PM urged to raise religious freedom in China

THE charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has called on the Prime Minister to bring up the issue of freedom of religion and belief with the Chinese government during her three-day visit to the country, which began on Tuesday. It has also urged Mrs May to raise the UK’s concerns about human-rights violations in China during the visit, which mostly concerned concern trade and economics. CSW’s chief executive, Mervyn Thomas, said that expanding trade “should not come at the expense of raising concerns about rule of law and human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief”. Mr Thomas said that 2018 has brought “the demolition of places of worship and the detention of religious followers in China. . . The reality is that the focus is on the control of religious life, rather than the protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief.” The government has said that it prioritises the protection of freedom of religion and belief (News, 15 December).

UN troops accused of failing to protect Muslims

A ROMAN Catholic cleric in the Central African Republic (CAR) has accused United Nations peacekeeping troops of failing to protect vulnerable Muslims in an Internally Displaced Persons’ camp, amid growing violence in the country. The priest, Fr Yovane Cox, told Aid to the Church in Need that UN peacekeepers had not taken steps to safeguard nearly 1000 displaced Muslims from attacks at Bangassou Cathedral’s camp, despite being informed of threats to their safety. Fr Cox, who is in hiding for his safety, said that the “situation is quite critical because this attack had already been foretold, and yet the UN forces in charge of security here paid no attention to what people told them. “It seems almost as though they want to see a massacre here in the cathedral, and in the area where the Muslims are being sheltered.” More than 688,000 people have been left internally displaced in the CAR due to violence, Médecins Sans Frontières says.