supply chain and they have firmly committed to eradicate unacceptable practices.
Pray: for a greater urgency in the implementation of the protocol by all in the cocoa industry. (Isa.49:16-18)
Central African Republic:Conflict update
On Tuesday UNICEF warned that education was becoming another casualty of the conflict, with half the country’s schools shuttered and hundreds of thousands of students at risk of missing out the entire year. ‘The new Government must prioritise protection of and investment in the education system in order to respect and fulfill children’s basic right to education and provide this generation of children with hope for a healthy future.’ a representative said. Since the Séléka rebel coalition launched an offensive in December, 1.2 million people have been cut off from essential services and human rights violations have been widspread. Last weekend three artillery shells crashed into the Evangelical Federation of Brothers Church in Bangui killing seven members, also 20+ people died after gun battles last weekend where many children were wounded and transferred to the paediatric hospital for treatment. Many residents have fled the Boy-Rabe and Cité Jean 23 areas of the capital - the two worst affected by recent violence. See: http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2013/04/article_2415723.html/
Pray: for all the families caught up in this conflict. May NGOs and those now in authority successfully work together to provide a safe environment. (Ps.121:1-2)
More: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44731&Cr=central+african+republic&Cr1=#.UXeITsqbXAI