Samuel Brownback

With war underway in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and heartbreaking violence in pockets across Africa, the world looks anxiously toward Asia, fearing that the next major global crisis may arise there.

In these conflicts and elsewhere, a stark divide emerges between nations that respect the fundamental rights of their citizens and those that don't. Among the fundamental rights most often ignored by repressive governments is the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Authoritarian regimes have always feared religious freedom, and China offers the clearest example. The Chinese Communist Party makes it no secret that it views people of faith as a threat to its rule and is currently waging a campaign of genocide against the Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang, persecuting Christians, continuing decades of unspeakable violence against Falun Gong practitioners and political oppression against Tibetan Buddhists.

Unfortunately, China is far from the only country guilty of violating the right to freedom of belief in Asia. The Rohingya of Myanmar have suffered untold atrocities, also rising to the level of genocide, at the hands of a despotic military junta bent on eliminating the ethnic and religious diversity that makes Myanmar so culturally rich.

Katrina Lantos Swett

North Korea remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for people of faith, a country where fealty to the Kim dynasty is exalted above everything — including the most basic rights of conscience, speech and association.

Authoritarian governments have shown by word and deed that they cannot coexist with the right to freedom of religion or belief. What's more, these regimes work to export their oppressive systems outside their borders, harassing and persecuting fleeing religious minorities in countries both near and far. China leads this trend, exporting surveillance technology to its allies and extraditing religious refugees to China for punishment.

We believe that the need to protect and defend freedom of conscience rights in Asia is more important now than it ever has been before. For that reason, we have decided to host an International Religious Freedom Summit in Japan to focus on concerns across the region.

Our motto at the International Religious Freedom Summit is religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time. Freedom of religion or belief is a human right protected in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a core principle of a successful democratic society.

Studies have shown that religious pluralism and respect for the dignity of every person can lead to increased stability and incredible economic potential. By actively promoting this right through foreign policy, we seek to be a voice for the millions who languish under restrictive governments and a bulwark against the expansion of religious repression.

While in Tokyo on Monday, we are building on a regional Summit in Taiwan last fall, where then-Taiwanese Vice President William Lai pledged his ongoing commitment to protect and advance religious freedom. Now Taiwan's President, we are pleased to announce he will be addressing the IRF Summit Asia virtually this year.

Though we often refer to rights as inalienable or innate, history has shown the vital importance of democratic nations leading the way on protecting and advancing these rights and leading by example. This will be particularly important in Asia. When it comes to freedom of belief, we sincerely hope that Japan will assume a greater role in the struggle to protect the ability of men and women to live according to the dictates of their own conscience. As the leading democracy in the region, Japan has a duty to help safeguard fundamental human rights in Asia. This isn't about any particular religion or sect. Many of our participants will strongly disagree with one another on matters of theology. Rather it is about a mutual respect for each other and for a plurality of beliefs, including those different from our own. We must honor the freedom of others if we want our own freedoms to also be respected.

Japan can take a major step in assuming a more substantial leadership role by joining a coalition of democracies that advance the cause of religious freedom. Thirty-eight countries are members of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, but neither Japan nor South Korea are among them. Instead, they are designated a "Friend" of the Alliance but not a full-fledged member. The Alliance is the primary means by which democracies promote religious tolerance in foreign policy, and the absence of key democratic partners like Japan and South Korea is glaring.

The gathering in Tokyo has engaged with the critical issues that face the region and encourage greater action, especially from democratic nations that should be the standard-bearers of religious freedom. It is appropriate that we host this event in Tokyo because Japan is well-positioned to be the leader among Asian democracies in advancing this core human right. We hope Japan, with its rich tradition of leading the way in so many important areas, seizes on this opportunity to be a brighter beacon of freedom in Asia.

Samuel Brownback served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from 2018 to 2021 and is co-chair of the IRF Summit. Katrina Lantos Swett is president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.