© 1999 VNN
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WORLD September 9, 1999 VNN4688 Comment on this story China Said Prohibitive On Religion FROM AP USA, Sep 9 (VNN) — Thursday September 9, 1999 2:00 am WASHINGTON (AP) - Chinese citizens can face harassment or prolonged detention in labor camps if they practice religion outside officially sponsored churches, the State Department says in a new report on religious persecution around the world. The report also cites credible reports of incidents of abuses of Buddhist monks and nuns in China, including Tibet. China is one of 194 countries or territories examined in the report - the first of what will be an annual series on religious freedom. The study was made available Wednesday to members of Congress and will be released to news organizations Thursday. Brief excerpts from the report were made available to The Associated Press by a government official. President Clinton is expected to meet in the coming days with Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the Asia-Pacific summit meeting in Aukland, New Zealand. Officials have been speculating privately that the comments on China in the report could be an agenda item for Jiang at the meeting. Other highlights in the report: --In Saudi Arabia, there were instances of arbitrary detention of members of the Shia sect, a minority Islamic grouping. Non-Muslims are required to worship privately. --In Sudan, the ongoing civil war provided the basis for severe persecution of Christians and of Muslims who deviate from officially approved practices. --In Serbia, hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Kosovo province were killed or forced from their homes by the country's security forces, dominated by Orthodox Christians. --In Burma, security forces destroyed or looted churches and mosques, mostly in areas where anti-government rebels are active. The report will be used by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as a basis for possible punitive actions against countries deemed the most serious violators of religious freedom rights that are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The penalties can range from a diplomatic note at one extreme to economic sanctions on the other. According to the official, many of the worst offenders - Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan - already are under U.S. sanctions. Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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