Murder of O.M.F. Missionaries in Thailand
News was received from the Foreign Office, on the evening of March 20th, that the Thai authorities had reported the discovery of two bodies in the mountains of south Thailand and believed them to be those of the two members of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship abducted by bandits last year. Positive identification had yet to be made; all circumstantial evidence, however, support this assumption.
On April 23rd, 1974 Miss Margaret Morgan and Miss Minka Hanskamp were taken at gun-point from their leprosy clinic between Pattani and Yala and a week later a demand for half a million US dollars was received by the Fellowship. The policy of the OMF is on no account to pay a ransom, because to do so would set a price on the head of every other missionary. Subsequently a further demand was made in political terms with which the Fellowship was unable to comply.
In August the two missionaries wrote that a Bible and some clothing had reached them and this message was delivered in October. Until now no other reliable news of them has been received.
The people of south Thailand have for a long time been suffering from the activities of bandits and terrorists and have shown warm sympathy with the missionaries in this experience. Members of the Fellowship have been glad to share in the sufferings of those whom they serve for Christ’s sake. In the 110 years of the mission’s existence many of its missionaries have laid down their lives. These two nurses will have faced death with Christian fortitude, believing that in dying they would be “with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).
Miss Margaret Morgan, SRN, SCM, was born at Porth, Rhondda, in 1934, and took her nursing training at the Bristol Royal Hospital, where she was a Sister from 1959-1961. She joined the OMF in 1964 and had served in south Thailand since then.
Miss Minka Hanskamp, SRN, SCM, was a New Zealand citizen of Dutch parentage, and had been with the OMF since 1958.
The Overseas Missionary Fellowship, formerly the China Inland Mission, was founded in 1865 by Dr James Hudson Taylor and served in China until 1951. Since then approximately 700 of its members have been deployed in twelve countries of East Asia. The Saiburi Christian Hospital in south Thailand, to which the leprosy work of Margaret Morgan and Minka Hanskamp was attached, is one of three OMF hospitals in Thailand.
Gambling
It is reported in the Press that £2,437 million was spent on gambling in Britain in 1974. This includes gambling on horses, dogs, machines, bingo and football pools.
Apart altogether from the intrinsic evil of all forms of gambling, what a tragedy it is that such a colossal sum of money should be diverted from a proper and legitimate use to this useless and unproductive industry. The spirit of covetousness is manifestly abroad in the land. No heed is given to the warning of God’s Word that “the love of money is the root of all evil,” or to the Divine injunction: “Be content with such things as ye have.” May the Lord in infinite mercy turn the hearts of the people of the land to His law lest He come out in anger against us.
Euthanasia
A Church of England report dealing with the subject of ‘mercy killing’ comes out very definitely against voluntary euthanasia, denying that such a practice can be justified. As there is pressure is certain quarters for the legalising of euthanasia, it is good to know that there are responsible bodies that are strongly opposed to such a proposal. We trust that Britain will never stoop so low morally and spiritually as to legalise this horrific practice.
Northern Ireland
The situation in Ulster has continued unsettled during the truce in the fighting there and persons are still being killed in cold-blooded murders. The British Government has made many concessions to the I.R.A., including the release of a considerable number of detainees and the transfer of the Price sisters to Ulster, but has received little in return. A conciliatory policy towards desperadoes like the I.R.A. is hardly the way to achieve an equitable settlement and a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. It is to be hoped that the elections for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention fixed for May 1st may prove the beginning of a satisfactory solution of Northern Ireland’s problems. However, it is quite clear that the I.R.A. will do nothing to expedite such a solution. Their inbred hatred of everything British will prevent them acquiescing in any final decision which may be arrived at.
Death of King Faisal
The assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, a noted Arab leader, has left a vacuum in that area of the world which the enemies of peace in the Middle East will not be slow to take advantage of. Like other Arab leaders, King Faisal was a fierce opponent of the Jews and supported the Arab struggle against Israel. It would appear that the age-old struggle between Isaac and Ishmael has not yet ended. It is clear from God’s Word, however, that the time will come when, through the Gospel of God’s grace, they will be reconciled. May that time speedily come and the promises of God’s Word concerning Jews and Gentiles be amply fulfilled.
Licensing Laws
Many are the attempts which have been made to ‘liberalise’ the liquor licensing laws. Foremost in these attempts have been the brewers themselves who stand to gain financially from any increase in liquor sales. One would have thought that they might have been satisfied with matters as they stand in view of the fact that 1974 set records for the sale of beer and spirits — a total of 11,000 million pints of beer and more than 33 million gallons of spirits having been consumed.
The latest effort to permit public houses to open from 10 p.m. until midnight is through a Bill introduced in the House of Commons and which was given its first reading by 122 votes to 35 on 25th March. In view of the widespread incidence of alcoholism at the present time it is to be hoped that this Bill will not be permitted to reach the Statute Book.