THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Repression in the Central Highlands

After 80 years of propagation, the Vatican, on January 18, 1932, separated Kontum from Quy Nhon Diocese and established Kontum Diocese, including the territories of  Kontum, (now Gia Lai)  Pleiku, Dak Lak, and a part of Attopeu (Lower Laos). The bishops who were successively in charge of the missionary administration in the diocese were Mgsr. Jean Simon Kham (1942-1951), Mgsr. Paul Seits Kim (1952-1975), Mgsr. Alexis Pham Van Loc (1975-1995), Bishop  Tran Thanh Chung (1996-2002), and Mgsr. Hoang Duc Oanh (2003- …). The information given by UCANEWS noted that the  Redemptorists were most active in the propagation of the faith in the community of the ethnic Jarai, More than 10% of the members of this ethnic minrity have now become Catholic. After decades of Gospel preaching, multiple trials and political tension, the Jarai Catholic community actually constitutes as many as 30,000 for a population of 270,000.

     Fr. Tran Sy Tin

During the first years of the propagation, missionaries came and went.  Some stayed a period of time and left. Beginning in 1950,  Mgr. Paul Seits settled permanently to serve faith in this distant region. During this time, Fr. Joseph Tran Sy Tin made frequent visits to the region. An ardent missionary, he devoted himself to his pastoral worship, laying foundation for permanent church  services. Until then, there was only some Jarais baptized along with several Catholics of Vietnamese origin. The preaching for the faith of the region was still confided in the Redemptorists who preached the faith in missionary center in the areas of Pleiku, Pleichoet, and Checoreo-Torui in the province of Gia Lai.  According to an account of Father Tran Sy Tin, it was not until October 1969 that the Bishop of Kontum could bring four religious to Pleiku. Arriving at the place, he read to them a passage of Bible, prayed with them, blessed them, then returned to Kontum. In the beginning none of the local inhabitants dared to receive them at their houses and show them how to stay overnight in a shelter in the dark forest.  Father Tran Sy Tin accustomed himself to the ways of life of the local ettnic minority, learning the Jarai language and practicing the ethnic culture. Conversion to Catholicism began, and the faith gradually became a reality During the Vietnam War, Catholic missionaries was targeted with terror out of ideological hatred, being captured and killed in the jungle by the Liberation Front troopers. By he end of April 1975, the Communists took over South Vietnam, the missionaries were disbanded. They lived in smaller groups and stayed underground in the areas inhabited by the ethnic Jarai. Father Tran Sy Tin recalled that they survived by fishing, hunting, and cultivating the hard land with the help of the Jarai. During the ceremonies for funerals. Tr. Tin  even beat the gong for the local traditional music band. The small  group of Redemptorist missionaries compiled the Jarai version of New Testament, a book which,  Father Tran Sy Tin believed to have truly become a companion of the Jarai people in his service for faith.

Reports also noted that, in 1967, the Vatican took a part of Buon Ma Thuot (now Dak Lak) territoty to create a the  Kontum Diocese. This is the poorest Catholic diocese of the country. Like other people of the ethnic minorities, Catholics in this area lived miserably on slash-and-burn farming. Until then They contributed almost nothing to the Church materially. They relied on it for all sorts of aids and reliefs, from provisions and necessities of life to education. Still, they lived their faith loyally, without a priest to take care of religious services and without a house of worship for assembly for prayers. The diocese took charge of large mountainous areas such as Kon Chro, K’ Bang Ia Grai, Chu Prong where guerilla groups sprang up during the Vietnam War. Local cadres hailed them as heroes for their success. The expansion of guerrilla zones brought with it continuation of the elimination of the limtied propagation of the Catholic faith.  Catholicism is ever a taboo subject. Catholic practices were thus practiced in hiding and limited only to small numbers of families. It was not until 1988 when 117  martyrs of Vietnam were canonized that conversions to Catholicism of the Jarai minority resumed. The Redemptorists achieved remarkable work in this effort.  Actually, the Jarai Catholics continue to brave danger, assemble for prayers, and sing hyms together. They come from different localities. Siu Biu, aged 90, a native of Pleiku, thanks the Lord, having found God Father after baptism; Siu Kle,  a follower of Pleidjreck, disclosed to his companion he had been alcoholic. “ He is now a Catholic. He is aware of his religious responsibility for his family. He travels a 100 kilometers to come and share the Word of God with his compatriots.” A student told his fellow Catholics that one of his teachers advised him to declare himself a non-believer on the “curriculum vitea” for better chance or admission to college. He refused to do this. He would be happy to be showered with favor from Jesus Christ, his Lord.

Evangelical Christianity

The Persecution in  Saigon 

In early 2005, the government issued an order according to which the authorities would create favorable conditions for the Churches to practice religious services.  Meanwhile, the security police in Ho Chi Minh City, on the contrary, severed control on the Mennonite Church. On the Women Day of March 8, 2005, it deranged the assembly of 32 female Christians who were praying in communion. At 7:00 P.M. of May 1, approximately 30 security police agents and the cadres of Precinct II stormed and searched though the house church of the Mennonite Church and detained 13 Christians among whom were Le Thi Homg Lien and the missionary Nguyen Thanh Nhan who was granted amnesty in September 2, 2004.

The security police of Ho Chi Minh City continued to cause difficulty to the Mennonite Church, harassing the Christians and curbing on their religious services. It nevertheless could not hamper the Christians from serving their faith. The pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, after his release from prison in August 2005, actively engaged in his urual pastoral services.. He was not fully convinced that the authorities would lessen acts of repression against the Mennonite Church. These brutal gestures stem from the policy of the central government. The local authorities portray the Christians and the pastor himself as the troublemakers who disobeyed the laws of the country. As a matter of fact, pastors and members of various congregations of the Church faces with mounting difficulties and increasing repression. The State tightens control on them for fear of its growth. The Church population was ever growing, from 10,000 t0 30,000  followers iin 2004 and in 2006, respectively, 

     Pastor Thai Van Truong

In Binh Thanh Precinct, the spiritual leaders of the Church, Pastor Than Van Truong and Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung, were targeted with harassment. They were closely watched when at home, trailed, and stopped in the street for unfounded reasons. Assembly for prayers was aborted with raids by security police.  In May 2005, representatives of various denominations of Evangelical Christianity sent a petition to Prime Minister Phan Van Khai to request the release of Pastor Thai Van Truong from detention. Pastor Thai Van Truong was arrested on charge of “conducting propaganda against the State of Socialist Vietnam.” The pastor was thus sent for treatment in an asylum for lunatics. The arrest evoked the images of the barbarous treatment of dissidents in the USSR under the Stalinist regime. Such a Communist behavior aroused deep concerns among religious circles, particularly  Evangelical congregations in Saigon where international human rights organizations have ears to the ground. As usual, the petition came to no answer.

     

         Pastor Ngo Hoai No

In March 2006, the authorities of Precinct II sent the security police to dissolve an assembly for prayers at Emmanuel chapel .Pastor Ngo Hoaiu No claimed that Nguyen Van Nghia, the vice-chief of  the local ward, led a group of security police to the worship place and ordered  the Christians to stop aright the religious services. They were questioned on their religious identity. The pastor was forced to sign in a report prepared by the police to admit that he practiced religious worship illegally and deranged social order. The Reverend Ngo Hoai No, who is in charge of ministry of the Mennonite Church in An Khanh Ward, Precinct II, declared in his presentation on the situation and the difficulties facing the Church during the first week of this month He was followed by the precinct and city security police. He called on public opinion for support for religious freedom. The officials of law enforcement charged him with causing social disorder and organizing religious assembly unlawfully. On March 12, the local security police and a group of plainclothes agents came to the Mennonie chapel to hamper the Christians to perform religious services, insulting the Christians and disengaging the practices The pastor and t5 pastors among whom was Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, were escorted to the security police headquarters for “a session of work,” after the derangement.

     Pastor Huynh Tan Minh

The Christian congregation at Precinct II, Saigon, was repeatedly targeted with raids. The security police stormed a temporary worship place while Pastor Huynh Tan Minh and 31 Christians were sharing in communion the Words of the Lord. The pastor and his fellow female pastor Pham Thi Anh Tuyet were assaulted with brutal beating. They came again and again to provoke the Christians. The pastor and his fellow Christians were forced into submission but continued to serve faith loyally.

      Pastor Nguyen Thanh Tam   

On May 8, 2006, about 40 agents of security police. civil guards, and the officials of Binh Khanh Ward, stormed the house church and dispersed an assembly for prayers of the Christians. Fifteen Christians among whom was the missionary Nguyen Thanh Tam were arrested and detained at the police office.  Auhorities tightened control on Evangekical  In September 2006, the Compass Direct which has its main seat in the United States and whose members are mostly foreigners was forbidden to gather in an assembly at a hotel in Saigon. The spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Le Dung admonished that any religious activity in Vietnam had to be registered, and thus, considered to be legal. 

    Pastor Pham Ngoc Thach.

Pastor Pham Ngoc Thach and his fellow Christians were the victims of violence A  gang of hooligans stormed their house church and  assaulted them with hammers and knives. The attackers even threw rocks, trash, and foul things into the worship place. Pastor Pham Ngoc Thach of the Mennonite Church had been a prisoner of conscience. He was arrested on March 2, 2004. He was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “opposition to the force of reinforcement of the law.” He was released on Mrch 3, 2006. Immediately after his release, he declared that he was completely innocent. He was happy to live his faith in the Lord and see it grow vigorously .He believed no matter where he lives he still finds peace. Under imprisonment, he was maltreated. He was  frequently beaten at Binh Khanh Ward, and the security police, headquarters, Precinct II.  He was, again, targeted with violence.

He never lived in peacel On June 25, 2011, he was assaulted and arrested at Cau Do, Ward 26, Binh Thanh Precinct, Saigon. His wife, Nguyen Thanh Nu, had to wait for hours at the ward police station to find out by chance that her husband was currently detained there. Catching sight of his wife in the outside, the pastor cried out “Truong Sa--Hoang Sa--Vietnam” as he passed by under police escort the rear entrance to the police station. The guards gagged his mouth and shoved him into a vehicle that brought him to unknown destination. The following day, June 26, a large group of security police of Binh Chanh District came to the apartment where his family was taking lodge, made a house search, and seized a telephone. The pastor was charged with “inciting anti-government demonstration.” The pastor’s wife earnestly called for support from public opinion as her husband only acted out of patriotism, He appealed to the people to struggle for Vietnam’s territorial integrity, He only supportedthe struggle. Hoang Sa (Paacels) and Truong Sa (Pratlys) seaislands truly belong to Vietnam, and not China.     

     Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang

The authorities intensified oppression against the Christians of the Mennonite Church. Many of them were harassed, beaten, and arrested. After the arrest of Pastor Nguye Hong Quang, members of the Mennonite Church. hoped that the  authorities would lessen austerity so that the Church could serve faith in peace. Arrests of Mennonite Christians increased even more after Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang was released from prison. The pastor himself expressed doubt about the authorities’ gesture as oppression still intensified. Christian citizens have endureed so much suffering even though they are nice and peaceful. 

Incidents of oppression continued to happen. At 9:00 A.M. of December 9, 2003, a police security vehicle of Ho Chi Minh City suddenly drove into he car of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang of the Mennonite Church when he was on the way home after his visit to Jean Geran, U.S. official at the Consulate in Saigon. The missionary Pham Ngoc Thach, who was also in the car, was arrested and detained at the police office of Nguyen Thai Binh Quarters. At the news, a group of Christians gathered in front of the office, went on a hunger strike, prayed, and protested against the police’s act of oppression.

On December 11, security police arrested 19 members of the Church, among whom were Pastor Tran Mai and Pastor Le Quang Son. Sixteen members of the Church were later released, but three of them were under detention. The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said that these Christians were arrested and detained because of their violation on public security laws. They had distributed texts of prayers and praises for Love for and Faith in God.   

On January 10, 2004, the authorities affirmed  that they had arrested Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang on charge of conducting underground religious activities in Saigon.  On June 8,. the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Dung said in a press conference that Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang was arrested not because of infringement on religious policy He resisted the order of officials who reinforced the law. Members in the congregation, however, reiterated that the arrest of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang was related to a wrangle that had happened before that, On March 2, at the local chapel, where Pastor Nguyen is the administrator,  two plainclothes security police agents snatched a movie cameras and equipment from two Christians who were filming the scene of the security police that laid siege around the chapel.

 

On November 5, 25 pastors of Christian congregations sent a petition to the State, requesting the release of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, the Secretary-general of the Mennonite Church of Vietnam.  Nevertheless, on November 12, the pastor was brought to stand trial in the Ho Ch Minh City’s People Court.  The pastor and three other Christians were convicted  on charges of “opposition to the personnel who are performing duty.” They were sentenced each to three years in prison.  Also present at the Court were the representatives of the diplomatic corps, reporters of the international media, and a number of Christians from the Central Highlands among whom was Hon. Nguyen Thanh Son, an executive member of the Mennonite Church at Kontum. The dignitary was later informed that immediately after their returning home, the Montagnard Christians were convoked “to work with” the security police.” The penalty imposed on Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and his fellow Christians raised deep concerns among human rights organizations and public opinion. The pastor was granted amnesty on the National Day of September 2, 2005.   

      

In the months that followed the release of Pastor rNguyen Hong Quang, the security police maintained tight control on the Mennonite Church in Saigon.  In the early morning of November 17, it searched through the house at C5H1 on Tran Mai Street, Binh Khanh Ward, where Le Thi Phu Dun, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang’ s spouse, was living. The residence also serves as a place for assembly of the Mennonite Church. For two consecutive days, November 27-28, as many as 50 security police agents, civil guards, and the officials of the Binh Khanh Ward searched though  the house church. Nguyen Thi Hong, a female Christian, who was a witness to the scene, was detained for interrogation at the police office. Mrs.  Le Thi Dung explained that the Christians only met to pray.

At 2:00 P.M. of May 22, 2006, a force of approximately 60 officials and security police agents stormed the residence of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang knocked about the furniture, and beat the Christians. The pastor was escorted to the ward’s office on charge of “resistance to the personnel who were performing duty,” when, in reality, he only did some reparation on his dismantled house without prior authorization. The pastor, indeed, had gotten permission from the authorities. For unknown reason, such an incident still happened.

Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and his Mennonite Church members were lastingly targeted with violence. In 2010, the local authorities brutally beat the pastor. His home was broght down for a city development project. He had to move to Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province to re-establish worship place and serve faith. Thugs relentlessly deranged his religious services. In November 2013, poliee and hired thugs ransacked the pastor's Menonite center and detained several Church members including two other pastors and his son for not having nad identification cards with them. Their paoers, in reality, had been confiscated by the police. In June of the same year, more than 100 police and hired thugs assaulted Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, several other pastors, and Bibles students at the Bibles Studies Center In My Phuoc, Binh Duong Province.  On March 25, 2015, the pastor, his son Nguyen Quang Tien, and Pastor Le Quang Du were attacked by thugs in the facility in Ben Cat they rent for a place for worship services.. The pastor and his son suffered injuries. Pastor Le Quan Du was arrested and was fainted at the poli.ce station. He was taken to a hospital, but was then brought back to the police station.

   

A dim future loomed ahead. Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, on March 9, 2011, described the situation under which he and the faithful have suffered as tragic. Increasing repression of the State against the Church was such that it could only survive beyond despair. The Church had no other way than to establish a list of voluntary martyrs who voluntarily sacrifice themselves for faith. Pastor Nguyen Thanh Nhan would be among the first martyrs. 

At the end of August 2011, the Security police stepped up repression against the independent Mennonite Church in Saigon. Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang,  of the Church in Precinct 2, truly raised an alarm. In Binh Thanh Precinct, the Christians were targeted with constant harassment after the Reverend Duong Kim Kahai was arrested. Fervent female Christian Bui Thi Than was repeatedly convoked to the police station for interrogation. Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung of the Mennonite Church in Binh Thanh was trailed by  local security police. Harassment was increasingly intense. In the first week of March 2011, the authorities furiously deranged the assembly of the Christians of Mennonite Church  in Precinct 2, Saigon while Pastors Huynh Tan Minh, Nguen Hong Quan, and Pham Thi Anh Tuyet and 31 fellow Christians were saying prayers They stormed the worship place, broke the glass windows, and, pushed the Christians to the wall. They talked in disparaging terms to the Reverend Nguyen Hong Quang who nevertheless remained calm and continued to pray. The assembly eas dissolved witjouy an explanation. The situation of the Christians of which Pastor Pham Ngoc Thach was in charge was much more deplorable.  Thugs were sent to disturb  while the Christians were in assembly for prayers. In protest, members ofhe congregation established themselves a list of martyrs who were ready to immolate themselves by fire to protect their rights to religious freedom.     

     Pastor Duong Kim Khai

Repression ever persisted. Pastor Thai Van Truong of Ho Nai District, Dong Nai Ptovince, described the worship place where  Pastor Duomg Kim Khai performed pastoral services afer his visit on June 6, 2010, Everyone could see the somberness of this “chapel.” The roof is covered with silent steel sheet, which is just above a man’s height. Sunsmoke evaporates like heat in a bakery. The sight of a tattered house church in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly “the Pearl of the Orient,” saddens every Christian. Throughout the country. Christians suffer misery, but nowhere could they serve faith under such a miserable condition. Pastor Duong Kim Khai serves  faith is of utmost misery: To perform religious services in “a real cowshed” on the bank of Saigon River. That would remind people of the somber stone cave at Bethlem! Pastor Thai Van Tuomg concluded in his writing about that cowshed with this mournful sight:  Pastor Khai’s wife was confined in sickbed at the other end of the shed.  Next to it is fixed the Holy Crucifix. On the wall is hung a guitar. On a table are placed  the Holy Chalice and a pile of Bibles. Pastor Duong Kim Khai ever believes that the important thing with the practice of faith is a sincere heart. With it, we orient ourselves towards  God and do good things. A man of faith ought to help promote good faith, save people from misfortune, and live honestly in conformity with just  cause. He sacrifice himself for the service of the Lord, the just cause, the struggle for the people, and all things that the Lord has given to the VIetnanese people.

Expressing his views on the religious policy of the regime, Pastor Duong Kim Khai himself  had this remark: “They say that the Sate is governed by a rule of law and that Vietnam is se people. Curiously enough, being a Vietnamese citizen, I receive no rights from the State of Vietnam. Everything they say sounds very interesting. But, words and actions don’t match! A former president of Vietnam once said: “Don’t lwsten to what the communists say, but watch carefully what they do! I have heard this remark from the days of my childhood, and I find this so real!”

     T

he Reverend Duong Kim Khai was in charge of ministry of the Mennonite House Church at Ward 26, Binh Thanh Pricinct, Saigon.  The congregation had its decent worship place there before the arrest of its spiritual leader. In 2004, the pastor was arrested on charge of calumniating the precinct chief and the local security police.  In reality, he only spoke in support for hundreds of poor households that were oppressed, dispossessed of their houses, and became homeless. A fervent servant of faith and defiant activist for rights, he was viewed as an opponent to the regime.  During the 1980”s, he was repeatedly arrested and incarcerated. He was jailed in “Hilton Hotel” --Hanoi prison-- for a year.

In July 2010,  Pastor Duong Kim Khai and his Church met with difficulties. as a result of his help for the victims of injustice of Ben Tre (South Vietnam) who laid claims to competent authority, protesting against the local administration for its unlawful dispossession of their land and houses. Many followers of the Church were among them and. bencome homeless.. Pastor Duong Kim Khai had deep compassion for them as he himself had been evicted from his house andlived in a cow-shed on the bank of  Saigon River. Around noon of August 10, 2010, Pastor Duong Kim Khai was abducted to unknown whereabouts. His family members and fellow Christians had not had no information about his whereabouts.

On May 30, 2011, the People’s Court of Ben Tre brought him and 6 victims of land eviction to trial, Tran Thi Thuy (female), Nguyen Thanh Tam, Pham Van Thong, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Cao Van Tinh, and Pham Ngoc Hoa (female), following months under detention. They were charged with ‘scheming plot to overthrow the government and  having been affiliated with the Viet Tan Party (Vietnam Party for Renovation). The Court, however, failed, first, to produce any documents attesting that Viet Tan is an anti-regime organization that opposes and destroys the State. The population would not know whether or not this organization really operated in Vietnam. The pastor was arbitrarily accused of counterrevolutionary activities and opposing and destroying the State for having kept in possession and distributed a document with the identification sign TS-HS-VN without clarifying what this sign would mean. TS-HS-VN is, in reality, is a slogan with which patriotic Vietnamese express their will of independence against Chinese territorial expansionism, to occupy the two sea-islands on the Indochina Sea, Truong Sa (Spratlys) and Hoang Sa (Paracels).

 Pastor Doung Kim Khai was sentenced to 6 years in prison; Tran Thi Thuy, 7 years in prison; Cao Van Tinh, 5 years in prison; Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ngyen Thamh Tam, and Pham Ngoc Hoa, 2 years in prison. The trial, according to observers, only aimed to muffle the voice of a dissident and the victims of injustice. The Viet Tan Party declared that the verdict was bias, a reflection of fear for a rise of a peaceful struggle of the population. Prior to and during the trial, security plice barred Christians of Mennonite Church from gathering for prayers in front of the building of the tribunal. In August 2011, Pastor Duong Kim Khai ;s sentence was reduced by a year by the appeaps court of Ben Tre Provimce. He was released from prison in early August 2015, having served a four-year prison term. The police drove him back to Ward 27 Binh Thanh, Saigon where he had had household registration but had not existed any longer. Still, he had to serve five years of  house probation, In fact, hr had no place in which to live. The authorities nevertheless refused to admit that he had no actual residence and could  find  no home elsewhere.