Displaying items by tag: Asia

On Christmas Eve British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert started an open-ended hunger strike in protest at being sentenced to ten years on espionage charges. She wants, at the very least, to be moved from solitary confinement, where she has been since October 2018. On 30 December British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she would go on hunger strike in solidarity with Kylie. Just before Christmas, Kylie wrote to the Australian prime minister, pleading for ministers to do more to secure her release. A third dual national, Fariba Adelkhah, is also on hunger strike. The French government has summoned the Iranian ambassador over her detention. A government spokesman rejected the publicity they are receiving, saying Iran would not submit to political games or propaganda. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and many other imprisoned dual nationals in Tehran believe they are political hostages.

France, Germany, and Britain have told the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the Security Council resolution. A letter from those countries, plus Russia, China, and the USA, stated that the development of such missiles was inconsistent with the resolution endorsing a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and urged Tehran not to pursue activity related to such missiles. Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the letter ‘a desperate falsehood to cover up European countries' miserable incompetence in fulfilling their commitments to the nuclear deal. He said, ‘If Britain, France, and Germany want a modicum of global credibility, they can begin by exerting sovereignty rather than bowing to US bullying.’ Pray for Iran’s church leaders amid the upheaval. They are praying that God will give them strategies to use the current unrest to advance His kingdom.

South China’s Morning Post editor prophesied: ‘There is no Happy New Year ahead for Hong Kong, just endless protest chaos for the foreseeable future. Get used to it because nothing is changing, nobody is coming to the rescue, and no one has any panacea for the most destructive and debilitating social and political crisis since the city’s return to China. Wreck and repair, rinse and repeat: that’s been the new normal for more than six months and the lid has been blown off the Pandora’s box of Hongkongers’ pent-up problems and frustrations. Hong Kong’s revolution is sliding into terrorism with home-made bombs. There will be scattered protests on weekdays while most citizens go about their daily business, occasional mass rallies to mark some anniversary or another of the hate-China / destroy-police / despise-government campaign, and regular outbreaks of violence and anarchy over weekends and public holidays.’ Let us pray that this gloomy prophecy will not be accurate and that God will miraculously end a frightening situation.

Beijing has summoned a U.S. diplomat after lawmakers in Washington approved legislation that calls for sanctions against senior Chinese officials for human rights violations linked to a crackdown on the country's Muslim minority.

The Uighur (Uyghur) Act of 2019 criticizes Beijing's "gross human rights violations" in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where about 1 million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are held in internment camps.

The measure passed 407 to 1 on December 3 and is a stronger version of the bill that cleared the Senate in September. The two documents must be reconciled into one bill for U.S. President Trump's signature, or veto.

China has defended the existence of the internment camps, which it says are used for "re-education" and has denied mistreating Uyghurs.

"We urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes, prevent the aforementioned Xinjiang-related bill from becoming law, and stop using the Xinjiang-related issue to interfere in China's internal affairs," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on December 4.

Chinese media later reported that Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang had summoned William Klein, the charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in China, to lodge "strong protests" against the bill.

"Any attempt to stir up ethnic relations in China, undermine Xinjiang's prosperity and stability, and curb China's development and progress is doomed to fail," Qin said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Beijing first denied the existence of the camps, but has since justified its policy as providing valuable vocational training and veering Muslims away from extremism.

Activists and witnesses have instead said China employs torture to forcibly assimilate Uyghurs into the region's Han majority.

Other measures include pressuring Muslims to reject their beliefs such as, giving up prayer and abstaining from eating pork and drinking alcohol.

More at: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-congress-approves-uyghur-bill-demanding-sanctions-on-china/30306948.html?ltflags=mailer

With reporting by dpa, AFP, AP, and Reuters

Pray: for all those who are being oppressed in China because of their religious beliefs.

Pray: that this proven crackdown on the Uyghur people will stop.

Pray: for broader international support for sanctions along with political intervention.

Pray: for the Christian Church in China which is facing severe persecution.

France, Germany, and Britain have voiced concern to the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the international body's Security Council resolution.

A letter the three countries circulated widely at the UN on December 4 stated that "Iran's development of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles" was inconsistent with a UN Security Council resolution that endorses a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, and which urges Tehran not to pursue activity related to such missiles.

The EU countries that drafted the letter are three of the six signatories of the nuclear agreement, along with the United States, Russia, and China.

A flight test of a medium-range missile variant in particular is mentioned in their joint letter: "The Shahab-3 booster used in the test is a Missile Technology Control Regime category-1 system and as such is technically capable of delivering a nuclear weapon."

In a tweet, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the letter "a desperate falsehood to cover up" the three European countries' "miserable incompetence" in fulfilling their commitments to the nuclear deal.

If Britain, France, and Germany "want a modicum of global credibility, they can begin by exerting sovereignty rather than bowing to US bullying," Zarif wrote.

Last year in May, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear accord that offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. However, the remaining signatories still support the pact.

Washington has since re-imposed crippling sanctions on the Iranian economy, while Tehran has gradually reduced some of its commitments under the deal.

Citing a UN Security Council resolution on Iran, the three EU countries urged Tehran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

Trump wants to force Iran to renegotiate the agreement, arguing that the terms were not tough enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and agree curbs to its ballistic-missile program.

Iran has refused, insisting that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian energy purposes.

More at: https://www.rferl.org/a/europeans-scold-iran-for-developing-nuclear-capable-projectiles/30308690.html?ltflags=mailer

With reporting by AP, Daily Journal, and Bloomberg

Pray: that Iran will stop developing its nuclear potential.

Pray: for fresh negotiations to find a workable way forward that adheres to the UN resolution.

Here are four specific ways you can pray for the church in Iran right now (courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs):

1. Pray for Christians and all Iranians affected by the economic downturn. Pray for churches and Christian ministries that are seeing expenses skyrocket.

2. Pray for the wisdom and discernment of church leaders amid the upheaval. They are praying that God will give them strategies to use the current unrest to advance His kingdom.

3. Pray that Iranians seeking peace will meet the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Pray for outreach ministries inside the country as well as broadcasting and internet ministries reaching into Iran from outside.

4. Ministry work is very dangerous right now because of heightened alertness from police, religious authorities and others. Pray for the safety and protection of Christian workers.

The Voice of the Martyrs has prepared a special report on the situation for the church in Iran right now. Click the link below to request your copy. https://www.persecution.com/iranreport/ 

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban’s ruling council agreed Sunday 29th December to a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan, providing a window in which a peace agreement with the United States can be signed, officials from the insurgent group said. They didn’t say when it would begin.

A cease-fire had been demanded by Washington before any peace agreement could be signed. A peace deal would allow the U.S. to bring home its troops from Afghanistan and end its 18-year military engagement there, America’s longest.

The White House said it would have no comment.

The U.S. wants any deal to include a promise from the Taliban that Afghanistan would not be used as a base by terrorist groups. The U.S. currently has an estimated 12,000 troops in Afghanistan.

The Taliban chief must approve the cease-fire decision but that was expected. The duration of the cease-fire was not specified but it was suggested it would last for 10 days. It was also not specified when the cease-fire would begin.

Four members of the Taliban negotiating team met for a week with the ruling council before they agreed on the brief cease-fire. The negotiating team returned Sunday to Qatar where the Taliban maintain their political office and where U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been holding peace talks with the religious militia since September, 2018.

Talks were suspended in September when both sides seemed on the verge of signing a peace pact. However, a surge in violence in the capital Kabul killed a U.S. soldier, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the deal “dead.” Talks resumed after Trump made a surprise visit to Afghanistan at the end of November announcing the Taliban were ready to talk and agree to a reduction in violence.

Khalilzad returned to Doha at the beginning of December. It was then that he proposed a temporary halt to hostilities to pave the way to an agreement being signed, according to Taliban officials.

A key pillar of the agreement, which the U.S. and Taliban have been hammering out for more than a year, is direct negotiations between Afghans on both sides of the conflict.

Those intra-Afghan talks were expected to be held within two weeks of the signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal. They will decide what a post-war Afghanistan will look like.

The first item on the agenda is expected to address how to implement a cease-fire between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s National Security Forces. The negotiations, however, were expected to be prickly and will cover a variety of thorny issues, including rights of women, free speech, and changes to the country’s constitution.

The intra-Afghan talks would also lay out the fate of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and the heavily armed militias belonging to Afghanistan’s warlords. Those warlords have amassed wealth and power since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 by the U.S.-led coalition. They were removed after Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. The Taliban had harbored bin Laden, although there was no indication they were aware of al-Qaida’s plans to attack the United States.

Last year, Afghanistan was the world’s deadliest conflict.

Reporting by Associated Press: Gannon reported from Islamabad.

More at: https://apnews.com/caa4c5aaf88e982ed0cdb4e132b0d89c

Pray: giving thanks for these renewed talks and the hope that this temporary ceasefire brings.

Pray: for grace and commitment to finding a workable, lasting accord on all sides of this complex situation.

Pray: for peace and an end to these deadly hostilities in Afghanistan.

Baadre refugee camp in Iraq houses 15,000 Yazidi refugees. The leader of Baadre children’s centre said that it was her dream that orphaned children freed from IS would find a place full of love and joy. In the 18 months since it opened there has been a huge change in the children. Their eyes now shine again, something they had lost through their terrible experiences with the IS militants. Some were born of rape, the sons and daughters of Yazidi girls and women held as sex slaves. But now they are in a mini-paradise, receiving the love they need, and learning Christian values of mutual respect, help in difficult times, comfort and encouragement.

Christians in the world’s 6th largest nation make up just 2.5% of the population. Many are poor and experience discrimination because of their faith. The struggle to survive is silencing the voices and eroding the faith of many young people. But also there are remarkable leaders emerging in the Church - strong in the Lord, intellectually bright, culturally aware. PAK7 is a new approach to strengthen and support the Church in Pakistan and her witness for Christ to 200 million countrymen, many of whom know nothing about Jesus. It empowers young Pakistani Christians in the use of media so that they have strong faith, confident voices, and a platform to explain who they are, what the Bible means to them, and the difference Jesus makes in their lives. Click the ‘More’ button to watch a short video about PAK7’s work.

Yemen has suffered a three-year civil war. Over 10,000 people have died, and three million have been displaced. Many are starving or on the verge of having nothing to eat. Malnutrition and infant mortality are becoming normal. Pray that ships, aeroplanes and trucks will be given permission to bring the abundance of food and supplies that are needed. Pray that those who seek to exploit others due to high prices will be led by God to put aside greed and help the many who are battling poverty. Pray that those who are fighting one another will put aside their differences and go to the negotiating table to work together for peace. Roads, houses, schools, factories, oil fields, and hospitals are destroyed. Pray that peace will come so that rebuilding can begin.

Tornado activity is not rare in the United States at this time of year, but the impacts and width of recent storms are notable, creating more fatalities in one day than from tornadoes in the past three Decembers combined. Pray for those who have lost homes, possessions and loved ones in parts of Louisiana ransacked with 160 mph winds. Please continue to pray for Australians living in areas under a total fire ban amid dangerous record-breaking heat and wild winds. 100 wildfires are still scorching 5.3 million acres and covering Sydney in toxic smog. In Malaysia, by 18 December over 10,000 flood victims had been evacuated and taken to 100 relief centres. Pray for the people with disabilities, the elderly and children affected by an extreme unabated monsoon season with flood waters reaching 2.5m deep. See