While persecution of Christians is most violent and pronounced in the Islamic world, other regions have also engaged in the practice.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide emphasizes, according to the Commission, that “One of the worst countries in the world for the persecution of Christians is North Korea. With the exception of four official state-controlled churches in Pyongyang, Christians in North Korea face the risk of detention in the prison camps, severe torture and, in some cases, execution for practicing their religious beliefs. North Koreans suspected of having contact with South Korean or other foreign missionaries in China, and those caught in possession of a Bible, have been known to be executed.”
North Korea’s economic sponsor, China, also engages in oppression against Christians. In May, Think Progress reported: “the provincial government of Zhejiang made public a new draft proposal calling for the removal of crosses from the tops of churches and outlining a rigid policy that would greatly restrict their display. According to the New York Times, the regulations will reduce the Christian symbol to obscurity, mandating that they only be installed on the side — not the top — of structures, be a color that blends into their surroundings, and extend no more than one-tenth the height of the building’s facade. Carsten Vala, research fellow at Purdue University’s Center on Religion and Chinese Society, told ThinkProgress that the policy appears to be the latest move in a sustained effort by local officials to reduce the visibility and influence of Christianity in Zhejiang, whose unusually large Christian presence — roughly 10 percent of the local population — has earned the city the nickname “China’s Jerusalem.” Despite heated protests, the government has forcibly removed the crosses from several churches in the province over the past year, and even tore down the 180-foot spire of state-sponsored Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou, China last May.”
The U.S. State Department notes: While most incidents involved the removal of crosses and steeples, a handful of prominent churches were demolished, including the Sanjiang Church in the city of Wenzhou that was leveled in April despite efforts by its parishioners to form human shields to protect it. Zhejiang officials stated that crosses and churches needed to be “demolished” as “illegal structures” that violated local zoning laws. Unofficial “house” church members continued to face harassment and detention. Security officials frequently interrupted outdoor services of the unregistered Shouwang Church in Beijing and detained people attending those services for several days without charge. Reports indicated the average length of these detentions increased from hours to days.
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Police, local authorities, and hired men in Vietnam ‘s Binh Duong Province began a campaign of harassment against an unregistered Mennonite group in June, according to their pastors. Church leaders reported government forces throughout the year raided Bible classes, detained and beat congregants, and harassed members of the religious community. Reports also state that hired men prevented the movement of church members, vandalized a Mennonite church, and barred followers from leaving their houses.
At the start of 2015, it was reported by Christian Solidarity Worldwide that “Violations of religious freedom are increasing in Cuba, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.The number of recorded violations has risen year on year. There were 220 recorded incidences in 2014, up from 180 the previous year, 120 in 2012, and 40 in 2011.The incidences have also become more violent, with cases of Protestant pastors being arbitrarily detained or beaten and churches being demolished…
“Religious life in Cuba is regulated by the Communist Party’s Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), which has the power to recognise certain religious groups and permit them to build new premises while denying others. But even churches that are registered, legally operating church can face intimidation. CSW’s spokesperson said members of the congregation can be threatened with losing their jobs, pastors’ children are often singled out at school, and the ORA can refuse to allow building repair work to be done. Unregistered churches can experience anything from the confiscation of property to the demolition of the church building.”