Don Adams, at the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses, reviewed the articles from United Press International and makes the following comments:

The Ghanaian government informed Jehovah's Witnesses within its territory in June, 1989 that a freeze was placed on their activities. Ghanaian Publishers, Jehovah's Witnesses, were not told they were banned. However, government actions taken against them does in effect constitute a ban which the Publishers hope is temporary.

Under the present freeze, Jehovah's Witnesses are no longer permitted to worship together in their Freedom Halls, use their branch offices or their printing facilities. In mid-June 1989, the Ghanaian government closed the Freedom Halls and placed security forces there.

The foreign missionaries involved with Jehovah's Witnesses were expelled from Ghana at that time. Mr. Adams claims that the Publishers in Ghana were not "warned constantly that their activities were subversive". They found out about government actions at the same time as the general public; on State-run Accra Radio. He also stated that Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept or tolerate "crooks, pretenders and rogues" in their organization.

In response to the case of the dismissed student, Mr. Adams states that discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses sometimes causes school problems for students whose parents are Jehovah's Witnesses. However Mr. Adams is not aware of the particular case mentioned in the newspaper.

In October 1989, The Christian Council of Ghana and the Catholic Bishop submitted statements proposing amendments to the Registration of Religious Bodies Law, PNDC Law 221. [
ENDNOTES:
"Ghana: The Churches Campaign for Religious Freedom. Fear of Persecution", West Africa, (London: West Africa Publications Ltd., 20-26 November 1989, p.1925.] They were concerned that the government ban was in direct contravention of the freedom of religion enshrined in the UN Charter of Human Rights to which Ghana adheres. [ibid.] Some church leaders reported that they had been "threatened with harassment by unnamed groups of people after 20 October" 1989. [ibid.] The previous 20 October registration deadline was postponed to 14 November 1989. [ibid.] Attached are two articles from the West Africa (30 October-5 November 1989, 13-19 November 1989), which report on the government's defence of PNDC Law 221 and the appeal by the Christian Council of Ghana and the Catholic Bishops Conference.

The text of the government order to freeze the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including information regarding the consequences for breaking the law, is presently unavailable to the IRBDC.

Attached please find excerpts from the following documents:
United Press International's articles of June 19, 1989 and June 22, 1989.
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts for 16 and 20 June 1989.
"Ghana: Fear of Persecution", West Africa, London: West Africa Publications Ltd., 20-26 November 1989, pp.1925-1926.
"Ghana: Religion Law", West Africa, 11-17 December 1989, p.2076.
"Ghana: Churches Snub PNDC", West Africa, 18-24 December 1989, p.2124.