Ong Kian Cheong (50) and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng (45), a Singaporean husband and wife recently found guilty of sedition for distributing "offensive" religious literature (read the story), were sentenced on June 10 to eight weeks in jail, according to a June 12 report from Union of Catholic Asian News. At last report, the couple's lawyer had filed a notice of appeal against the conviction.
In April 2008, charges were lodged against a Singaporean couple, Ong Kian Cheong (50) and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng (45), for distributing Christian publications that allegedly cast Mohammed in a "negative light" (find out more). The couple was found guilty of sedition on May 28, a charge which carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to 5,000 Singaporean dollars (approximately $2,600 CAD), or both. The court claimed that the distributed publications "promoted feelings of ill-will and hostility between Christians and Muslims."
On April 14, two charges were lodged against a married couple for distributing a Christian publication in Singapore in March and October of last year that allegedly cast Mohammed in a "negative light." Ong Kian Cheong (49) and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng (44) are charged under the Sedition Act for "promot[ing] feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore" (to view the full text of this Act, click here). The two were also charged under the Undesirable Publications Act, which defines "objectionable" material as an item which depicts "race or religion in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups" (to read this Act, click here). The couple was alleged to have been distributing an evangelistic tract entitled "The Little Bride." Click here to view an English version of this material.
Pray that the charges against Ong and Dorothy will be dropped. Pray for the Holy Spirit to direct them as they respond to their accusers (Luke 2:11). Pray for continued opportunities for Christians in Singapore to share the truth of Christ.