VIETNAM  -  NEW LAW TO BE ENFORCED

The Vietnamese government has issued a new law to go into effect on November 15th, that would force the closure of all “house churches.”
The government will require Christian worship only in the “government approved” church and will not allow ordination outside of their approval. Christian leaders in Vietnam have asked believers around the world to join them in three days of fasting and prayer about this situation.
The dates that our brothers and sisters in Vietnam have set aside for prayer and fasting are September 5th - 7th.

Pray the meetings that Christians have set with government leaders will be effective in changing this restrictive law.
Pray millions of people worldwide, full of faith and power, will join in prayer and fasting with these believers.
Pray many communist officials will begin to ask, “Who art Thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:5).
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TRIAL EXPECTED SOON FOR CHRISTIAN ACTIVIST IN VIETNAM

Reliable sources in Vietnam say that authorities are working to put activist pastor Nguyen Hong Quang on trial ”as soon as possible.” A court decision to prosecute is expected by early next month.
Based on previous human rights cases, Christians are concerned that Vietnamese authorities will upgrade the charge on Quang to ”possessing and distributing materials harmful to the state,” a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Quang was arrested on June 8 and originally charged with ”inciting others to interfere with officers doing their official duty.” Quang compiled evidence on numerous human rights infractions by state officials. Five other workers from the Vietnam Mennonite Church, of which Quang is the general secretary, are also incarcerated on related charges, some having been held since March 2.
At the time of Quang’s arrest, authorities seized all of the documents and files belonging to the Mennonite Church. They also removed many files that Quang and his colleagues had compiled that expose official corruption, religious liberty violations and other human rights abuses.
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CAMBODIAN AUTHORITIES SELL MONTAGNARD REFUGEES FOR BOUNTIES

Vietnamese authorities, with the help of Cambodian officials, are hunting down Montagnard refugees in an effort to prevent word of human rights abuses from reaching the outside world.
Ksor Krok, half brother of Kok Ksor, president of the Montagnard Foundation, was arrested by Cambodian police in the area of Ban Lung in Rattanakiri province, northern Cambodia and sold to Vietnam on July 20. He was then taken to the prison facility in Pleiku, Vietnam, where he was tortured.

A Cambodian source who asked to remain anonymous advised the Montagnard Foundation that Vietnamese authorities offered him a reward of US$500 to return Ksor Ni, another brother of Kok Ksor, to Vietnamese authorities.
Ksor Ni, speaking via videotape, said that his mother was beaten and shocked with stun guns by police for participating in this year’s Easter prayer vigil when tens of thousands of Christian Montagnards conducted peaceful demonstrations inside Vietnam. They were calling for an end to years of persecution by the communist government.
Vietnamese government security forces brutally attacked the demonstrators, and Human Rights Watch reported that ”hundreds of demonstrators were wounded and many were killed.”
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PRESIDENT EMOMALI SHARIPOVICH RAHMONOV  -  TAJIKISTAN

Emomali Rahmonov, a former cotton farm boss, was elected chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan in 1992 after the country’s first post-Soviet leader, Rahmon Nabiyev, was forced to resign.
Mr Rahmonov was instrumental in the pro-Communist effort to remove Islamist rebels from Dushanbe. He led troops from southern Kulob District and supported the intervention of forces from other former Soviet republics. After years of civil war and violence, some stability has returned to Tajikistan.

Mr Rahmonov was elected president in 1994 and re-elected in 1999 when his term was extended to seven years.
In June 2003 the people of Tajikistan voted in a constitutional referendum in favour of allowing him to run for a further two consecutive seven-year terms when his current one ends in 2006. The authorities put turnout at over 96 per cent and the vote in favour at about 93 per cent. There were only a couple of dozen international observers to monitor the referendum at all 2,800 polling stations.

Prime Minister: Oqil Ghaybulloyevich Oqilov
Foreign Minister: Talbak Nazarov
Interior Minister: Khumdin Sharipov
Finance Minister: Safarali Maqsuddinovich Najmuddinov
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CHENNAI, CAPITAL OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of the great state Tamil Nadu and is one of the four metropolitan city in India. This 350 year old city grew up under the huge influence of an English settlement of Fort Saint George and with time absorbed the surrounding towns and villages. However, despite having a British influence, Chennai has been successful in retaining its traditional Tamil Hindu culture and have been able to provide a unique blend of foreign influence and Indian culture.
The city is widely spread in about 180 Sq. Kms. and is one of the major trade centers of India, being well linked by road, rail and air to important cities besides being a sea port. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted and also boast of the 100% literacy rate. Chennai, is a journey into timeless India, a kaleidoscope of sorts. Rich in the treasures of history, from temples and shrines to forts and palaces, here past is able to live easily with the present.
From being a small fisherman's village in 1639 to becoming one of the most enormous and beautiful city in India Chennai has definitely come a long way from where it stood. Chennai is also host to some cultural theatres that showcase various India traditional dances and plays on regular basis. Chennai like its counterpart Mumbai is the centre of the film industry of south India. Large number of hoardings and billboards displaying latest movie releases surround the city.

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