KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (UCAN) -- The Brunei government has denied residence visa extensions to three Catholic clergy, a move that leaves the sultanate with only one priest to serve its 8,000-strong Catholic population.

About one thousand Catholics gathered at Bander Seri Begawan Airport in Brunei Jan. 7 to see off their parish priest, Father Peter Chiang, who had served the Catholic community for the past seven years.

The French ambassador and two other foreign diplomats were among the crowd to express solidarity with the departing priest. Earlier, the diplomats added their appeals to those of ordinary Catholics asking the government to reconsider its decision. Their call came to no avail.

After years of being allowed to stay in Brunei on a month-to-month permit, Father Chiang was denied an extension and told to leave.

Two days later, Catholics in Seria, about 80 kilometers from Bander Seri Begawan, learned that their priest, Mill Hill Father Joseph McClorey, was informed that he would have to leave by Jan. 15. Father McClorey served in Miri diocese, in Malaysia's Sarawak and Brunei, for 30 years.

For many years Father McClorey was principal of St. Michael's Secondary School and parish priest of a small but vibrant parish community in Seria.

He, like Father Chiang, had a month-to-month residence permit.

Sister Celestine, one of three Religious sisters of St. Angela's Convent, has also been told to leave. Sister Celestine is a Malaysian citizen.

Another of the sisters fears that her permit will not be renewed next month.

Father Cornelius Sim, a Brunei citizen who was ordained in November 1989, will be the only priest left to look after the three parishes in Brunei.

Hundreds of ethnic Chinese citizens have left Brunei in the past few years, a trend that grew after the sultanate achieved complete independence in 1984.

Sources say hundreds more, even those born in the state, are preparing to emigrate because they feel harassed and believe they have no future in Brunei.

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