The US Senate has passed a Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (see ) that aims to protect the human rights and autonomy and freedoms of Hong Kong. This bill sends a message of hope to many pro-democracy protesters. China warned it could take ‘firm counter-measures’ if Washington continues to show support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters. We need to pray that more nations in the free world will also send a clear message to Beijing that they stand with Hong Kong in their struggle for democracy. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s first election since the protests began saw a turnout of 71% as people stood up to defend their freedoms against an increasingly aggressive Beijing. Their votes resulted in seventeen of the eighteen district councils now being controlled by pro-democracy councillors. However, China’s state media outlets are either making no reference at all to election results or claiming ‘tampering’ had taken place.

In 2018 Rami Kamil, a prominent human rights activist, joined a UN fact-finding visit to investigate the situation of members of the Coptic community who had been displaced from their homes following sectarian incidents. On 23 November he was arrested: the police refused to allow him to change his clothes, carry his medications, or speak to a lawyer. They confiscated his laptop, mobile phone, camera, and books, and took him to an unknown location, where he underwent intensive physical and psychological interrogation. He later appeared before the state security prosecution without legal representation, and was given fifteen days’ pre-trial detention. He was accused of joining a terrorist organisation, receiving foreign funding, disturbing public order, inciting the public against the state, and using social media to provoke tensions between Muslims and Christians.

Many geopolitical media watchers and prayer warriors believe the growing wave of anti-government protests ravaging the streets of Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia hasn’t been seen since the old Cold War, which is why the increase in protests and tensions might be called Cold War 2.0 in Latin America. This time, at least as yet, there aren’t armed proxy groups in play but Moscow has weaponised social unrest to sabotage Western power in the region. Earlier this decade we saw similar issues on Russia’s strategic periphery, notably in Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 Maidan protests and the 2005 Orange Revolution. These protesters aren’t necessarily armed Marxists, but anti-government and armed with anti-US rhetoric. Much the same approach is evident in Moscow’s support for Nicholas Maduro’s failing regime in Venezuela, with the help of Cuban operatives. Russia has become increasingly adept at using social media to disperse disinformation on the Internet.

Most opposition to religious freedom is opposition to the knowledge of the truth. Laws to prevent Christian schools teaching Christianity compromise a mission field. Laws that claim to ban ‘LGBT conversion therapy’ are more likely laws that ban parts of the Bible, key aspects of the Christian gospel, and a parent’s right to raise their gender-dysphoric child to affirm their biological sex. These laws are a serious attack on Christianity and the Christian home - another mission field. When employees cannot hold down their job whilst discussing beliefs grounded in God’s truth at work, another evangelistic option is lost. When people are losing professional accreditations, getting drummed out of universities, disciplined at work, and generally facing the prospect that the godly life is no longer a life of peace. We need to remember Paul’s call to ‘pray for our leaders’. The content of that prayer is that the godly life might be a life of peace.