Only two countries, Azerbaijan and Laos, have shown “significant improvement” in the area of religious liberty in the 12 months ending June 30, 2000, according to the annual U.S. State Department report on religious freedom released last week.

The report, which tracks the state of religious freedom in 194 countries, concludes that “much of the world’s population lives in countries in which the right to religious freedom is restricted or prohibited.”

Iraq, China, Afghanistan and Myanmar (Burma) are among the countries cited for continuing brutal repression of religious activity.  Religious discrimination and varying levels of repression also exist in Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel, the report said.

Two countries received commendations for “significant improvement.” Azerbaijan was noted for making strides in “improving the status of religious minorities,” while in Laos, a large number of Christians, imprisoned because of their faith, were released in mid-June.

U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, who chaired a hearing on the report in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 7, said that it’s important to remember the individuals “who inspired these reports and lists in the first place.  They are a people of simple people of faith who stand against terrible odds in hostile countries.”

The State Department’s report, released September 5, covers the period from July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000, and is the second annual report to be issued under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act which established the State Department’s U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  The full text of the report can be found at www.state.gov