Baptist Agencies Confirm Safety of Missionaries Amid Thailand Coup

Three Baptist agencies operating in Thailand have confirmed the safety of their personnel in the region after a sudden coup in the south-east Asia country sparked safety fears for Christian workers. Relief was apparent as the organisations made their announcements.

Spokesmen for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions and American Baptist Churches International Ministries have reported that all their workers in Thailand had been contacted and were safe.

|PIC1|This week as Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was on a visit to New York for a United Nations session, military forces in Thailand entered Bangkok during the night and surrounded government-operated buildings with tanks and armed guards.

Immediately, General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin declared martial law, and the army declared its loyalty to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Representatives from the three Baptist agencies declined to speculate on what the long-term impact will be of the coup, according to The Baptist Standard publication.

Paul Montacute, director of Baptist World Aid, had just returned from a trip to Thailand with Baptist World Alliance (BWA) President David Coffey when he heard the reports that tanks had entered Bangkok.

Montacute explained that news of the coup "came as a surprise".

"Thank God there appears to have been no violence," he said.

The IMB has issued the following statement: "The International Mission Board is asking Southern Baptists to pray for the people of Thailand after a military group has led an attempted coup against the government's prime minister. No reports of violence have been reported at this time, and all International Mission Board personnel in Bangkok have been accounted for and are safe. Pray for the continued safety of people living in Thailand, and pray workers will continue to spread the gospel throughout the country."

Four families that are currently serving with CBF Global Missions in Thailand have been warned to take precautions to ensure their safety, but as of yet there has been nothing to suggest that Baptist workers were endangered, said Jack Snell, CBF director of field personnel.

|QUOTE|Snell reported to the Baptist Standard: "We've been in touch with all of them, and they all are safe. It's too early to say what the future holds, but we are hopeful. We know very little about what has happened there, but we have every reason to be optimistic because there has been no violence. Our people have reported seeing tanks in the streets, but there have been no threats of violence or any violent demonstrations."

Stan Murray, area director for Southeast Asia and Japan with American Baptist Churches International Ministries, reported that "everyone is safe, and the situation is calm".

Murray reported, "We have 15 International Ministries missionary personnel there, four of whom are out of the country at present. We have currently only three volunteers there, though the number ebbs and flows substantially, with several due to arrive soon."

"An interesting tid-bit is that one of our personnel told us that there are two words used in Thai for coup d'etat, and the one that the Thai news is using is a much softer word than what is normally considered when the expression ... is used.

"There is no violence to date, and the TV is back on, airports are expected to be functioning normally again as of tomorrow. Banks are still closed, but schools re-open tomorrow as well."