the persecution of religious minorities is not just limited to Christians. Human Rights Watch says it has evidence of Buddhist churches facing severe scrutiny from government officials
Photo Credit: Open Doors USA
by Dennis Crowley – Juicyecumenism | March 28, 2014
Vietnam has been under total Communist rule since 1975, after the fall of South Vietnam. Christian relief group Barnabas Aid reports Christians make up just 9 percent of the population.
According to Human Rights watchdog Open Doors, Christians are perceived as agents for western nations. Tribal leaders often help the government monitor churches closely.
Todd Nettleton, director of Media Development for Voice of the Martyrssaid that “most government leaders certainly consider Christianity a ‘Western’ religion and see it as a threat to communist rule or even a form of espionage from the West designed to undermine their power.”
Open Doors 2014 World Watch List ranks Vietnam as 18on the list of 50 countries where the persecution of Christians is the worst, up from 21 in 2013.
World Magazine reports in January of last year, Vietnam passed a new law making it more difficult for churches to register. Christian leaders in Vietnam claim the new law is part of an effort to keep house churches from operating.
All religious publishing must go through a government agency according to International Christian Concern. ICC also notes Bibles written in the language of the Hmong minority are not legal and can only get into the country through smuggling.
Open Doors reports this legislation, known as Decree 92, took effect in January of last year. It requires religious groups to register in advance their church’s beliefs with the “People’s Committees” at the local level. The churches are required to give all details such as the number of followers, the schedule, and even the names and addresses of all people attending.
Barnabas Aid reports even churches that register face difficulty. The ministry reports in 2012 a pastor was beaten unconscious with iron bars and a woman suffered a fractured skull when a congregation was attacked by men believed to be hired by authorities in order to harass and intimidate the congregation. Barnabas Aid says these incidents happened in churches that were registered with government officials.
Australian Immigration officials say the nation is showing an increase of Catholics fleeing the country due to increased persecution.
Australian Immigration Department figures indicate a 30-fold increase of Vietnamese seeking asylum in the country.
International Christian Concern says it has compiled information showing more than 60 pastors and church leaders who are being held in four prison camps.
According to the latest Human Rights Watch report, the persecution of religious minorities is not just limited to Christians. Human Rights Watch says it has evidence of Buddhist churches facing severe scrutiny from government officials.
Human Rights Watch continues to express concern of what it says is the “intensified repression of indigenous minority Christians from the country’s Central Highland provinces who are pressing for religious freedom and land rights.”
The indigenous people are known collectively as Montagnards.
“Montagnards face harsh persecution in Vietnam, particularly those who worship in independent house churches, because the authorities don’t tolerate religious activity outside their sight or control,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “The Vietnamese government has been steadily tightening the screws on independent Montagnard religious groups, claiming they are using religion to incite unrest.”
Human Rights Watch also says it has used official Vietnamese media sources to document the practice of forced recantations of faith, including hundreds of Catholics and Protestants. Human Rights says those who resist and continue their independent worship are facing beatings, arrest and imprisonment.
Last year the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act. The measure passed by a 405-to-3 vote. The bill would prohibit any increase in non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam unless it improves its record on human rights.
Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), the bill’s sponsor, said “victims have been jailed and harassed just for practicing their faith and standing up for what they believe in.”
The Vietnam Human Rights Act states “the government of Vietnam’s transition toward greater economic freedom and trade has not been matched by greater political freedom and substantial improvements in basic human rights for Vietnamese citizens, including freedom of religion, expression, association and assembly.”
The legislation also states the United States Congress agreed to Vietnam becoming an official member of the World Trade Organization in 2006, amidst assurances that the Government of Vietnam was steadily improving its human rights record and would continue to do so.
The Vietnam Human Rights Act also accuses the Government of Vietnam of continuing to limit the freedom of religion, restrict the operations of independent religious organizations, and persecute believers whose religious activities the Government regards as a potential threat to its monopoly on power.
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March 29, 2014
Religious Minorities in Vietnam Facing Government Scrutiny and Persecution
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Photo Credit: Open Doors USA
by Dennis Crowley – Juicyecumenism | March 28, 2014
Vietnam has been under total Communist rule since 1975, after the fall of South Vietnam. Christian relief group Barnabas Aid reports Christians make up just 9 percent of the population.
According to Human Rights watchdog Open Doors, Christians are perceived as agents for western nations. Tribal leaders often help the government monitor churches closely.
Todd Nettleton, director of Media Development for Voice of the Martyrssaid that “most government leaders certainly consider Christianity a ‘Western’ religion and see it as a threat to communist rule or even a form of espionage from the West designed to undermine their power.”
Open Doors 2014 World Watch List ranks Vietnam as 18on the list of 50 countries where the persecution of Christians is the worst, up from 21 in 2013.
World Magazine reports in January of last year, Vietnam passed a new law making it more difficult for churches to register. Christian leaders in Vietnam claim the new law is part of an effort to keep house churches from operating.
All religious publishing must go through a government agency according to International Christian Concern. ICC also notes Bibles written in the language of the Hmong minority are not legal and can only get into the country through smuggling.
Open Doors reports this legislation, known as Decree 92, took effect in January of last year. It requires religious groups to register in advance their church’s beliefs with the “People’s Committees” at the local level. The churches are required to give all details such as the number of followers, the schedule, and even the names and addresses of all people attending.
Barnabas Aid reports even churches that register face difficulty. The ministry reports in 2012 a pastor was beaten unconscious with iron bars and a woman suffered a fractured skull when a congregation was attacked by men believed to be hired by authorities in order to harass and intimidate the congregation. Barnabas Aid says these incidents happened in churches that were registered with government officials.
Australian Immigration officials say the nation is showing an increase of Catholics fleeing the country due to increased persecution.
Australian Immigration Department figures indicate a 30-fold increase of Vietnamese seeking asylum in the country.
International Christian Concern says it has compiled information showing more than 60 pastors and church leaders who are being held in four prison camps.
According to the latest Human Rights Watch report, the persecution of religious minorities is not just limited to Christians. Human Rights Watch says it has evidence of Buddhist churches facing severe scrutiny from government officials.
Human Rights Watch continues to express concern of what it says is the “intensified repression of indigenous minority Christians from the country’s Central Highland provinces who are pressing for religious freedom and land rights.”
The indigenous people are known collectively as Montagnards.
“Montagnards face harsh persecution in Vietnam, particularly those who worship in independent house churches, because the authorities don’t tolerate religious activity outside their sight or control,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “The Vietnamese government has been steadily tightening the screws on independent Montagnard religious groups, claiming they are using religion to incite unrest.”
Human Rights Watch also says it has used official Vietnamese media sources to document the practice of forced recantations of faith, including hundreds of Catholics and Protestants. Human Rights says those who resist and continue their independent worship are facing beatings, arrest and imprisonment.
Last year the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act. The measure passed by a 405-to-3 vote. The bill would prohibit any increase in non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam unless it improves its record on human rights.
Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), the bill’s sponsor, said “victims have been jailed and harassed just for practicing their faith and standing up for what they believe in.”
The Vietnam Human Rights Act states “the government of Vietnam’s transition toward greater economic freedom and trade has not been matched by greater political freedom and substantial improvements in basic human rights for Vietnamese citizens, including freedom of religion, expression, association and assembly.”
The legislation also states the United States Congress agreed to Vietnam becoming an official member of the World Trade Organization in 2006, amidst assurances that the Government of Vietnam was steadily improving its human rights record and would continue to do so.
The Vietnam Human Rights Act also accuses the Government of Vietnam of continuing to limit the freedom of religion, restrict the operations of independent religious organizations, and persecute believers whose religious activities the Government regards as a potential threat to its monopoly on power.