17th November, 2005
In Burma, the Government continued to engage in “severe violations” of religious freedom. In China, the Government’s respect for freedom of religion remained poor. In Cuba, the Government continued to control and monitor religious activities using surveillance, infiltration and harassment against religious groups, clergy and lay people while in North Korea the level of respect for religious freedom remains “extremely poor”.

Such were some of the conclusions of the US Department of State’s annual report on international religious freedom. While the report found the above named countries used totalitarian or authoritarian actions to control religious belief or practice, those countries found to have state-based hostility toward minority or non-approved religions included Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam while those where the state neglected to act on discrimination or the abuse of religious groups included Bangladesh, Egypt, India and Sri Lanka.

Other nations named as having discriminatory legislation or policies prejudicial to certain religions include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brunei, Indonesia, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russian and Turkey while Belgium and Germany were named as having denounced certain religions by identifying them as cults.

Among the positives in the report were that religious freedom had improved in Georgia in the wake of 2003’s “Rose Revolution”, that the Government of India had taken a number of steps to improve its commitment to religious freedom and that while serious violations of religious freedom continued in Turkmenistan, the Government had made some progress including signing a declaration to treat religious minorities according to accepted international norms.

The report said progress had also been made in the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

- DAVID ADAMS