Thai Binh
Province
Security police in Thai Binh Province blocked the Christians from
attending an assembly for prayers. Pastor Nguyen Van Cam related that the
incident took place in front of the house of Thai, a female local resident. On
the evening of August 31,
2008, the officials and security police stormed Thai’s home and
interrupted the ceremony for prayers and embarrassed the Christians while they
were attending a session of Bible study. Security police then blocked the
entrance to the house. Meanwhile, drunken officials and security police agents
cursed the Christians and showed bad manners towards female Christians. The
group was disbanded without an explanation.
On September 9, the authorities and security police
of Thai Binh Township dispersed a group of Christians in Tran Lam
Ward while they were participating in an assembly for saying prayers. The
participants were shoved into a vehicle, brought to another place, and dropped
there. Acts of rudeness of the authorities, according to Pastor Nguyen Van Cam,
reflected disrespect towards religion, to block with violence people like him
and fellow Christians who came to serve faith. The authorities in Thai Binh,
like their colleagues elsewhere in the country, voluntarily disband any
assembly for prayers, regardless of rules and regulations provided by the law. The
pastor stressed that the directives of the State, effective as of February 1, 2005, in
particular, detailed instructions in this reogard. The People’s councils at all
levels should thus conduct affairs with responsibility, protecting the believer’s
rights to religious services. In practice, the authorities in Thai Binh only
allowed congregations in certain localities to practice rekigious worship. The
congregation at Tran Lam Ward is not one of them, although the Christians have
applied for authorization.
Hanoi
Evangelical Christianity has grown vigorously after
decades of being suppressed into oblivion. The Communist authorities are
seriously sensitive to this growth of the faith and keep constant watch on its
activities,. particularly those by the youths of house church movement. A group
of fervent Christian students at Hanoi University of Agriculture I in Gia Lam,
for instance, were forbidden to participate in the Church’s religious
activities. During May
20-21, 2005, two students, Hong Tran and Tran Van Phap, were
convoked “to work with” the authorities at the security police headquarters on
unfounded reasons. No one knew what would happen to them in the days to come.
Haiphong
The security police of Do Son, Haiphong, during May 27-28, 2005, dismantled
the assembly of 70 young Christians many of whom came from as far as Hanoi. The Christians were
chased away from the place of assembly. They could not find a shelter and had to
spend overnight in the open street. Incidents
of repression were btutal. On June
30, 2005, the security police of Thuy Trieu Commune, Thuy Nguyen
District, Hai Phong, stormed a house church where members of a congregation of Evangelical Christianity were
attending a session of Bible study. The Christians were beaten then taken to
the security police office on charge of having operated religious activities without
authorization. On May 7, The
security police of Lach Tray, Haiphong
City, arrested without
ground about 20 city-dwellers when they gathered for saying prayers in the open
sports field of Lach Tray Street.
Among the arrested was Vu Minh Khanh, the wife of the well-known dissident
Nguyen Van Dai, who was currently serving his prison term. They were all taken
to the Lach Tray police station for interrogation and detained there overnight.
Pastor Pham Huu Thinh of Do Son was also convoked for investigation for unknown
reason. No one knew who the instigator was.
Hai
Duong
Pastor Vo Si Hoa, Head of Hai Duong Christian Congregations
expressed deep concerns over the difficulties Evangelical Christianity in Kinh Mon
District Hai
Duong Province
was facing. The authorities tightened control against religious practices. They not
only interdicted assembly for prayerst but also house performance of religious
worship services. On May 14, 2005, the missionary Nguyen Van Cam and his
companion Bui Van Dien were convoked “to work” with the local authorities at
the police headquarters for preaching
Christianity. They were frequently harassed by the district security police due
to their house visits to Dong Lam Commune, Tien Hai District, Thai Binh
Province. They were targeted with threat, violence and detention thereafter.
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