Inside The Small Communist Nation That Increasingly Oppresses Christians
(ANALYSIS) In Laos, the tiny Communist country tucked between Thailand and Vietnam, Christians have been increasingly facing religious persecution in large numbers. Despite guaranteeing religious freedom on paper, the Communist authorities heavily monitor the religious activities of Christians.
Churches are forced to report all gatherings to the administration. To avoid any scrutiny by the authorities, many Christians secretly run house churches. About 75% of government-approved Lao Evangelical Church congregations lack permanent structures and hold services in homes. Many Christians have been thrown out of their homes, and the displaced — including children and entire families — have been taking refuge in the forests without access to food, safe shelter, or medical care.
The constitution provides citizens with “the right and freedom to believe or not to believe in religion.” The government officially recognizes four religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i faith, with Buddhism paramount. In this country of 7.87 million people, 67% are Buddhists, while 34% are either Animistic or do not follow any religion. Only 1.7% are Christians.
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Last year, some residents following a different faith broke into a Christian home in Savannakhet in the southern part of the country to stop a group of families who had gathered for religious services. In 2022, a pastor in the Lao Evangelical Church was abducted, beaten up and killed in Khammouane Province.
In 2020, a pastor in the same area was arrested and told to renounce his Christian faith. When he refused, he was charged and convicted of causing social disorder and breaking village unity. He was jailed for a year and fined $200. That same year, local authorities in the Salavan province of southern Laos have thrown out seven Christians from their homes for refusing to renounce their faith.
Among Christians, the minority Hmong community, which lives in central and southern provinces, are targeted most. Christians are often forced to participate in non-Christian religious activities.
In many villages, religious conflicts are often handled by government-approved village mediation units made up of local citizens. Christian leaders reported that these units frequently pressured their flock to compromise their faith by conforming to local Buddhist or animist traditions and practices.
Report raises concerns about religious freedom
A 2023 report by the US Department of State raised concerns over religious freedom in Laos, cumbersome regulations and registration procedures with the government.
In 2016, Laos put into effect a law called the Decree on Management and Protection of Religious Activities (Decree 315), which outlines rules for religious practice, land requirements for houses of worship, and grants the government final authority over permissible religious activities, the report stated.
The decree put all religions on an equal legal footing; however, officials in urban areas and some districts better understand these regulations, improper restrictions on religious freedom remain common in rural regions.
Additionally, some villagers have obstructed Christian burials in public cemeteries, reflecting ongoing challenges to religious tolerance and consistent law enforcement across the country.
China’s influence put religious freedom at risk
While China has become a significant economic investor and development partner for Laos, the country has also benefited substantially from China’s investment, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Experts said Laos has become a ‘vassal’ or ‘satellite’ state to China, failing to think and act independently. This has tangible implications for its religious freedom. So when China tightens the reins on the practice of Christianity on its soil, Laos too follows suit.
Additionally, pastors in northern Laos have expressed concern over the trafficking of brides to China. Young women from ethnic minority groups, including Hmong Christians, have been allegedly trafficked across the border and coerced into forced marriages or sex work with local men in China.
A 2024 Open Doors report warned that increased ideological control and Laos’ growing dependence on China are likely to keep conditions for Christians fragile. Localized persecution, especially in ethnic minority areas, is expected to continue, while the government’s push for greater ideological conformity may worsen these issues.
Although international advocacy remains vital, it faces major challenges due to Laos’ close alignment with China’s policies and its highly restrictive political environment.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom puts the onus on the U.S. and the European Union’s Working Group on Human Rights and Governance to ensure Christians in Laos enjoy religious freedom. It recommends that the US and the European Union must regularly and consistently address ethnic and religious discrimination in Laos.
They should continue to engage the Laos government on specific cases of religious freedom violations, including evictions and forced renunciations of faith, and emphasize the importance of consistent implementation of religious freedom.
Sonia Sarkar is a journalist based in India. She writes on conflict, religion, politics, health and gender rights from Southeast Asia. Her work has appeared in a range of international publications, including the South China Morning Post, Nikkei Asia and Al Jazeera.