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Vietnam

  • Two Mennonite Workers Released

     Since their arrest in March 2004, The Voice of the Martyrs has been following the account of six Mennonites arrested by the Vietnamese government.  We are now able to release the news that two were freed from prison in early December.  Translations of their eye-witness accounts of the torture and suffering in prison are available online (click here).

    In November, the two brothers, Nguyen Huu Nghia (24) and Nguyen Thanh Nhan (22) were sentenced to nine months in prison, most of which they had already served.  While in prison awaiting their trial, the brothers recount the torture they suffered, resulting in permanent damage to their nervous systems.  Nhan said, "And now, as I return to life I must carry a withered body.  My left leg is partly paralysed and I can stand and walk only with difficulty.  My nervous system is badly damaged as it was assaulted by clubs and switches and it will take a very long time to heal."  According to Nghia, "The doctor says my heart arteries have been affected and my nervous system is disturbed and that these conditions are potentially life threatening."  Both end their reports with a testimony to the grace and strengthening hand of God, who will enable them to continue serving Him.

    Pray for healing for these two young men.  Pray for those still suffering in prison, that they will be released and that they will find the emotional and physical strength to endure their sufferings for the name of Christ.

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam, as well as more background on the arrests of these six servants of God,click here.
  • Christian Prisoner Hospitalized with Mental Illness

    Last week we reported on the harsh sentencing of six Mennonite workers, unjustly convicted of "resisting officers of the law while doing their duty" (click here for details).  During the trial, it became apparent that Le Thi Hong Lien, the only woman charged, was facing serious health concerns. Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, the general secretary for the Mennonite Church of Vietnam asked the court for a medical examination for her, but the judge refused.  When Lien's family attempted to visit her three days after the sentencing, they were told that she was in the infirmary.  She was then transferred to a hospital, suffering from "a mental disease."  The family reports that, while in prison, Lien was subjected to serious abuse and beatings. 

    Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang
    At least two of the other workers were also beaten by police.  One, Pham Ngoc Thach, is believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.  The mother of another, Nguyen Hieu Nghia, was told on November 16 that he is in the infirmary, reportedly with a high fever.Pray for emotional, mental and physical strength for these Christians suffering abuse and torture for their faith.  Pray that their faith in Christ will sustain them through these difficult times.

    The Voice of the Martyrs urges the international community to continue to protest these unjust sentences and physical abuse to government officials, both domestically and in Vietnam .  To download an advocacy package, click here.  For help in knowing how to write to governments, click here.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in Vietnam ,click here.
  • Mennonite Evangelists Receive Harsh Sentences

    On November 12, after a four-hour trial, six Mennonite workers were convicted of "resisting officers of the law while doing their duty" and sentenced to prison.  Pastor Quang, the general secretary of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam and a human rights activist, received a three-year sentence.  The other five workers received sentences ranging from nine months to two years in prison.  Apart from seven family members, all observers, including a representative from the Canadian Consulate, were refused entry into the courthouse.

    Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang
    Since the initial arrest of these workers in March and June, The Voice of the Martyrs has been closely following their ordeal.  The situation began on March 2, when the workers confronted two undercover agents who had been watching the church headquarters, harassing church workers.  The agents fell while attempting to leave and, within thirty minutes, dozens of officers converged on the building, arresting the workers (for more details, click here). Three months later, Quang was also arrested.  It is suspected that "evidence" against Quang may have been coerced through torture from one or more of those previously arrested.

    Human rights and religious liberty organizations from around the world have been monitoring this case, but the Vietnamese government has refused to yield to international pressure.

    Pray for those serving these unjust sentences:  Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, Pham Ngoc Thach, Nguyen Thanh Phuong, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Le Thi Hong Lien and Nguyen Hieu Nghia.  Pray for their families and fellow Christians, as they suffer together with their loved ones.

    If you would like to write to Pastor Quang or his family, you can send a letter to his home, addressed to his wife, at the following address:

    Ba Le Thi Phu Dung
    C5/1H Tran Nao, Khu Pho 1
    Phuong Binn Khanh, Quan 2
    TP Ho Chi Minh
    VIETNAM

    We would also encourage you to write to Vietnamese authorities on behalf of these prisoners.  You can download an advocacy pack from our website (click here).

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam ,click here.
  • Date Set for Trial

    According to a November 2 report from Compass Direct, prominent Mennonite church leader and human rights activist, Nguyen Hong Quang, has been scheduled for trial on November 12. Quang was arrested on June 8 on the charge of "inciting others to resist officers of the law doing their duty." A long-time Vietnam watcher told Compass Direct, "Western governments, human rights and religious liberty organizations will be watching the Quang case closely to see if Vietnam will observe its own laws regarding a defendant's basic rights to self-defense and legal help. The initial signs are not good."

    Pray for the legal preparation in the coming days. Pray that the truth of Pastor Quang's innocence will come out in the trial. The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians from around the world to advocate on behalf of Pastor Quang. You can download an advocacy package in PDF format (click here).

    For more information on Rev. Quang and the persecution facing other Christians in Vietnam,click here.
  • Pastor Arrested and Questioned; Organization Calls for Advocacy

     
    Rev. Tran Mai praying with church leaders
    Photo courtesy of    Praise, Inc.

    According to Compass Direct, Pastor Mai, leader of the Inter-Evangelistic Movement, a house-church organization in Vietnam, was arrested at the border as he returned to Vietnam on August 29. He was allowed a call to his wife, but she was not told where he was or what charges he faced.

    While in custody, Mai was questioned about his activities abroad, his involvement in literature distribution during the South East Asian Games in Ho Chi Minh City in December 2003, as well as his connection with Rev. Bui Van Ba and Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang.

    Mai is an active participant in the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship, which had called for three days of prayer and fasting for the Church in Vietnam on September 5-7. It was during that time of prayer that Mai was permitted to return home. There is no indication yet if charges will be laid against him.

    The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, together with partners including The Voice of the Martyrs, has published an Advocate Pack with information and addresses, calling on Christians to intervene for their brothers and sisters in Vietnam. The document can be obtained from our website (click here).

    Eight days after being arrested, Rev. Tran Mai was allowed to return to his home but ordered to appear at the Ministry of Public Security for questioning the next morning.

    Please pray for Rev. Mai, as well as the many Christians in Vietnam facing persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. The next three days of prayer and fasting for the Church in Vietnam are scheduled for October 3-5. We urge believers around the world to plan to participate.

    For more information on persecution of the Church in Vietnam,click here.
  • Visits by Family Members Permitted Family members were recently allowed to visit some of the six Mennonite leaders arrested in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. On August 23, the mother of two of the men was allowed to visit for the first time since their arrest on March 2. According to an August 26 report from Compass Direct, her visit was cut short when one of the brothers described the beatings experienced by the other brother. The mother said that her son, Nguyen Thanh Nhan was in reasonably good spirits, but his older brother, Nguyen Huu Nghia, was in a very fragile emotional state. A leading human rights activist, Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, has been allowed two visits by his wife since his arrest on June 8.

    While the rest have all been allowed at least one visit, the one woman of the six, Le Thi Hong Lien, has not been allowed visitors. Police explained to her family that she is "hard-headed and uncooperative."

    Sources for Christian Solidarity Worldwide report that authorities are working hard to expedite the trial of Rev. Quang, which may begin in early September. The other five are expected to face relatively minor charges.

    Vietnam has consistently oppressed Christians throughout the country, despite constitutional assurances of religious freedom. On June 18, the National Assembly Standing Committee adopted the Ordinance on Beliefs and Religions which "sets out concrete details of citizens' freedom of belief and religion, and establishes a legal framework that helps keep activities relating to belief and religion open and staying within the bounds of the law." While the document initially appears to guarantee significant freedoms, it requires that religious freedom be in conformity with the state. For example, the freedom of religious beliefs and activities can be suspended if "they negatively affect the unity of the people or the nation's fine cultural traditions." This ordinance is due to come into effect on November 15.

    Vietnamese church leaders are calling upon their congregations to devote three days each month (September 5-7, October 3-5 and November 7-9) to fast and pray:

    1. that the Almighty Lord would continue to protect and vindicate the Church (Acts. 5:38,39).
    2. that all believers in local areas would faithfully gather to worship the Lord and stand firm in all circumstances (Acts. 5:41-42).
    3. that all leaders of the churches, all leaders of small groups, all of the hosts of the families would have the wisdom and courage needed to lead the flock (Acts. 4:29-30).
    4. that as soon as possible, the government of all levels from the central to local throughout Vietnam will know God's Sovereignty so that they will withdraw the decree issued in 18-06-2004, that they would give up the prejudices towards the Church, and stop all forms of persecutions and hindrances to Church's activities (1Timothy 2:1-2; Proverbs 21:1).

    We encourage you to join your brothers and sisters in Vietnam during these days for prayer and fasting. Continue to pray for physical and emotional strength for Pastor Quang and the others in prison for their faith in Vietnam. Pray that they will be released soon. Pray that the international community will continue to pressure the government of Vietnam to respect the rights of its citizens. We also urge you to write on behalf of Pastor Quang. Click here for government contact information.

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam,click here.
  • Pastor Allowed Visit

    Seven weeks after his arrest in Ho Chi Minh City, pastor and human rights leader Nguyen Hong Quang has been allowed visitors for the first time (click here for details on his arrest). According to a July 30 report from Compass Direct, the brief visit by Quang's wife and a Mennonite evangelist were allowed after a letter was written to senior officials explaining the difficult situation facing Quang's wife and three young children after the family's money was confiscated during the police raid in June. The visitors report that Quang looked thin and sickly.
  • Imprisoned Leader Called a ''Hooligan'' and ''Gangster''

    Facing pressure from international organizations calling for the release of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang (click here for more details on his arrest), the official Vietnamese press has released defamatory statements against Pastor Quang, referring to him as a hooligan, a gangster, and a "habitual criminal." The news releases by the Vietnam News Agency on June 30 and July 3 outline the "criminal" activity of Quang, including various arrests and his imprisonment from 1984-87 for "disseminating counterrevolutionary documents." The charges against him have included organizing illegal meetings, obstruction of police officers, organizing protests and obstructing the demolition of illegal construction.

    It is evident from statements made by the official press agency that the Vietnamese government has clearly felt the pressure to release Quang and is attempting to justify his imprisonment through showing that he has been acting against the best interests of the country. VOM spokesman, Glenn Penner, says that the wording of their accusations, however, only vaguely covers the real reason for his imprisonment. "Quang was arrested because he was fighting for the religious freedom of Christians in Vietnam," says Penner. "This is something that the present government of Vietnam is not prepared to allow." Quang's struggle for religious freedom makes him, according to the Vietnam News Agency on June 30, "an habitual criminal, abusing democratic and religious freedom to disseminate wrong information and to incite others to act against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam." Apparently, information that does not agree with the official viewpoint of the government is judged to be wrong and, therefore, illegal.

    In a related development, the Vietnamese government has recently adopted a new religion law, to take effect on November 15. According to a July 13 report from Associated Press, the law reiterates and strengthens many of the existing policies. Among other things, the law would require that all clergy seek permission to speak outside of their regular church or to hold any religious meetings. Citizens would be banned from using religious freedom to, in any way, cause divisions and any religious activities that threaten social order or unity would be prohibited.

    Pray for the release of Nguyen Hong Quang and for his safety in prison. Pray for his family during this time. We encourage Christians throughout the world to continue to pressure the Vietnamese government by raising concerns about Quang's arrest with government officials. Contact information is available on our website (click here).

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam,click here.
  • Cambodia Eases Refugee Restrictions

    Cambodia has eased restrictions imposed on refugees fleeing persecution in Vietnam and has allowed the UN to set up two offices along the Vietnam/Cambodia border to process refugee claims. This is a significant change from the policies Cambodia has been following in recent months, when Cambodian officials would arrest those fleeing for their lives and turn them over to Vietnamese authorities. Following a peaceful demonstration at Easter, where at least ten people were killed, as many as 160 Montagnards fled to Cambodia, only to be returned to face the wrath of the Vietnamese authorities (for more details, click here).

    The Montagnard people from the highlands of Vietnam have faced persecution from the Vietnamese authorities for years. While some of the discrimination is ethnic as well as retaliatory (the Montagnards were American allies in the Vietnam war), many Montagnards are also Christians and have faced severe opposition from the Communist authorities for their Christian faith.

    Under the new agreement between Cambodia and the United Nations, Montagnard refugees will be issued identification cards and relocated to non-hostile countries.

    Pray that the UN will be able to process the refugee claims without interference from either government. Pray for the hundreds of Christians living in fear for their lives in Vietnam.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in Vietnam,click here.
  • Continue to Pray for Pastor Quang

    Please continue to uphold Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a leading church leader and human rights activist who was arrested on June 8 (click here for more details). The Voice of the Martyrs also encourages Christians from around the world to write on his behalf. For addresses that you can write to, click here.

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