There are already clear signs that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is leveraging the Covid-19 crisis to increase repression and cultural destruction in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Christianity is also in its sights and it’s highly likely that under-ground/house churches will be the key focus of a fresh round of repression that will take advantage of the blanket ban on all worship that was enacted in February as China was locked down.

On May 1, controversial new regulations on “ethnic unity” came into effect in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The “Regulations on the Establishment of a Model Area for Ethnic Unity and Progress in the Tibet Autonomous Region” were adopted by the TAR’s People’s Congress on Jan. 11. The TAR spans about half of traditional Tibet, a historically independent country that China has brutally occupied for more than 60 years.

“The regulations explicitly depart from the principle of ‘preferential treatment’ for Tibetans, which was supposed to guarantee that Tibetans could maintain their culture and traditional way of life in their own homeland,” the International Campaign for Tibet noted.

Human rights activists are condemning an Islamic missionary group for trying to convert non-Muslims while distributing rations amid Pakistan’s corona-virus lockdown. A cleric of Ma-dani Channel broke the news of one conversion at the Faizan-e-Madina head office of Dawat-e-Islami in Karachi. A clip shared on Facebook has been viewed more than 500 times.

“Here is good news for you. I just received a message from Faizan-e-Madina where a welfare program is being run. Moments ago a non-Muslim came for rations. They become Muslims after reciting Kalma [the Islamic proclamation of faith],” he said.

“He was named Muhammad Ramzan. He already had sehri [pre-dawn meal in Ramadan] and will observe his first fast. We are trying to make worshipers while delivering food and knowledge of faith at home. Remember us in your donations.”

Minority activists slammed the news. Catholic professor Anjum James Paul, chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association, requested Dawat-e-Islami to stop using food for religious conversion.

Christian nurses and doctors in Bangladesh are vowing to continue their battle against the Covid-19 pandemic on the front line as they mark International Nurses Day on May 12.

Clara Biswas, 34, is a Catholic and senior nurse who has worked in private and government hospitals for 11 years. She now works at a state-run hospital in capital Dhaka that treats both Covid-19 and other patients despite various challenges.

“I have not worked in such a situation in my life. This is a very risky time for us and other medical personnel, though all medical staff are using personal protective equipment (PPE) for safety,” Biswas told UCA News.

In addition to the fear of infection, the wearing of PPE for more than eight hours is tough as it gets hot and she feels sick, while the hospital does not allow them to use a common toilet and provides no food, she noted.

Joyanta Mrong, 32, is an ethnic Garo Catholic who works at state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He is aware that his wife and son face risks because of his job.

“I know how to handle myself, but they are not medical persons, so I’m afraid for them,” Mrong told UCA News.

There are 2,500 nurses and 170 doctors from the Christian community actively fighting the deadly virus in Bangladesh, according to church officials.

Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka has made an appeal to Bangladeshi Catholics to engage more in prayers to seek God’s intervention and to donate charitably to support poor and needy people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He urged all Catholics of Dhaka Archdiocese to observe special “prayers, fasting and acts of mercy” on May 14 in line with Pope Francis’ call. “I praise the Lord and thank you all for your strong faith, love and hope as Christian faithful during this grave crisis. We can win this test of faith one day by placing our trust in God,” Card. D’Rozario said in a pastoral letter circulated on May 7. On May 14, all priests in the archdiocese will participate in a special prayer and recollection to be united with the faithful spiritually, he said.

Catholic and Buddhist leaders teamed up in southern Vietnam to promote religious values as they met for Buddhism’s Vesak festival.

Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh of Hue, who led a nine-member delegation from Hue Archdiocese, paid an official visit to the Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee based in Thua Thien Hue on May 6.

The delegates were warmly welcomed by Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh, head of the local executive committee, and eight other Buddhist dignitaries.

Archbishop Linh offered congratulations and good wishes to the hosts and Buddhists celebrating the Vesak festival, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Lord Buddha.

The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam said Buddhism is a large religion and has deep and great influence on the world, so the United Nations yearly holds the Vesak festival. Vietnam has hosted the UN Day of Vesak three times, in 2008, 2014 and 2019.

Archbishop Linh said traditional Buddhist teaching highlights humanity and sacrifice and leads people to find happiness. “This is a meeting place between Buddhism and other religions, especially Christianity,” he noted.

The prelate also expected to foster community solidarity between local Catholics and Buddhist followers.

He expressed high hopes that “this frank meeting today will serve as a first step to fulfill the dream of promoting solidarity between the two religions.”

Communist authorities in territory covered by the Anhui Diocese removed crosses from the top of two church buildings, sources told ucanews.com April 27. The sources said they fear more such actions.

Authorities removed the cross of Our Lady of the Rosary Church April 18, said a man ucanews.com identified only as “John, a source in the diocese.”

He said the parish was registered with the government, but had no priests or nuns to lead its religious activities. Lay parishioners managed parish religious programs.

Five days before the incident, John told ucanews.com, parish leaders approached local authorities about repairing the building, but officials said the plan was to remove the crosses of both Catholic and Protestant churches in the area.

On April 16, a local government official asked parishioners for the keys to the church. “They wanted to enter the church and remove the cross,” John said.

The local official told the parishioners that officials were acting on the “directions from superiors.” However, no documents were produced to prove the claim.

The parishioners reported the developments to Bishop Liu Xinhong of Anhui. He directed them to go to the local office of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and ask for details, but local officials of the association denied having information on the matter.

In another incident in Anhui Diocese April 19, a cross was removed from a church in Suzhou City around 4 a.m., said a parishioner identified only as Paul. The cross was originally scheduled to be removed in the afternoon.

Catholic churches in South Korea have resumed community prayers, maintaining strict precautions of social distancing as they gathered for worship after a gap of two months.

With Cheongju and Jeonju dioceses resuming public services on April 28, at least 12 of the 16 dioceses in the country have resumed public worship, which was stopped around Ash Wednesday on Feb. 26 as a way to check the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Religious activities resumed as social and economic life gathered steam after authorities lifted restrictions on public meetings on April 26 following a drop in virus infections.

Seoul Archdiocese was among the first to resume Masses on April 23 and conducted Sun-day Mass on April 26, but it insisted on registration of worshipers to restrict their numbers.

Church and civil authorities have asked people to wear masks and keep social distancing norms within churches as a precaution.

“I’m very happy to celebrate Mass with you beloved people after missing Masses for two months, including Easter Mass,” said Auxiliary Bishop Benedict Son Heesong, the vicar general of Seoul. “We cannot sing hymns [for fear of spreading the virus through droplets] and we have to restrict numbers.”

President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar has joined the call of the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres and Pope Francis, for a global cease-fire to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement released in Yangon on 22 April 2020 Cardinal Bo addressed the situation in his own country, Myanmar, and called for an end to hostilities worldwide.

“Without cessation of fighting everywhere,” he says, “the suffering of many will be prolonged the world over and healing delayed indefinitely.”

“The whole planet is in crisis. Every initiative now taken by our leaders will shape our nation and our world for years to come. The pandemic’s consequences are catastrophic for public health and for social and economic life,” the cardinal warned.

Making a passionate appeal to the nation’s leaders the cardinal said, “If we truly wish Myanmar to emerge a united, peaceful, prosperous people, now is the time for speedy, aggressive, respectful decision. Now is the time for wise, coherent, future oriented action. This is no time to escalate conflict.”

“I am convinced that continued military operations, precisely when the whole nation is suffering a crisis, will have catastrophic consequences for our nation,” the cardinal mourned.

The cardinal who is also archbishop of Yangon exhorted Myanmar leaders, “Now is the time for decisions that will build Myanmar as a united, peaceful, prosperous nation and member of the family of nations. Conflict makes Myanmar especially vulnerable.”