Asia/Pacific

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with reporting from China BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- One of China's prominent law firms, known for defending house churches and other human rights cases, was weighing its legal options Monday, March 9, after it was forced to shut down for six months for "illegally" hiring a Christian attorney.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- A well-known house church pastor in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region remained behind bars Monday, March 9, despite a court ruling saying there was "insufficient evidence" to hold him, Christians said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING/WASHINGTON (BosNewsLife)-- Sixteen members of the United States Congress have urged U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss human rights with her Chinese counterpart, amid fresh reports that Chinese house church Christians and pro-democracy activists were harassed during her recent visit to China.

By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan SINGOWALI, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- One person was killed and at over a dozen injured when Muslim militants opened fire on Christian worshipers during a prayer service of a Presbyterian Church in Pakistan's Punjab province, Christian rights investigators and police confirmed Friday, March 6.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Muslim man in Pakistan kidnapped, raped and forced a 13-year-old girl to convert to Islam and marry him at gunpoint, the latest in "growing trend" of attacks against Christian women in the country and other Islamic nations, Christian rights investigators told BosNewsLife Thursday, March 5.

By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan SAHIWAL, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- An impoverished father of a young Christian woman was still knocking at the doors of Pakistan's justice system Sunday, March 1, a year after his daughter was kidnapped by Muslim gunmen who apparently tried to "convert" her to Islam.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife HANOI, VIETNAM (BosNewsLife)-- Degar Montagnard Christians and other believers in several areas of Vietnam's Central Highlands faced another day of persecution Friday, February 27, after at least one Christian peasant was hacked to death by security forces and an angry mob, missionary workers and a key official told BosNewsLife.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese authorities have released the last four house church leaders who were among dozens of evangelical officials detained in Central China this month, an advocacy group told BosNewsLife Tuesday, February 24.

By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- There was concern Tuesday, February 24, over reports of new Muslim violence against Pakistani Christians, which included a murder, rape, and kidnappings of Christians in Pakistan's Punjab province and other areas, sometimes with support from authorities, local residents and rights investigators said.

By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- The Christian head of a hostel and two Christian students from a nearby medical college in Pakistan's Punjab province have been expelled after Islamic extremists wanted to kill them on "false" charges of "desecrating the Koran", seen as a holy book by Muslims, Christian leaders told BosNewsLife Sunday, February 22.