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| | International Religious Freedom Report 2002: Executive Summary |
 | | The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and the Government maintained their narrow interpretation of the constitutional provision for religious freedom, thus inhibiting religious practice by all persons, especially those belonging to minority religions, particularly Christianity, that fall outside of the mainstream Buddhism. |
 | | At times it stems from the emergence of a country from a long period of Communist rule, in which all religion was prohibited or, at best, out of favor. |
 | | Several states announced measures including banning opposition-affiliated imams from speaking at mosques, more vigorously enforcing existing restrictions on the content of sermons, replacing mosque leaders and governing committees thought to be sympathetic to the opposition, and threatening to close down unauthorized mosques with ties to the opposition. |
| www.state.gov /g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13608.htm (8542 words) |
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