The Global Week of Prayer for North Korea, organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and partner agencies across the world, is set to take place from 19-25 June 2006.

|TOP|The week-long prayer initiative will look to protest against the atrocities and human rights violations committed against the people of North Korean.

According to a number of persecution watchdogs, North Korea is the worst nation for the persecution of Christians in the world.

The communist country still has a great deal of secrecy surrounding it, however, information on the terrible oppression, statewide enforced idolatry and utterly brutal persecution of the Christians has become increasingly available in recent years, tell CSW.

China refuses to acknowledge the existence of North Korean refugees within its territory and those found by the Chinese authorities are returned to North Korea where they face torture and even death in the most serious of cases.

|AD|Agencies from across the globe are backing the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea. Prayer events are planned in various countries during the week to highlight the severe repression of religious and other freedoms.

Amongst the events planned are daily vigils outside the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, organised by Christian Social Responsibility. These will be complemented by vigils held in capital cities worldwide during the week.

The prayer events planned for the week are accompanied by advocacy and aid dimensions. Petitions, facilities to donate to aid work in North Korea and extensive resources to facilitate prayer can be found at www.prayfornorthkorea.org, or www.prayfornorthkorea.net.

In London, Christian Solidarity Worldwide is encouraging people to join the protest outside the Chinese Embassy on Thursday 22 June at 3.45pm. There will also be a Prayer Meeting at St Michael's Church, Chester Square, London at 12noon on Saturday 24 June.

CSW's Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, says: "We encourage all Christians and Churches to take up this call to prayer during the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea, and especially on Sunday 25th June, the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. We are anxious that the horrific suffering and darkness overshadowing the people of North Korea should finally be demolished."