Christian Families In Vietnam Denied Of Essential Government-Supplied COVID
Relief
By Ruth Aguantia
Christianity Daily |
2021-09-01
Vietnam
continued to persecute Christians during the pandemic by denying them of
government aid. In Open
Doors' report last
year, 18 families of believers were said to have been denied of state support
simply because they are Christians. "You are
Christians and your God shall take care of your family! The government is not
responsible for your families!" the authorities stated. The 2020
report of the United States Department of State on religious freedom
in the country confirmed this sentiment. According
to Vietnam Baptist Convention, the local authorities in Thanh Hoa Province,
Thach Thanh District and Thach Loi Commune have denied their congregants of
government financial assistance for COVID, as a way of harassing the church. Henrietta
Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, noted that
the pandemic is being weaponized against Christians. "Some
lives are considered unworthy of saving, because of their decision to stand by
their faith. Make no mistake: the crisis is being used as a weapon against
Christians. We're seen discrimination against Christians in ration distribution,
denying Christian health workers access to protective clothing, and opening
mosques but keeping churches closed." Blyth
added that Christians are facing a dilemma with the current situation. "If
Christians ignore COVID-19 restrictions, in order to stop their brothers and
sisters from starving, they can also alert the authorities of their existence as
a community. And that will mean serious persecution for them in months and years
to come - it's a terrible dilemma." Open
Doors UK estimates that
there are more than 8.9 million Christians in Vietnam. A million of these are
Protestants, the State Department said. The 2020
report revealed that though registered churches were more able to practice their
faith, some congregations, such as the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) and
United Presbyterian Church have experienced harassment in gathering. But more so
with unregistered churches, wherein the government suppressed their religious
activities and slowed the process of their registration procedures. Conflicts
between members of unregistered and recognized religious groups were also
reported. Religious activists accused the authorities of manipulating the latter
in causing disputes to suppress the former's activities. In other
areas of the country, particularly in Central Highlands, authorities are
harassing some unregistered Protestant groups for reporting human rights abuses
to international organizations. The religious groups were threatened of violence
against their members, as well as killing them and the church leaders. The
congregants were also forced to recant their faith or join a registered church. In July
2020, the elders of Evangelical Church of Christ in Buon Ma Thuot City and Good
News Mission Church in Cu Kuin District were reportedly threatened of being
killed by the authorities in Dak Lak Province after a meeting with diplomats. Last
December, the Bo Ngoong Commune Police harassed the members of a house church in
Chu Se District in Gia Lai Province for celebrating Christmas, warning them of
being fined or arrested if they continued. The police also confiscated the
church's Christmas fund of 300 million dong ($13,000), Bibles and other
property.
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