Day 20
Brunei
The US government releases an annual Trafficking in Person report which explores steps taken to stop human trafficking and punish those responsible in 188 nations. The report breaks the nations into three tiers with the third tier reserved for nations that fail to meet minimum standards and are showing no effort to meet those standards. Brunei was added to the list of third-tier nations this year. As human trafficking in Southeast Asia got worse in the last year, pray for the nations in this third tier to be convicted of their need to address this terrible industry. Pray for a turnaround in Brunei. Praise God that He values all human life and that it is He who gives each of us breath and life (The Bible, Job 33:4).
Source: US Adds Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei to Human Trafficking Blacklist (The Diplomat)
Brunei has boasted a small but prosperous economy. Its wealthy standard of living surely contributes to the wild popularity of its sultan who provides free health care, housing, and education to his countrymen. The nation has begun exploring alternative sources of income as it foresees its oil reserves running out. Sharia (Islamic) law was fully implemented in 2019. The enormous international backlash against the death penalty by stoning homosexual acts resulted in the Sultan reneging and claiming the death penalty will not be applied, but concerns about the fate of Christians in the country remained out of the spotlight. Propagating any other religion than Islam is illegal.
