Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Important Takeaways:
- Pastor and Dad of 8 Reportedly Tortured, Murdered For Sharing His Christian Faith in Laos
- Locals discovered Pastor Seetoud’s body last month after he failed to show up for an Oct. 20 meeting with fellow believers, according to Morning Star News.
- The preacher — a husband, and father of eight children — was heading to the meeting, 62 miles away from his village, on his motorbike. After he failed to arrive, at least 20 people came together to search for him around a nearby mountain and at a local hospital.
- Provincial police reportedly believe he was tortured before his death and was “severely disfigured,” with speculation brewing those responsible were officials at the local level where Pastor Seetoud lived.
- Laos is one of the worst nations in the world for Christians, ranking 26th on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List
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VIENTIANE (Reuters) – A $6 billion high-speed rail line connecting China with its Southeast Asian neighbor Laos opened on Friday, a milestone in Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure plans.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith attended a virtual ceremony to mark the maiden voyages on the line, which stretches from the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming to the Laotian capital Vientiane.
China, which holds a 70% stake in the joint venture project signed in 2015, hopes the 1,000-km (621.37-mile) line will eventually expand through Thailand and Malaysia to Singapore.
In a video meeting between the two leaders earlier on Friday, Xi said the countries stood at “a new historical starting point”.
“China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Laos, promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and continue to build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future,” he said in comments published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Economists have warned that the rail project could make it difficult for communist Laos, one of Asia’s poorest nations, to repay external debt, much of it owed to China.
Laos state news agency KPL said on Thursday the project was part of the government’s strategy to convert Laos “from a landlocked country to a land-linked one”.
(Reporting by Phoonsab Thevongsa and Ella Cao; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
