Korean Hostage Deal Puts Christian Aid Workers at Risk - Release International

There are growing fears for the safety of Christian aid workers in Afghanistan following concessions made to the Taliban to free the remaining South Korean hostages last week.

|PIC1|Extremists pulled 23 Christian volunteer aid workers from a bus in July and later killed two of them - including their leader, Pastor Bae Hyung-kyu.

Two female hostages were freed earlier in July while the remaining hostages returned home last Sunday after negotiations between South Korea and their Taliban kidnappers.

In concessions to the Taliban, South Korea said it will ban missionaries from travelling to Afghanistan. It also confirmed the pull-out of 200 troops from the region and, according to the BBC, paid a multi-million dollar ransom for the hostages' release. South Korea, however, denies paying a ransom.

But Christian persecution watchdog Release International warns that the deal struck to free them could turn Christians from other nations into targets.

Bearing a chilling resonance for other Christian workers in Afghanistan, a Taliban note to journalists said they targeted the South Korean aid workers because "they came to our nation to change our faith... this is the reason we arrested them."

Release International's CEO, Andy Dipper, who has worked in Afghanistan for a Christian relief organisation, warned, "The deal that's been struck could lead to further kidnappings of Christian aid workers in Afghanistan."

According to the Associated Press, a Taliban spokesman claimed the deal was a "great victory for our holy warriors", and has vowed to abduct more foreigners, "because we found this way to be successful".

"There are massive ramifications in these concessions made towards the Taliban captors," says Dipper. "This deal could encourage militants to target other foreign Christians to put pressure on their governments to pull out troops and restrict the Christian presence in Afghanistan."

He added: "We praise God for the release of these hostages - but at what price for the Christian workers who remain?"

In 2003, the new constitution of Afghanistan guaranteed freedom of religion, "yet we have been seeing an erosion of the fundamental freedom of every Afghan to choose his or her own faith," says Dipper.

He continued: "The government of Afghanistan has a huge challenge. The Taliban are holding their nation hostage from within. The extremists must be overcome, to give the Afghan people the hope of peace and a future without war and discrimination."

Through its international network of missions, Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries, supporting pastors and Christian prisoners and their families, supplying Christian literature and Bibles, and working for justice.

The charity is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network. For more information please visit: www.releaseinternational.org