A cohort of 11 Vietnamese Christians who were detained for exercising their religious beliefs has been reported missing, prompting apprehensions about their safety and well-being, according to the International Christian Concern, an anti-persecution organization.
This collective comprises both Protestants and Catholics, including Protestant adherents of the Degar ethnicity, an indigenous community residing in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Astonishingly, these individuals were handed prison terms totaling 90 years and eight months between 2011 and 2016.
The Campaign to Stop Torture in Vietnam has brought to light the severe mistreatment experienced by Montagnard Christians, who are frequently coerced into publicly renouncing their faith. Those who persist in their worship at autonomous house churches are subjected to physical attacks, detainment, and incarceration.
Three individuals were charged with “undermining national unity policy” due to their affiliation with Degar Protestantism, a religious movement prohibited by Vietnam’s communist regime. Additionally, two members of the group were imprisoned after steadfastly declining to renounce their faith.
Furthermore, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) divulged details of the mistreatment endured by a Protestant believer named Sung A Khua, whose residence was vandalized. Consequently, his family was expelled from their village, and he was arrested on charges of “deforestation.”
In 2018, the Vietnamese government enacted the Law on Belief and Religion to regulate religious activities within the country. Despite certain Christian groups being officially recognized under the law, Vietnamese authorities closely monitor their endeavors and have reportedly compelled pastors to divulge lists of their congregants.
The USCIRF’s evaluation also underscored the protracted delays in handling applications from pastors, in contravention of the law’s stipulation for a response within 60 days. This bureaucratic hurdle has compounded the difficulties faced by religious communities in Vietnam.
Additionally, the USCIRF has documented allegations of torture and mistreatment of four other Christians who are currently incarcerated, augmenting concerns about the human rights situation in the country.
Open Doors, an organization advocating for persecuted Christians, has discerned that the situation for believers in Vietnam is intricate. There seems to be uncertainty at the national level concerning how to navigate the heightened international scrutiny of the country’s record on religious freedom.
It is imperative for the international community and human rights organizations to continue monitoring the situation of these missing Christians in Vietnam and advocating for their fundamental right to practice their faith without fear of persecution or reprisal.
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