WE OFTEN HAVE A CHANCE, IN

HISTORY, TO LOOK BACK AND WONDER

WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE, PLACED
IN THE SAME SITUATION; GIVEN
SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
It is easy to look back at those who risked their own lives
to smuggle Jews out of Nazi Germany and imagine
ourselves doing the same thing. But would we?

I ALWAYS WONDERED HOW SO

MANY PEOPLE COULD SIMPLY
LOOK THE OTHER WAY.
I wonder now, how many will wonder that very thing of us.
How can we look the other way with so many atrocities
before us? I would like to share this quote with you from
"The American Patriots' Almanac":
"A few days before South Vietnam surrendered to the Viet
Cong, Communist Khmer Rouge moved in on the
Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. As US officials fled
Cambodia the US Ambassador asked Prince Sirik Matak if he
would like to leave. Matak's response is difficult for
Americans to read:
'I thank you very sincerely for your offer to transport me
and Vietnam are experiencing the same thing. Both groups
towards freedom. I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly
are fleeing their own countries and settling in refugee camps
fashion. As for you, and in particular for your great country,
in Thailand because of their government’s brutality against
I never believed for a moment that you would have this
them. We have a duty and responsibility. I pray our country
sentiment of abandoning a people which has chosen liberty.
will not continue to turn its back on those who have chosen
You have refused us your protection and we can do nothing
freedom, on those who have believed in us.
about it. You leave, and my wish is that your country will
find happiness under this sky. But, mark it well, that if I shall You may have heard about Senator Jim Webb’s recent visit to
die here, on the spot and in my country that I love, it is no military junta governments in Southeast Asia. His visit was
matter, because we are all born and must die. I have only touted in much of the media as a great triumph as the US was
committed this mistake of believing in you.' able to hold talks with these governments. What we haven’t
heard is what these governments did prior to the visits.The
When the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh, they shot Matak
regime in Laos is a communist military junta that allies itself
in the stomach and it took him three days to die. During the
with North Korea and Myanmar. In June and July of 2009,
Khmer Rouge's four year reign of terror, some 1.5 million
this regime held official state-sponsored rallies and meetings
people died from execution, starvation, and forced labor."
in support of North Korea and donated Laotian elephants to
I believe we are being given our opportunity to choose. We North Korea in support of its nuclear weapons program. In
can choose to look the other direction or we can choose to apparent preparations for the visit of Senator Webb the
fight for what is right. In Myanmar the Karen are being government soldiers have launched at least four major attacks
slaughtered by their own government. The Hmong in Laos on Laotian and Hmong civilians, and religious and political
 AS I WRITE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO
KNOW EVEN IF SUCH
DISTURBING, GRAPHIC
MATERIAL SHOULD BE
INCLUDED. Yet, I realized as I prayed, these are the
atrocities these people face constantly. They live in fear
because they have seen things happen to their families that
are straight from the pit of hell. We don’t want to hear these
things because they disturb us, the thoughts stay with us. Yet,
I realized this is exactly what needs to happen. We need to be
disturbed enough to do something on their behalf! We need
to hear and understand so we can “pray for those who are
suffering as if we ourselves were suffering” as it commands us
to do in Hebrews.
I believe as people realize what is going on, as they hear
about the atrocities, they will move to do something on
dissidents. These behalf of those who do not have a voice. The attacks against
attacks began July 26, these people continue, not only outright attacks, but the
and have continued government, like its ally North Korea, is using food as a
until the most recent weapon to starve and kill civilians, Christians, and opposition
reported attacks on groups.
August 13, 2009.
VISION BEYOND BORDERS IS
These attacks have
been documented by
WORKING TO HELP THE
Amnesty International REFUGEES. We are working with ministries in
and many independent Thailand to help the Hmong as well as the Karen refugees
human rights and who are fleeing the government in Burma. The newsletter last
humanitarian month talked about the Karen refugees and the atrocities they
organizations. Many are facing. On my trip to Southeast Asia in August we were
Lao Hmong children able to give clothing and supplies for these camps. We also
were brutally mutilated had an opportunity to receive some of the testimonies of
and kidnapped during those in the camps. This is an excerpt from a report sent by
the recent attacks. the ministry we are working with:
Direct sources from
“A number of trips were made to the Internally Displaced
Laos report that over
Peoples and the Refugees in the past two months. In one
150 soldiers have
camp after only a second visit, the people look so much
surrounded and
happier. Many accepted Christ on our first trip, and Karen
attacked Lao Hmong
Bibles were delivered to them. We helped them to build a
civilians in the Phoua
small bamboo church so they can come together to worship,
Bia mountain area of
and their lives have changed. These are people who still live
Laos alone killing 26 and leaving at least 4 wounded. They
in threat of the Burmese Army possibly attacking their
were unarmed Laotian and Hmong women and children as
villages. Many of the men are soldiers fighting to defend their
well as Christian believers.
families. The stress is terrible, and yet they are finding peace
During the attacks the Lao government also captured eight in Christ.
young Lao Hmong children. These children, who were
captured and separated from their parents by the recent THE BURMESE ARMY
attacks, range in age from 2 months to 8 years old. The CONTINUES TO SLAUGHTER THE
whereabouts of these children are unknown and they will
likely be tortured and killed.
KAREN PEOPLE AND MAKE
A Lao Hmong girl, only two months old, was found with her
GREAT ADVANCES IN THIS
head shot off her body and laying next to her mother who GENOCIDE. A 33 year-old soldier who is married
had also been tortured and killed by Lao soldiers during the with one child said, "I am very afraid to protect families.
attack. Survivors told how the soldiers had used the baby, When the Burmese Army comes, they can kidnap you and
while she was still alive, for target practice. She was captured make you become a porter to carry food or bullets or become
and tied up and they mutilated her body and fired their a mine-sweeper (usually resulting in death). We cannot work
weapons over and over into her until her head came off in the fields to get food, because we have to stay close to the
because so many bullets severed her head from her body. village. We work today to eat today. We cannot plan ahead.
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My uncle was captured by the Burmese Army and they

forced him to make five baskets. He did everything they
asked him and made the baskets. Then the Burmese Army
told him he had to become a porter for them, but he said,
'No'. They shot him dead on the spot."
Vision Beyond Borders is raising money to send a container to
the refugees. They have suffered greatly at the hands of brutal
military dictatorships. We continue to ask for your help—
please be their voice. Contact your Senators and
Representatives. Ask them to contact us if they need more
information. Cry out on their behalf, they are voiceless, but we
can give them our voice! Please continue to pray for them as
well. Pray they will continue to come to know Jesus as their
Lord and Savior and pray they will remain strong. We are
encouraged by the reports of many coming to Jesus. As they
put their Hope is in Jesus Christ it cannot be taken from them!
It is our desire that they all may know this source of hope!

Vision Beyond Borders is raising money to send a container

to the refugees.They have suffered greatly at the hands of
brutal military dictatorships. We continue to ask for your
help -- please be their voice.