WORLD WATCH LIST

Laos

#31

Most church gatherings are illegal, and Christians are viewed with suspicion.

“There are times when I feel like it’s me against the world and that the Lord has not provided me with people. But God sends people. He used your ministry.”

– Sop*, a persecuted Christian who received a Bible and attended literacy training with our partners.

Country
Profile

Region: Asia
Sources of persecution: Communist and post-Communist Oppression
Population: 7,481,000
Christian population: 207,000
Religions: Buddhism
Leader: President Thongloun Sisoulith
Score: 68

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What’s Life Like For Christians?

Christians are generally viewed as Western-influenced ‘enemies of the state’. The communist authorities of Laos consider most church meetings illegal, and Christians live under intense scrutiny.

Some churches are registered and heavily monitored, but others cannot get permission to meet and have to operate secretly. Leaders of unregistered churches have been arrested and held for as long as a year – their churches forced to pay large sums of money for their release.

Who Is Most Vulnerable To Persecution?

Christians outside of registered churches are at particular risk in Laos. The local authorities in some provinces are determined to silence any Christian voice. Christians face discrimination in the workplace, and may lose their government jobs when their faith becomes known.

The lack of educational and professional opportunities has contributed to Christian boys and men getting ensnared in drug addictions, while Christian girls are increasingly targeted as brides to be trafficked into China.