United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has just released its 2009 annual report. The report, which is the most comprehensive in the Commission’s decade-long life, recommends that President Obama designate Burma, Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, People‘s Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam as ‘countries of particular concern’ for serious violations of religious freedom, and offers policy suggestions for each country. Furthermore, the report puts Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela on its Watch List, and calls for their close monitoring. It also deals with some controversial issues such as the UN debate over the so-called ‘defamation of religions’ and the U.S. policy of expedited removal for asylum seekers. Read full report here.
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