The campaign advocates for humane treatment of detainees and prisoners in Vietnam and the elimination of the practice of torture and other abuses in Vietnamese prisons, jails, police stations, re-education centers, and other places of detention.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) welcomes the launch today of a report by the Campaign to Abolish Torture in Vietnam.
The campaign advocates for humane treatment of detainees and prisoners in Vietnam and the elimination of the practice of torture and other abuses in Vietnamese prisons, jails, police stations, re-education centers, and other places of detention.
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Representatives from various religious groups in Vietnam issued a statement on 4 October accusing the Vietnamese government of attempting to destroy religions in the country. Religious leaders from the Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao Buddhist and Cao Dai are all signatories to the statement, entitled ‘Concerning the Ordinance on Religion and Belief of 2004 and the 2012 Decree on Directives and Measures for Implementing the Ordinance on Religion and Belief.’ In the statement, which is addressed to Vietnamese government officials, clergy, religious groups and citizens, as well as to members of the international community including the United Nations, the authors address both the conceptual and practical obstacles to the realisation of religious freedom in Vietnam. Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, Catholic Bishop of Vinh diocese on Vietnam’s north-central coast, has appealed for “international support and solidarity” following violent attacks against Catholics in Nghe An Province on 4 September which left at least 40 people seriously injured. Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop has described the situation for Christians there as “dangerous and worrying.” According to sources inside the country, on 4 September police and militia used tear gas, electric batons and police dogs to break up a peaceful protest against the arrest and detention of two Catholics from My Yen parish. The two men, Nguyen Van Hai, 43, and Ngo Van Khoi, 53, were arrested on 22 May as men believed to be plainclothes police officers stopped and searched Catholics visiting a shrine in Nghi Phuong Commune. The men’s families were informed that they had been charged with “disturbing pubic order”. Their communities hoped they would be released as part of Vietnam’s national day amnesty on 2 September. Police officers attacked a Christian couple in Lào Cai province, Vietnam, last Monday after the couple refused to recant their newly found Christian faith. Police repeatedly struck both the husband and wife until the wife began bleeding, at which point the police halted the beating and released her. The attack came after police from the Muong Khuong district of Lào Cai province repeatedly summoned the heads of two recently converted Christian families, whose names are being withheld for their security, to the police station for questioning. The official police summons received by the families were vague, one of which stated only that they were to come in "for questioning." However, during the third interrogation, sources in Vietnam report that the police began to "strongly pressure" the Christians to recant their faith, despite the fact that such pressure is illegal under Vietnamese law. The family of Hoang Van Ngai, the Hmong Christian who died in police custody on 17 March, was notified in mid-May that the Vietnamese authorities’ investigation confirmed his death was caused by “suicide by self-electrocution.” However, the family believes that he was killed extra-judicially because of his defence of his church and determination to stand up to corrupt local officials. Hoang Van Ngai was an elder of Bui Tre Church, which belongs to the legally recognised Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South). Ngai’s older brother believes he made enemies amongst government officials because he stood up against abuses of power and refused to pay bribes. He also defended the church when the authorities tried to force them to close. A five-day tour by Australian Christian evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic was permitted to take place in Vietnam from 22 to 26 May, despite national restrictions on religious activities. Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs, spoke to 75 000 people at seven official events, three of which were shown on national television, as part of a ‘World Outreach’ tour which has an explicitly evangelistic aim, to “share the Good News of Jesus Christ”. At the end of his tour, Vujicic also preached at Gia Dinh Church in Ho Chi Minh City. Christian lawyer and human rights defender Nguyen Van Dai has spoken out about being barred from meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Dan Baer on 13 April 2013, when he visited Vietnam for the 17th US-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue. Deputy Assistant Secretary Baer was able to meet with a number of human rights defenders during his visit, including lawyers, bloggers and advocates. He was also able to meet with some religious leaders. In a statement, the US Embassy, Hanoi said: “While Mr. Baer was able to meet well-known activist Father Nguyen Van Ly in prison, we were troubled that authorities prevented a private meeting with activists Nguyen Van Dai and Dr. Pham Hong Son as planned.” Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has received new information concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Vietnamese church leader Hoang Van Ngai (also known as Vam Ngaij Vaj), who died in police custody in Dak Glong District in Dak Nong Province on 17 March. Police claims that Ngai died after putting his hand into an electric socket have been contested by his family members. Reports by Ngai’s relatives state that his wife and sister-in-law were arrested on 14 March and were forcibly taken to the police station in Gia Nghia. Ngai and his elder brother Hoang Van Pa were arrested the following day and were detained in adjacent cells. The reason for the arrests was not clear; the police did not present or refer to any arrest warrant or temporary detention order. A Vietnamese church leader reportedly died in police custody on 17 March after being severely beaten and possibly electrocuted. Vam Ngaij Vaj was an elder at a church affiliated to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South), a legally recognized religious denomination, and a member of the Hmong ethnic group from Ä�Ä�k Glong District in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. He was detained for “destroying the forest” while clearing brush from his field with his wife. The police claim that he died after accidentally putting his hand into an electric socket; however, photographs taken soon after his death show severe and bloody bruising on his back and neck, leading witnesses to conclude that he was beaten violently before his death. On Saturday, February 16th, Steven Mosher will be exposing the reality and dangers of sex-selective abortion as part of a Symposium at Regent University Law School, in Virginia Beach, VA. Mosher, who is the President of the Population Research Institute, is an internationally recognized authority on demographics and population issues. Mosher first encountered Sex-Selective Abortion in China, where it has reached epidemic proportions as a result of pressures generated by the one-child policy. Up to 100 million girls are missing from the populations of China, India, Korea and Vietnam because of this practice. Mosher will present recent statistical and anecdotal evidence that this practice has reached America's shores. |
Walter Blackwood
Associate Pastor with The Bridge Community of Faith in Kelowna BC Canada. Archives
May 2017
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