9th March, 2006
DAVID ADAMS

Christian organisation Open Doors has named North Korea as the nation where Christians are persecuted most for the fourth straight year in a row.

The country tops the organisation’s World Watch List - which ranks the 50 countries where Christians are deliberately targeted for pursuing their faith - which was released in the US earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia came in at number two on the list - also for the fourth straight year - followed by Iran, Somalia, Maldives, Bhutan, Yemen, Vietnam, Laos and China.

Open Doors say that tens of thousands of Christians are imprisoned in camps in North Korea and estimate that hundreds were killed last year alone.

Open Doors' US president, Dr Carl Moeller, says that as the “most repressive nation in the world”, North Korea deserved it’s number one ranking.

“It breaks my heart to hear some of the atrocities against people there,” he says.

In a report released with the list, Open Doors say that in North Korea, “Christianity is observed as a dangerous foreign influence” which stimulated the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

They say that the “hermit regime” is suspected of detaining more political and religious prisoners than any other nation and that North Koreans who brought Christianity back into the country after coming into contact with believers when visiting China have been specifically targeted for arrest with many of them tortured and even killed.

“Amidst all of this, North Korea is trying to keep up a facade of religious freedom, trying to cover the complete lack of this inalienable human right, by - among others - organising government-sponsored religious services in show churches in the capital of Pyongyang, which foreigners are allowed to attend,” the organisation says in the report.

Open Doors estimate that around 200 million Christians across the world undergo interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith with another estimated 200 to 400 million facing discrimination and alienation.

The Open Doors report also claims that during 2005:

• more than 70 expatriate Christians were arrested in Saudi Arabia while worshipping in private homes in what some say is the nation’s largest crackdown on Christians in a decade;

• a new wave of persecution followed the election of hardline Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June with many Christians harrassed, arrested and beaten and a church house pastor killed in November;

• five believers who converted from Islam were killed in Somalia while many others have fled the country in fear; and

• in China, thousands of Christians were arrested in a massive crackdown on house churches with most of them released in a few days.

Nations among the top 50 which have higher rankings this year than last - that is, where persecution of Christians has worsened - include Uzbekistan (to 12 from 15 in 2005), Azerbaijan (from 22 to 19), Djibouti (from 30 to 25), India (34 to 26), Turkey (39 to 36), Ethiopia (from 49 to 38) and Bangladesh (from 46 to 39).

Those countries where the situation for Christians improved included Laos (from four last year to nine this year), Sudan (from 19 to 27), and conflict areas of Colombia (up to 44 from 36).

Mexico’s south recorded the biggest move, up 17 from 31 to 48.

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