A Christian pastor in Laos has recounted his arrest, imprisonment without trial, how he was beaten almost to death – and told to sign a document renouncing his religion. He refused, preferring to remain in jail rather than give up his faith. Christians are regarded with suspicion and treated with brutality.

Pastor K was arrested for bringing “foreign religions” to Laos, a largely Buddhist country. “They asked me to sign a piece of paper that said that I would not be a Christian because Christians are not good and not right for the Lao people. I didn't sign it because of my faith.” Instead, he shared his faith with the other prisoners in the cell. Five of the eight became Christians. When the guards found out, they beat him almost to death.

“After I shared Christ they took me to interrogate one more time. They said I was paying money to people to become Christians and be against the government. I said, “No, I didn't do that. It is not against the government.” And they hit my head, they kicked my shoulder, my bottom and my chest.’ He says the guards beat him until he passed out and almost died. Today his memory has been permanently affected by the kicking to the head he received.

Laos is one of the world’s few remaining communist nations. It embraced communism when its North Vietnamese neighbor defeated America to unite the country under the hammer and sickle. Like Vietnam, the authorities believe the United States is supporting Christians as a way of continuing its campaign against communism. This leads the authorities to view some Christians as enemies of the state.