Vietnam: Persecution of Christians is 'state policy'
The persecution of religious minorities is now official Vietnamese state policy after Human Rights Watch released a June report revealing that Vietnam’s government intends to persecute any ethnic Montagnards who follow ‘unauthorised’ Christianity (Montagnards are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam - the term Montagnard means ‘mountain people’). This latest threat to Montagnards is causing many to flee into Cambodia where they hope to worship Christ freely; but many are deported back to Vietnam. Last year Cambodia returned 54 Montagnards without allowing them opportunity to seek refugee status. Formerly animists, ethnic Montagnards began converting to Christianity in the 1950s and are now a Christian group. In addition to being persecuted for their Christianity they are being targeted by the Vietnamese government because of their past allegiance to the US during its war in Vietnam.
Canada: Action on climate change
Gregor Robertson, the mayor of Vancouver, says he plans to encourage the Pope to ramp up pressure on national governments across the globe to take action on climate change when he meets with the Catholic leader later this month. Mr Robertson will be the only Canadian to join 30 representatives of cities in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas for a two-day visit with Pope Francis in Vatican City on 21 July. Meanwhile on Wednesday and Thursday this week hundreds of delegates have attended a two-day Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto. Former Mexican president Felipe Calderon, former US vice-president Al Gore and California Governor Jerry Brown were among the delegates. The summit emphasised the role that provinces, states and other sub-national governments can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. World leaders will also meet later this year in Paris for the UN Climate Change Conference. See http://www.640toronto.com/2015/07/08/66933/
China: Confusion in finances
The turmoil in China’s stock market is so bad that 700 companies have halted trading to ‘self-preserve’, thus preventing investors from selling their shares. That means about a quarter of the companies listed on China’s two big exchanges are no longer trading. The government has taken extraordinary steps to try to prevent further damage and over 20 of China’s top brokerage firms publicly pledged to buy back stocks and funds in an effort to slow the downfall. It did not work and investors aren’t convinced. By Wednesday 8 July China’s stock markets had lost $3.25 trillion (that’s more than the size of France’s stock market and twice the size of India’s). Those in the know are saying China’s $28 trillion debt is a threat to the global economy. See also http://www.bloombergview.com/quicktake/chinas-debt-bomb
Pakistan: Front-line workers
The group of Pakistani Christian men knew the risks when they entered an Islamic festival where fanatical Muslim leaders preached jihad and attendees renewed their religious zeal. Quietly, they initiated conversations about Jesus, who is considered a holy prophet in Islam. By the end of the evening, they had distributed several hundred flyers telling about Jesus Christ and had exchanged phone numbers with people who wanted to learn more. These men are a few of the more than 30,000 front-line workers supported by Voice Of the Martyrs. They are sharing the gospel in hostile and restricted nations at great risk. As they minister in these difficult places, they need our prayers. Will you commit to stand with them in prayer as they share Christ? See https://secure.persecution.com/giftslip/frontlineworker.aspx
