[Vietnam] 11 Christians Sentenced 90 Years and 8 Months Imprisonment Go Missing

“He guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”

Eleven Vietnamese Christians, sentenced to a total of 90 years and 8 months imprisonment for their religious activities, have gone missing, raising significant concerns regarding the government’s treatment of religious minorities in Vietnam. The American Christian Post (CP) reported related news that these individuals, arrested between 2011 and 2016 in Vietnam, include six Protestants and five Catholics, now unaccounted for in the nation’s prison system.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concerns (ICC) said the six Protestants are associated with the unapproved Degar Protestantism and the five Catholics are from the Ha Mon Catholic Church, noting that both religious movements lack official recognition from the Communist regime of Vietnam, which frequently targets such groups under accusations of “undermining national unity policy.”

The six Protestants were specifically targeted for their involvement in Degar Protestantism, faced arrest under the pretence of “deforestation” after refusing to renounce their faith, and were detained for their refusal to close the church. The five members of the Ha Mon Catholic Church faced similar charges for their involvement in Ha Mon Catholicism.

The Degar, also known as Montagnards, are an indigenous group in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, historically allied with the United States during the Vietnam War and known for their Christian faith. Montagnard Christians are often coerced into renouncing their religion, facing severe repercussions like beatings and imprisonment if they resist, according to the Campaign to Stop Torture in Vietnam.

In 2018, Vietnam enacted the Law on Belief and Religion, which ostensibly regulates religious practices but has been criticised for its restrictive nature. The USCIRF’s (U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom) 2019 assessment reported, “This legislation not only controls recognised religions but also pressures unrecognised groups to conform to state-sanctioned practices, significantly hindering religious freedom.”

The latest annual USCIF report, released in May, states, “The government has been particularly aggressive toward ethnoreligious minorities, implementing directives that infringe upon religious practices and language.”

USCIRF has recommended US Congress, “Vietnam be reclassified as a country of particular concern for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act.”  (Source: Christian Daily Comprehensive)

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.  Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalms 97:6,10)

God, amid the persisting Vietnamese government’s unfair treatment and coercion against religious minorities, we look to You for Your justice and glory and lift the saints of this land whom You love. May You protect those who have gone missing for their faith and the Vietnamese church facing various persecutions from all difficulties and dangers, and help them to trust in You who upholds them. Let those who have experienced Your love and grace of salvation move forward with unshakable faith despite threats and interference from evil ones. May they become channels that reveal Your glory to the souls in Vietnam. 

Prayer 24·365
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