Vietnam Burns Homes of Christians--Christian Religion is America's Religion, Not Allowed Here'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The Washington, DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC - www.persecution.org) has received reports that the Vietnamese government recently burned more than ten homes of tribal Christians in Suoi Rut hamlet, Doi Sau village, Quang Ngai province. The affected families were forced to flee their village on July 21, 2005, and are now searching for a new area to reside in.

The homes of ten Hre tribal Christians were destroyed because they refused to deny their faith. The victims belonged to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN), which has formal recognition by Vietnamese government. The local Communist authorities of Son Thuong village, Quang Ngai province have publicly stated that "the Christian religion is America's religion, and is not allowed here."

"On Sunday, August 21, 2005 at 8:00 A.M., Mr. Dinh van Hoanh, police chief of Son Thuong village and his assistant, Mr. Thai Mai Quan, came to Mr. Dinh van Hoang's house and said: 'We do not allow any Christians to live here. If you want to stay you must sign this paper to declare that you and your family are renouncing your faith'.

Mr. Hoang refused to do so. The police chief then called numerous officials, including Mr. Dinh van Xoa, hamlet chief, and Mr. Dinh van Hoach, his assistant, to come and destroy Hoang's house.

They then told Mr. Hoang that if he recanted his faith, they would rebuild his house. Mr. Hoang again refused, and the authorities then destroyed his animal pens."

Vietnam was named a Country of Particular Concern (CPC - meaning they are one of the world's worst violators of human rights) by the US State Department last year. Once a country is named a CPC, the State Department is then supposed to issue penalties or benchmarks of improvement within six months.

The State Department failed to issue benchmarks or penalties against the Vietnamese government this past spring due to political pressures and assurances from the Vietnamese government that this type of behavior would cease. Unfortunately, the persecution of tribal Christians has brazenly continued with no discernable change in tenor or volume.

ICC strongly recommends that concerned individuals contact their congressional representatives. To find your elected representatives, you can go to the following web sites: http://www.senate.gov/ http://www.house.gov/

Individuals should also contact the Vietnamese embassy to voice their opinions of that country's treatment of its Christian citizens.

Embassy of Vietnam 1233 20th St. NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-861-0737 Fax: 202-861-0917 info@vietnamembassy.usa.org

ICC is a Washington, DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of persecution and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and with the State Department. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441. To be removed from this press release list, hit reply and put "remove from PR list" in the subject line.

Viet Nam is actually about 10% Catholic. The government tried to reduce that number after 1975 by, among other methods, forcing them on to the boats. But after the exodus there were more Catholics in the country then there had been before.

Religion is a focus of men's loyalty and thus a competitor of the government and not to be tolerated in a Comunist society.

Immediately following the takeover the new government moved against the Buddhists and the Buddhists responded by ceasing to do much of anything. The country was collapsing precipitously because nothing was getting done. So the government relented and labeled B'ism as part of the cultural identity of Viet Nam and thus to be tolerated. By politically disabling B'ists the country deprived itself of most of its human capital.

Repression of Catholics was harsher and did not relent so easily because Catholics are a minority.However,in time, it was discovered that most of the business talent resided in the Catholic community. When the VCs(the popular word for government people in VN) determined that VN could not survive economically as a collectivized communist system the VCs got out of the business of agriculture, then progressively out of business in general(banks excepted). The country went from the edge of starvation to being a major exporter of food in a couple of years and acquired a thriving business culture. The Catholics were leaders in business and their suppression would abort the new economy so the pressure let up and Catholicism was proclaimed to be an "indigenous" religion. However, Catholics still have political disabilities, they may not enter government and Catholic villages are not permitted to be sites for any factories aand are not eligible for anything like water systems. A result is that the talented go into business instead of government.

The Protestant phenomenon is incomprehensible to the VCs. It cannot be defined as "native" and it is spreading very rapidly among the minorities who are already a despised group that has not been amenable to government dictates. They don't stay put and don't re-educate very well. And the minorities have no loyalty to the State or to the Country.

A result of the persecution of the Buddhists and the Catholics has been to end their mutual antipathy which the VCs had counted on to keep both under control. The Buddhists have learned from the Catholics how to do busines from a Judeo-Christian foundation and everybody is out trying to make a buck instead of studying the wisdom of Chairman Ho. This is not what the VCs had in mind at all, and the phenomenon is beginning to extend to the minorities. The Catholics and Buddhists are beginning to sympathize with the minorities and take their part and the minorities are losing their "despised" status which the VCs count on to keep them in line.

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