VIETNAM

'Christian religion is America's religion and is not allowed here'

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Posted: September 14, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern




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© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Vietnamese authorities burned more than 10 homes of tribal Christians who refused to deny their faith, a U.S. persecution monitor reported.

Christians in Suoi Rut hamlet, Doi Sau village, Quang Ngai province, were forced to flee their village July 21 and now are searching for a new place to live, according to Washington, D.C.-based International Christian Concern.


The victims belonged to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, which has formal recognition by the Vietnamese government.

But the local communist authorities publicly have stated "the Christian religion is America's religion, and is not allowed here."

ICC released a statement from a pastor of the Hre tribe:


Sunday, Aug. 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."
Hoang refused, and the police chief called numerous officials, including Dinh van Xoa, hamlet chief, and Dinh van Hoach, his assistant, to come and destroy Hoang's house.

The officials told Hoang that if he recanted his faith, they would rebuild his house, but Hoang again refused.

The authorities then destroyed his animal pens.

ICC points out that the U.S. State Department last fall designated Vietnam a Country of Particular Concern, which requires issuance of penalties or benchmarks of improvement within six months.

But no penalties or benchmarks were assessed by last spring due to political pressures and assurances from the Vietnamese government that its behavior, including persecution of tribal Christians, would cease.



In June, at the time of President Bush's historic meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom reported beatings, forced renunciation of faith and land confiscations carried out against Hmong Christians.

Freedom House says the oppression of religious minorities in Vietnam continued despite a May 5 agreement with the U.S. that Vietnam would liberalize its treatment of religious believers.

In April, according to reports, officials seized the properly registered land of 12 Christian families in Lu Khai Villiage, in the Ta Pinh Commune of Sa Pa District.

Members of the families said officials told them their land was seized because they "believe in a Christian God."

Officials reportedly informed the 12 families that their land would be reinstated if they signed an agreement renouncing Christianity. They also threatened to confiscate the land of 33 other Christian families.

Christianity is not America's religion, although it is the predominate belief, it started in Israel and spread worldwide. (btw, it's still spreading).

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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

On July 19th, some 200 officials cordoned off the area around the Mennonite Church center and home of imprisoned Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, according to a press release by the Vietnam Mennonite Church General Office. Seventy government officials and hired hands used hammers and electric saws to destroy an 8-by-4.7-meter rear portion of the two-story home and the main center of the Mennonite Church of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. After four hours of destructive work, they left a pile of rubble including brick, wood and metal rebar. In addition to the rear 4 meters of the building that they accused Pastor Quang of having illegally constructed several years ago, authorities also destroyed 4 meters of the church's meeting room where weekly worship services are held. The space above the church's meeting room is the home of the family of the Rev. Quang. Authorities charged it had been built without a permit, a technicality rarely required in Vietnam. The Mennonite Church of Vietnam reports they had petitioned officials many times, pointing out the irrational nature of the order, but the People's Committee refused to deal fairly with the issue. While government authorities were tearing down the building, they blocked the mobile phone of Mrs. Quang so she could not communicate with anyone. After the officials left, a steady stream of Christians came to visit and comfort Mrs. Quang and her two small children and helped her tidy up the mess left behind. Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, who has recently suffered a serious decline in his health, has been incarcerated since June 8, 2004, and is currently held in the infamous Dac Trung Prison in Dak Lak province. Click here to view picturesof the church destruction.

Pray God will give Mrs. Quang and her children a supernatural peace only He can give. Give thanks and praise for the Christian friends who came to comfort and give practical help. Continue to pray Jesus will comfort Rev. Quang as he remains faithful to the One who called him. If you are interested in sending Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang a letter of encouragement, go to www.prisoneralert.com.

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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Just five days after authorities demolished half of a Mennonite church center, officials on Sunday evening forced their way in to disband a prayer meeting. As Christians were praying quietly, one of 30 local authorities shouted at them to stop and ordered Le Thi Phu Dzung (the wife of imprisoned Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang) to disband the meeting. Dzung was cited for "gathering a crowd and disturbing public order" and "conducting illegal religious activities." Officials returned to the Mennonite center just before 9:00 p.m. for a second raid on a tip that Dzung had convened another meeting. Finding no meeting, the security police instead threatened to confiscate motorcycles parked inside the building. A prominent house-church leader remarked that the May 2005 U.S.-Vietnam agreement on improving religious liberty is on trial.

Give thanks to God for His faithful and courageous servant, Le Thi Phu Dzung. Pray the strong opposition to this church will only embolden the believers to stand up for Jesus. Pray the love of Christ demonstrated by these believers will draw many to their Savior.
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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Last week Vietnamese prison authorities offered to release Mennonite pastor Nguyen Hong Quang if he would confess to a crime for which he is serving a three-year sentence. In March 2004, Rev. Quang confronted two plainclothes policemen who had harassed some of his workers, the basis of his conviction in November 2004 for "interfering with officers doing their duty." On August 9th, authorities took Rev. Quang 155.3 miles to another prison to offer him freedom, but he refused to sign a declaration of guilt. Publicity over Rev. Quang's case has embarrassed the Vietnamese government, as it is urgently trying to show the world a kinder face in its treatment of religious groups. (Click here)

Praise God for His faithful servant Rev. Quang, who refuses to deny his Lord and Savior. Pray his example will inspire many Christians to be bold in their faith. Pray this incident will be used as evidence to other world governments of Vietnam's lack of religious freedom.

_________________
"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

On August 30th, as part of Vietnam's National Day amnesty, Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, a Mennonite pastor convicted of resisting officers doing their duty, was released from prison. The Vietnamese Mennonite Church leader had faced severe pressure to sign an admission of guilt. Rev. Quang, convicted on November 12, 2004, has been held in five different prisons. According to area Mennonites, at times he was abused by fellow prisoners who were rewarded for doing so by the authorities. His health deteriorated considerably during hard labor at a prison in Dak Lak province, and he suffered frequent fainting spells.

Praise God Rev. Quang was released from prison. Ask God for his complete healing-body, soul and spirit-as well as eternal fruit from his time in prison.

_________________
"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Officials in Son Ha district incited a mob to burn down the home of evangelist Dinh Van Hoang in Quang Ngai province on August 21st, because he would not sign a paper denying his Christian faith. Local authorities came to Hoang's home that Sunday morning and told him Christians were not accepted there. They warned him he would have to give up his religious faith or face the destruction of his home. Hoang, as he has done previously, replied he could not give up his faith. Soon after, a mob burned down his house containing all his possessions. Additionally, in late July authorities in Son Tinh, Quang Ngai Province, destroyed the homes of 10 Hre families because they would not give up their Christian faith. The actions came after Vietnam adopted legislative measures supposed to support greater religious freedom.

Pray Hoang will continue to trust in God, who works His judgment on all who are oppressed. Pray Christians in Vietnam will continue bold in their faith and loving witness. Pray officials will enforce the new legislation so it provides more religious freedom.

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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Less than a year after believers in Vietnam's central Quang Ngai province saw some of their dwellings destroyed, a mob burned down five homes of other Hre minority Christians in the legally recognized Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South). Church leaders believe local authorities either allowed or instigated the burning of the five homes owned by Hre Christians in Son Tinh Commune, Son Tay district of Quang Ngai province, on the morning of March 7th. In addition, two believers who had rebuilt area homes destroyed in July 2005 had their outbuildings for storing paddy rice burned on March 4th. One of the Christians, Dinh Van Heo, lost 55 sacks of rice and recently faced severe pressure to recant his faith.

Pray God will move in the hearts of the Quang Ngai authorities to enforce justice in this province. Pray the Christians' witness of love and forgiveness will lead many to Christ. Pray these acts of violence against the property of Christians will cause people to seek the Prince of Peace.

_________________
"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

The Montagnard Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the rights of the indigenous people of Vietnam's Central Highlands, reports the torture and death of Siu Lul, a Degar Christian. On April 20th, Siu Lul was denied food and water by Vietnamese authorities in Ha Nam prison where he was beaten and tortured. Lul was 62 years old and from the village of Ploi Kueng, Habong commune, Cu Se District, Gia Lai province. He had been arrested, tortured and imprisoned at the prison facility in Ha Nam since 2004. A media advisory obtained by ANS says: "On April 24, 2006, he succumbed from the effects of torture and lack of water and food. The authorities wanted the family to take his body back to his village, but his family did not have money to pay for the transportation and he was buried in Ha Nam." The Montagnard Foundation notes there are still over 350 Degar prisoners of conscience who remain imprisoned in Vietnam's brutal prison system. The indigenous Montagnard Degar peoples have suffered decades of persecution by the government of Vietnam, namely confiscation of their ancestral lands, Christian religious repression, torture, killings and imprisonment.

Pray the Lord will shine the light of His love and comfort on Siu Lul's family and friends. Pray God will empower Degar Christians to be strong witnesses of His love as they forgive those who treated their brother so cruelly. Pray the Lord will work a miracle of His power as He leads many communists to faith in His Son.

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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Following an August 15-18 visit to Vietnam by U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom John Hanford, indications are that Vietnam will be taken off the U.S. list of the world's worst religious liberty offenders. With the planned September 2nd release from prison of key Hmong Christian leader Ma Van Bay – described as "propaganda exercises" by one human rights advocate – various releases by the Vietnam News Agency signal that Vietnamese officials expected Ambassador Hanford to take good news of religious liberty progress back to Washington. Vietnam's presence on the list of "Countries of Particular Concern" has remained a barrier to its membership in the World Trade Organization. According to representatives of the majority of Protestants in Vietnam – who remain unregistered and thus illegal – while there have been some modest and spotty improvements, there is still no clear indication of a breakthrough or even that reform is uniform and systematic. They also note that not one of the many officials who have broken Vietnam's laws in mistreating Christians has yet been charged.

Pray God will comfort and strengthen all believers in Vietnam who continue to suffer for Jesus' sake. Pray the Lord will speak to the hearts of the Vietnamese authorities, convicting them that everything hidden will be revealed. Pray God will open the eyes of our own government officials and give them courage to demand the release of all Vietnamese imprisoned for their steadfast faith in Jesus.
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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Government Plan to Subdue Spread of Protestantism - Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide learned about an internal Vietnamese government training manual, which outlines a plan "to resolutely subdue the abnormally rapid and spontaneous development of the Protestant religion." This plan seeks to dampen the spread of Protestantism among ethnic minorities in the country's northwest highlands. Pray God will continue the "abnormal" growth of His kingdom in Vietnam. 1 Peter 2:9, 10

_________________
"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Police arrest Pastor's family and demolish part of building - Compass Direct News
On January 9, 2007, police raided Rev. Hong Quang's church and residence and arrested 17 people who were having a prayer meeting. While in custody, some believers were threatened, crudely grabbed, led by the hair, slapped on the face and beaten. Pray God's protection and courage for Christians in Vietnam. Deuteronomy 31:6

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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.

Four Church Leaders Arrested - VOM Sources
Four church leaders from Tuyen Quang province were arrested by border patrol police at the border between China and Vietnam in Ha Giang province. They were on their way home from collecting books and funds for the Pastor Support Program in Vietnam. There is no further information on their arrest. Pray God will protect them in prison and open a door for them in prison so they can share the gospel for which they suffer. Ask Him to encourage their families and for the Vietnamese government to release them. Colossians 4:2-3
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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.