Story number 1 for 27 May 2002

(Vietnam)–Our newscast begins today with word that Vietnam is cracking down on the Hmong Christians. Far East Broadcasting Company’s president, Jim Bowman, says they’ve been trying to encourage the struggling church there since the word got out in the mid 1990’s about the persecution. “It really saddens and surprises us that, here in the year 2002, it’s the worst it’s ever been. So, in spite of the best foot forward that the Vietnamese government puts with regard to human rights, the fact is that the Hmong are being horribly persecuted, both in Vietnam and in Laos.” Bowman says the value believers place on FEBC’s outreach comes through clearly in their correspondence. “The common request of Hmong who write us, who are being persecuted is: ‘Don’t give up the broadcast, because many of us begin to lose our faith, we begin to doubt our faith, especially when we’re persecuted; we want to stay strong. So, keep those broadcasts coming.'”