China: Police, politics and human rights
15 Jul 2015
There was widespread detention of human rights lawyers last weekend after more than 100
lawyers across the mainland issued a joint statement protesting against the disappearance
of crusading lawyer Wang Yu. Mainland police detained lawyers and law firm staff and
searched some of their homes and offices. Three human rights groups say that other people
have disappeared. Across 15 cities 57 people were taken away, summoned or detained by
police. One of them, Guangzhou-based lawyer Sui Muqing, was placed under ‘residential
surveillance at a designated location’ - a form of detention - for alleged ‘incitement to
subvert state power’ according to a police document given to his family. Some have since
been released but were warned by police to refrain from publicly voicing their support
for Wang Yu. Since lawyers started openly identifying with human rights causes and
coordinating their advocacy campaigns, they have become the closest thing China has to a
political opposition.
Yemen: UN cease-fire fails to take hold
15 Jul 2015
A cease-fire brokered by the United Nations that was to allow the delivery of relief supplies failed to
materialise in Yemen on Saturday, as a Saudi-led military coalition carried out
airstrikes and fighting continued between the Houthi rebels and rival militias in several
cities. Many are saying the international community urgently needs to revisit its posture
on Yemen’s war and put pressure on all parties to end the conflict and address the
humanitarian catastrophe. The UN has designated Yemen a level-three humanitarian crisis,
the highest level in the UN's ranking system. 21 out of 25 million Yemenis are in urgent
need of humanitarian assistance, of which 20 million need immediate access to water and
hygiene and 13 million need food. Relief workers report the situation is deteriorating
rapidly. They cannot get sufficient aid into the country to stop the downward spiral.
Yemeni children are at particular risk. See also: http://www.al-
monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/yemen-houthi-saleh-saudi-arabia-humanitarian-
relief.html
Canada: Church’s pastor missing in North Korea
15 Jul 2015
The Light Presbyterian Church continue praying for their founding pastor, detained in
North Korea since early March. Despite the lack of information, they remain hopeful that
God will bring Revd. Hyeon Soo Lim home. A member of the church said, ‘This is taking
longer than we would like, but we remind ourselves that God’s will trumps our desires, He
hears our prayers and He is good.’ Lim disappeared while visiting humanitarian facilities
in North Korea. Under his leadership, the missions-centred church regularly sends small
teams to oversee agricultural projects, food factories, schools, orphanages, and a
nursing home they founded. Those who know Lim well, say he has a long-term vision and
wouldn’t have risked the opportunities they have in North Korea by overtly sharing the
gospel. When they pray many members feel that God has a purpose, - God will use him to
work in the hearts of the people who are around him and bring him home in His timing.
When a Nigerian pastor learned that his daughter, kidnapped by Boko Haram, refused to
convert to Islam he said, ‘To die for the sake of Christ, that's the happiest thing for
me. I'm grateful that she didn't change her religion. She trusted in God’. He was told
that the terrorists dug a hole, buried her up to her neck, and stoned her to death. His
wife added, ‘I believe she died with dignity. Monica is now in heaven because she
refused to convert.’ The widow of one of the 21 Egyptian Christians beheaded by IS last
February has made a similar statement, testifying that she ‘was very proud’ her husband
‘stood firm in his faith and that he didn't deny Jesus.’ Many believe that Christians in
the West will face increasing persecution in coming years. In January Britain's security
chief warned that al-Qaeda is planning ‘mass casualty attacks against the West.’
While the US and world powers voice optimism about the historic nuclear deal with Iran
that was signed in Vienna, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is furious that the
world is giving in, warning of a major global threat. Israel’s PM believes the P5+1
Powers have completely capitulated to Iranian demands, while Iran touts its hatred for
Israel and support for global terror. ‘Many concessions were given to Iran on issues that
had been marked as red lines in the Lausanne package’. See also
http://unitedwithisrael.org/netanyahu-warns-that-world-is-caving-to-iranian-demands/
More than 3,000 police officers were on duty at Orange Order parades across Northern
Ireland on Monday. Nearly half of them were members of public order units, commonly
referred to as riot police, and deployed to combat violence. The greatest concentration
was in Belfast (1,800 officers). The Orange lodges and accompanying bands were returning
from parades across Belfast to commemorate the victory of the Protestant King William III
at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Then trouble erupted at 19:30 and escalated after a
car struck several pedestrians. Nine police officers were hurt and a 16-year-old girl was
struck by an out-of-control car at Belfast parade flashpoints. The violence followed a
day of largely peaceful 12 July loyal order parades. First Minister Peter Robinson said,
‘It is vital that those involved in such riotous activity cease and are held accountable.
They do a massive disservice to the wider cause they claim to support.’
SAS - Welsh hike 'should have ended sooner'
15 Jul 2015
An SAS selection march in which three reservists died should have been called off hours
before the first man was found, a coroner said on Tuesday. L/Cpl Craig Roberts died of
multiple organ failure as a result of hyperthermia during a Brecon Beacons march on one
of 2013's hottest days. L/Cpl Edward Maher and Cpl James Dunsby also collapsed and later
died from the effects of overheating. The Brecon Beacons has been used by the military
since Roman times but an inquest heard that the medical plan for the march was not good
enough, water supplies were insufficient and the risk assessment did not identify the
correct hospital for treatment. The inquest heard, ‘if organisers strictly followed the
Ministry of Defence's code of practice the march would have been cancelled.’
Royal Army Chaplains
15 Jul 2015
For centuries the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department has ministered to soldiers and their
families in times of war and peace. Chaplains provide spiritual support, pastoral care
and moral guidance to all, irrespective of religion or belief. They are professionally
qualified officers who have been ordained in one of the recognised sending Churches and
have been selected to hold a commission in the Army. They wear the uniforms of the
British Army and accompany their soldiers wherever they go; exercising leadership and
management they are non-combatants and do not bear arms. Regular chaplaincy assignments
to units generally last between two and three years. Over time this enables chaplains to
experience ministry in a wide variety of settings. (See also SAS article)