ICC Note: Christian Tiang Kwentianthong died on September 17th after his his condition had deteriorated. Mr. Tiang had been incarcerated for nine months until his release in March of 2015 due to his diabetic condition. While incarcerated, authorities denied him access to his medication progressing his ailment to dangerous levels. His crime was praying over a sick woman after he and others were asked to do so. Laos officials charged him and others with ‘practicing medicine without a license’. The situation places a spotlight on Christian persecution in Laos as the Christian population is only 2 percent compared to majority Buddhist.
10/02/2015 Laos (The Diplomat) – Human rights violations are again an issue in Laos – and a thorn in the side of a government more concerned with centrally-planned economic policies – following the death 61-year-old Tiang Kwentianthong.
Tiang was originally arrested for praying for a sick woman without government approval. Reports say he was denied medicine for diabetes. He was jailed nine months ago, released in March after his condition had deteriorated substantially, and died on September 17.
His death comes almost three years after the disappearance of well-known agriculturalist and rural reformer Sombath Somphone, who has not been seen since December 15, 2012. CCTV footage obtained by his relatives showed him being bundled into a police car.
