Enjoy the "thank you" note from those in prison.
Enjoy the "thank you" note from those in prison.
Those arrested are shown in this photo.
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1. Gaet Inthavong 2. Sy Yilatchay 3. Chane Yilatchay |
4. Galgaruensuk 5. Phengxay |
7. Khamsaweang Wassanasong 8. Bounlerth Yilatchay 9. Kongmany Soukaseum |
14. Phonsawan, the pregnant wife of Bounlerth, was not arrested and had a baby boy 15 Feb 1998.
15. Saengwang, the paid police informer, was released the night of the raid.
Message from Jerry Canfield:
The Lao brethren involved are the leaders of a congregation of 65 or 70 Christians
in Vientiane. On January 30, 1998, thirty of the Lao and five foreigners,
including my wife and I, were arrested while attending a Bible study in a
private home in Vientiane. The congregation had been meeting for worship in
the private home for months, but the group had grown in numbers from 6 or 7 to
the above numbers over the last year or so. The group knew the Lao government
was watching closely but the group had permission to meet from the village
leaders and assumed all their activities were proper. On a Friday night, at
the end of a week-long study, the arrests took place. The foreigners were
released after 5 days, seventeen of the Lao were released after two weeks, but
13 of the Lao remain in prison. On Wednesday, March 25, severe sentences were given to the
13 - eight were given three-year sentences. Yes, our brethren have been
arrested for engaging in simple Christian worship. The group is altogether
non-political.
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 00:45:13 -0700
From: Ken Fox <laosfox@ksc.th.com>
Subject: DAY 55 - GUILTY! SENTENCE? THREE YEARS!!!!!
Wednesday March 25, 1998 Midnight
Dear Family,
Phonsawan's voice was steady and not shaking when she called this evening. We were at the Hat Yai airport in southern Thailand, just getting ready to board the plane to Bangkok. She told me to get a pencil and write down the list of prisoners in the Thatdam jail. She began to name the men, ended up with eight, and then said they were sentenced today to three years in prison. I had to ask her to repeat what she said, I couldn't believe the sentence. Three years? Here is the summary of the prison sentences announced by the judge of the Vientiane Court.
THREE YEARS IN PRISON:
1. Khun Sy, the home owner and patriarch of the Phonkheng congregation.
2. Chane, Khun Sy's son, married and PIP employee
3. Bounlerth, Khun Sy's son, Phonsawan's husband, John David's father, PIP
employee
4. Geat, married, father of three, PIP employee from Naborn
5. Galgaruengsuk, married, father, , farmer from Naborn
6. Khamsaweang, father of Marie and husband of Vilaphone, from Thakhet
7. Khongmany, husband of Dalavey, two children, from KM 8, PIP employee
8. Phengxay,husband of Somsuk, PIP employee
TWO YEARS IN PRISON, REDUCED SENTENCE TO ONE YEAR
1. Khammieng, father of Chansaw, farmer from Naborn
2. Duangmanee, 20 year old single daughter of Khun Sy
ONE YEAR IN PRISON, REDUCED SENTENCE TO TWO MONTHS
1. Khamphin, widow of royalist army general
2. Vienkham, mother of teen daughter
3. Khampho, widow
The families have 15 days to appeal the sentences. The families finally for the first time in 55 days were allowed to talked to the prisoners. Those with 3 year sentences will be removed to another prison, the others will probably remain at Thatdam. They were charged with crimes against the country of Lao PDR and found guilty of creating division among the Lao people, accepting foreign funds to promote religion, and were treated like Benedict Arnold type criminals. The names of Jerry & Meg Canfield and Ken Fox were referred to numerous times by the judge in reference to using deliberate devious methods to undermine the respect and authority of the Laotian government. Even the question and answer about the samlor driver talking to God and the Prime Minister was quoted in court as being disrespectful to Lao authorities.
We have not begun to recover from the news and have yet to plan what to do. The rumors that the embassy in Vientiane heard that sentences would be light in response to pressure from the American Embassy, American congressmen, and thousands of letters, emails, and telephone calls was obviously wrong. We have cancelled our plans for the balance of this week to remain in northern Thailand and will return Thursday to Udorn to resume contact and communications closer to Vientiane. We hope to have a report to you soon on the steps to take during the 15-day appeal period.
We continue to trust God to strengthen Phonsawan, Dalavey, Somsuk, Tick, Chansaw and the dozens of other wives, children, and family that are crushed by the decision today. Please pray for all of us to have the wisdom and love of Jesus as we react to a worldly government repeating the persecutions in the book of Acts.
God bless,
Ken & Jean
Chiang Mai, Thailand
From: Ken Fox <laosfox@ksc.th.com> Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 22:14:10 +0700 Subject: Heart Breaking News! February 25, 1998 10 pm Dear Family, The telephone call left us stunned. Today's Lao newspaper and the police in Vientiane told the prisoners' families that the investigation is completed and sentencing will take place about the end of this month. The sentences are expected to range from 2 months to 5 years! The more involvment and guilt, the heavier the sentence. I ask the caller who the families thought would receive the harsher sentence? The answer was Khamsaweang for being involved in starting the church in another area. He is still being held in the small isolation cell. Khamsaweang is a young man in his 20's, has an eight month old daughter, has a very gentle spirit, and has the most Bible knowledge of the prisoners. How about Duangmanee, Khun Sy's youngest daughter? They said she might get the same sentence as her brother Bounlerth for being involved in Bible teaching. Duangmanee was eighteen years old when we moved to Vientiane in 1995. Now she is over twenty, just finished sewing school, and has the kindest serving spirit in the congregation. Can you imagine sentencing grandmothers to two months to five years for hosting a Bible study in their home? Convicted drug peddlers in Vientiane don't draw that harsh a sentence. After that telephone call, then the Associated Press office from Bangkok faxed us a press release from the Lao government press department. Below is the actual news release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lao People's Democratic Republic. It appears that we might have Thursday, Friday, and maybe Saturday before actual prison sentences are announced. To all of you that love the magnificent 13, love the Lord, and cherish freedom to worship God in spirit and truth, please continue to call your congressmen, continue to write the Laotian ambassadors, and most of all, beseech the living God for mercy in Thatdam jail and not Laotian justice. Ken & Jean Fox ___________________________
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"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:1-2)
From: Jerry Canfield <DailyWoods@aol.com>
Below is my "Answer" to the charges in the news release.
Since early 1996, Ken Fox and his wife, Jean, and Jerry Canfield and his wife,
Meg, have been meeting for Christian worship purposes with the group of
Christians recently arrested in Vientiane, Laos. The Foxes and/or the
Canfields have been present at essentially every Sunday worship service and at
most Bible studies conducted by the Lao Christians during that period of time.
Based on that personal and intimate knowledge of the activities of the Lao
Christians, both families can and do dismiss the charges contained in the news
release of the Lao government's Press Department issued on February 25, 1998,
as completely false.
The purpose of the Lao Christians was and is purely religious. The group has
no political agenda and certainly no political agenda adverse to the Lao
government or its leaders. The group of Christians and the individual members
have engaged in no activities which are slanderous of the Lao government or
its leaders. In fact, the very week of the arrests of the Christians, the
group had engaged in a study of Romans 13:1-2 in which the writer encourages
Christians to be good citizens of the country in which they live. The teacher
on that occasion gave the same admonition to the group of Christians living in
Vientiane.
The group engaged in no activities which could be described properly as
creating social unrest or as attempting to create a division between the Lao
peoples and religions. The group engaged in basic Christian activities
recognized as customary and proper by peoples and countries around the world.
The group assembled to sing songs, to pray to their God, to study and discuss
the Bible, and to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. These activities
were conducted quietly and discreetly - the group had no signs advertising
their activities, used no sound equipment and used no mechanical instruments
of music. Other than providing Bibles, song books, and study materials for
their Bible studies, the group did not distribute religious materials.
Finally, the news release contends that American citizens in the group made
use of a forged license plate on a vehicle. That particular vehicle had been
purchased from the Australian Embassy in 1996. The vehicle was used in the
Partners in Progress (PIP) health project pursuant to contracts with the Lao
government. These contracts require the Lao government to properly license
the vehicle for use in the health project. In spite of the repeated efforts
of PIP to get the Lao government to fulfill its obligation to issue proper
license plates, the Lao government failed to do so and finally, after months
of requests by PIP, refused to do so until PIP agreed to amend the contracts
to donate the vehicle to the Vientiane Municipality Public Health Department.
That contract amendment was signed two days before the arrests. The written
requests and copies of the contracts have been provided to the American
Embassy in Vientiane.
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 10:56:45 CST
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The following is a letter from the imprisoned Lao, addressed to each of
our brethren around the world who have been praying for them.
The letter will give you some insight into the faith of those in prison.
Jerry Canfield 12 August 1998
To our lovely brothers and sisters in Christ, |
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 14:26:54
Subject: Day 258 - Laos Ten
From: jercan1@juno.com (Jerry Canfield)
The news regarding the decision of the Lao Supreme Court is not good - the message creating hope of immediate, further consideration of the imprisonment of the Ten apparently is unfounded.
The decision was handed down on September 30 and delivered to the representative of the Ten on October 8. There still has been no media reports on the decision in Vientiane and the American Embassy had no news of the decision until we alerted them. The slight reductions in sentences were to ten months from one year for two of the Ten, from three years to two years for seven of the Ten and from three years to two and one-half years for the eldest of the Ten.
The Supreme Court decision noted the positions of the prosecutor, the lower Court and the requests of the Ten that their sentences be cancelled or reduced. The Supreme Court's decision then finds that the action of the Ten in meeting in the home of Khun Sy without permission (although there was permission from two levels of the Lao government) was properly noticed to be against the people's peacefulness, but that it had not created any harm. Because of the absence of harm the Court found the sentences should be reconsidered for suitable sentences based on the levels of their crimes. The Court then announced the sentences noted above.
Two and one-half years is a long sentence for having meetings in your home allegedly without permission especially as the government acknowledges that no harm was done. The sentences are especially long when it is remembered that the purpose of the meeting was a simple worship assembly supposedly guaranteed by the Lao Constitution. For each of us, the continued imprisonment confirms our feelings of support for our brothers and our sister who are being persecuted for no reason other than their belief in and obedience to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
The American Ambassador wrote on October 14 to confirm the decision. The Ambassador advised there was no foundation for the suggestion that this situation might be the topic of some immediate negotiations between the Embassy and the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Apparently the suggestion of same to the family members was a misguided reference to the fact that the Consular Office of the MFA has some responsibilities regarding the special amnesty announced in late August. While the Ambassador can not confirm the Ten are not on the special amnesty list, the Ambassador does not believe the Ten are on the list.
The next hope for release is probably the general amnesty normally announced in December (but which is often not implemented till months latter).
It is my prayer that God will bring about the reunion of all the Ten with their families much sooner.
We are discussing with others the pros and cons to various possible actions. We should all continue to pray. If other suggestions are agreed on, we will let you know.
Jerry and Meg Canfield
Read Meg Canfield's firsthand report about her arrest, published in Christian Woman, July/August 1998.
Link to Laos Web Page
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