Asia is the new hotbed of persecution for Christians according to figures published in the Open Doors World Watch List 2019. These figures show that persecution in Asia has risen sharply over the last five years, with one in three Asian Christians now suffering high levels of persecution.
India entered the World Watch List top ten for the first time due to a rise in violent attacks on Christians and churches by Hindu extremists. This is driven by growing ultra-nationalism, which has brought waves of violence against India’s significant non-Hindu religious minorities. Rising nationalism is leading to similar persecution in other countries such as Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal where national identity is tied to religion.
China has also moved up the list (up 16 places to 27) due to new laws seeking to control all expression of religion.