SAVANNAKHET PROVINCE, LAOS (ANS – Feb. 16, 2015) -- Five Christians cleared of murder charges related to the death of a Christian convert from an unidentified long-term illness on June 21, 2014, have been found guilty of causing death by “performance of the medical profession without a license” after praying for her.
According
to the non-profit advocacy organization Human Rights Watcher for Lao
Religious Freedom (HRWLRF), on February 12, 2015, the People’s Court of
Savannakhet Province based the decision to convict the Christians on
Article 82 of the Lao Penal Code, Performance of Medical Profession
without License.A news release, from the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), says that the Article prohibits the treatment of patients without an official license for the purpose of generating gains; where the offender has caused a patient to become an invalid or to die, there offender shall be punished by three months to five years of imprisonment and fined 500,000 to 5,000,000 Lao Kip (approximately £40-£400 or $68-$615 US dollars).
The five Christians, Pastor Kaithong, Puphet, Muk, Hasadee, and Tiang, were originally accused of murdering Mrs. Chan, a convert to Protestant Christianity.
“She was suffering from an unidentified two-year illness when she died en route from hospital back to her home in Atsaphangthong district on 21 June 21, 2014,” said the CSW release.
“The village chief granted permission for a Christian funeral, but later ordered Pastor Kaithong, who was conducting the funeral, to stop the proceedings. Kaithong appealed to the chief of Atsaphangthong district, but on June 23, 2014, the village chief and the police authorities arrested Kaithong and the four other
Christians.
“They were accused of giving Chan medication on the journey back from the hospital which caused her death. However, in August 2014, Savannakhet Office of Prosecutors ruled that the five did not commit any criminal offence.”
The accused maintain that they did not use any drug or material remedy, but only prayed for Mrs. Chan in accordance with her request for prayer for healing. Furthermore, according to HRWLRF, Mrs. Chan’s death did not occur at the location where the five were praying for her, but en route from the hospital in Savannakhet.
CSW’s Chief Operating Officer Andy Dipper said, “We are alarmed to hear that the five Lao Christians arrested in June 2014 could face up to five years in prison. According to this report from HRWLRF, the Christians prayed for Mrs. Chan in accordance with her request and did not use any kind of medicine or drug. We urge the People’s Court of Savannakhet to urgently review this case, and repeat our call for the Lao authorities to release the five Christians and to investigate the actions of the village chief and police in this case without
delay.”
Note: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.
For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.
Photo caption: A believer being baptized in Laos
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