Contact: Ben Duff, Christian Freedom International, 540-636-8907

FRONT ROYAL, Va., July 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- Walter Koenig, the Hollywood actor best known for his role as Pavel Chekov on the popular TV series Star Trek, has become the second American celebrity to recently visit with refugee children at CFI's Freedom House. His July 24th visit comes on the heels of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actor Eric Szmanda's tour back in June.

Like Szmanda, the 70-year-old actor's trip to the Burma-Thai border was sponsored by the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a Washington, DC-based group that has been attempting to organize the efforts of well-known American celebrities to help raise awareness of the dire situation in Burma. "I was shocked at how little I knew," Koenig, referring to the multitudes of refugees living along the border, has been quoted as saying. He has also begun recruiting other celebrity friends, including fellow Star Trek actor George Takei, to join the effort in getting the word out about the genocidal crisis in Burma.

Koenig also visited CFI's Vocational School in Mae Sot, Thailand, a unique boarding school where Karen orphans learn the Bible, math and science, as well as computer and other essential vocational skills.

Christian Freedom International is an organization dedicated to helping persecuted Christians around the world.