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.
