March 15, 2000

Religious persecution documented
___WASHINGTON (ABP)--Violations of religious liberty, including religious persecution, are not confined to one country, religion or nationality, according to the U.S. State Department's 1999 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
___"Throughout the world, Baha'is, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and other believers continue to suffer for their faith," the report states.
___The lengthy country-by-country analysis of human rights issues was released Feb. 25. The report focuses on democracy, human rights, religious liberty and labor.
___ "Too much of the world's population still lives in countries in which religious freedom is restricted or prohibited," the report's introduction states. "Totalitarian and authoritarian regimes remain determined to control religious belief and practice."
___The report notes that some governments are hostile to minority religions while others tolerate, and thus encourage, persecution and discrimination. Some countries favor certain religions and disfavor others, and some democratic states have "indiscriminately identified minority religions as dangerous 'sects' or 'cults,'" the report states.
___Among the religious-freedom abuses cited in the report:
___ In Burma, the government has imprisoned Buddhist monks who promote human and political rights. Security forces have destroyed and looted churches, mosques and Buddhist monasteries and have used coercive measures to induce Christians to convert to Buddhism.
___ China has continued to restrict religious freedom and intensified controls on some unregistered churches. Unapproved groups, including Protestants and Catholics, experienced varying degrees of interference, repression and persecution.
___ In Iraq, the government "has conducted a campaign of murder, summary execution and protracted arbitrary arrest against the religious leaders and adherents of the Shi'a Muslim population," the report states.
___ In Sudan, violence against religious minorities has continued. "Eyewitnesses reported aerial bombardments of Christians, Muslims and animists in the Nuba Mountains," the report states.

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