NONSOMBOON, Laos — Police in Borikhamxay province destroyed a church building in Nonsomboon village March 19 while Christian residents attended a meeting called by district officials.
A member of the provincial religious affairs department, identified only as Bounlerm, has since claimed that police destroyed the worship facility because it was built without official approval.
Tension between the Christians and local authorities escalated last year when officials ordered at least 40 Christian families living in Ban Mai village to relocate some 12 miles to the newly created Nonsomboon for “administrative reasons,” according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom.
Authorities had previously evicted Christians from several other villages in the district and relocated them to Ban Mai village, the group reported. Families were expected to cover their own relocation expenses, including the cost of rebuilding their homes and re-establishing their livelihoods.
Residents initially refused to relocate a second time, largely because officials would not grant permission to move their existing church building or to erect a new structure in Nonsomboon. Eventually they were forced to move under duress.
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