Source: www.persecution.org
Date: July 25, 2024
Southeast Asia (International Christian Concern) — The second regional International Religious Freedoms (IRF) Asia Summit wrapped up this week in Tokyo, Japan, sponsored in part by International Christian Concern (ICC). More than 150 people from around the world met for the two-day summit to discuss and advocate for religious freedom.
American Pastor Andrew Brunson, imprisoned in Turkey for more than two years for his Christian work, spoke powerfully about the sheer scale and extent of Christian persecution. Pastor Brunson acknowledged that all persecution of religious people is wrong, but he emphasized that Christianity is the most persecuted faith by far, saying four out of every five Christians face religious persecution.
The Summit took a closer look at the extreme persecution Christians face in North Korea, China, and Vietnam, emphasizing the powerful and shocking scale along with the digital methods used to persecute Christians. Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand were also countries discussed. Delegates called on more open democracies in the region, like Japan and South Korea, to be more vocal in advocating for religious freedom.