The relatively undeveloped country of Laos has never truly had its own identity. Having always been influenced or controlled by one of its neighboring governments, in addition to enduring French rule, Laos has gone virtually unnoticed by the rest of the world. That is except for the Vietnam war, when Laos' eastern border, home of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, was severely and repeatedly bombed by the US, in their hunt for North Vietnamese troops.

When the Lao People's Democratic Republic was finally formed in 1975, they chose to remain closely allied with the communists of Vietnam, further alienating them from the Western democracies and their trade opportunities. Laos stood on the brink of economic disaster in the 1990s, forcing them to finally reach out and be noticed. A campaign to attract tourism was mildly successful, and their 'kip' is now somewhat more stable. They have also had the opportunity to capitalize on many of their exports: rice, coffee, opium and timber, just to name a few.

But Laos remains a traditional and virtually untouched piece of of Asia, allowing them to govern somewhat unchecked. While the Laos constitution contains provision for the freedom of religion, Laotian Christians continue to suffer restrictions on their faith: proselytizing by foreigners is prohibited, any association with a foreign religious organization must receive government approval, and only three churches are officially recognized by the government.

Unfortunately, what at first seemed like mild restrictions have since developed into full-scale persecution. Government officials have labeled Christianity "the number one enemy of the state." Christians are being commanded to recant their faith or face losing their homes and land. Churches have been confiscated and pastors murdered. Persons in public service jobs such as teachers are threatened with losing their jobs if they don't renounce their faith. And in certain provinces, entire groups of believers are expelled from their regions and sometimes their country! Secret campaigns to close down all Christian churches have led to numerous arrests, with charges of "anti-government activities" being filed. These prisoners have been known to receive no food or rations. Often their families must continue to bring them sustenance.

Additional source: International Christian Concern