Baptist Press (US): USCIRF urges action on Kazakhstan, Burma – Elizabeth Wood

Filed under: News, International The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the federal government to promote democracy, human rights and religious freedom for people in Kazakhstan and Burma. Amendments approved in 2005 to Kazakhstan laws require religious organizations to register under the regional and national Ministry of Justice offices. USCIRF is concerned a recent draft law that is advancing in the Kazakh parliament will restrict religious communities. Burmese citizens continue to suffer more than a year after their repressive military junta used violence to crack down on peaceful protests over the government’s drastic increase in fuel prices. Thousands of Buddhist monks joined those demonstrations. The military put an end to the protests in late September 2007 by killing, beating and... [read full story]