Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has accused the Vietnamese government of attempting to “politicise and demonise” regular religious worship, particularly among ethnic minority groups.
The accusation comes following announcements made by Major General Le Quang Nhan, Director of Gia Lai Provincial Police. In a recent meeting with Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, Major Nhan confirmed that 119 Christians in Gia Lai Province were investigated and “handled”.
It was also stated that two criminal cases against four defendants had been initiated. The cases accuse the defendants of being involved with United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and what the Vietnamese government calls “De Ga Protestantism”.
FULRO was an armed group formed in the 1960s. The group represented ethnic minorities within Vietnam, such as the Montagnards in the Central Highlands, most of whom are Protestants. The Vietnamese government views FULRO as a terrorist group in much the same way that the British government viewed the IRA during The Troubles.
However, while the government still likes to raise the spectre of FULRO on national security grounds, any potential threat posed by the group disappeared decades ago. The group’s last armed camp of 400 people surrendered to UN peacekeepers in Cambodia in 1992.
“De Ga Protestantism”, meanwhile, is a term used by the government for groups which combine Protestantism with FULRO aligned political goals i.e. greater autonomy for ethnic minorities. CSW said the term is seen by many as a pejorative that is simply used “to delegitimise the religious practice of ethnic and religious minorities by characterising them as a threat to national security”.
Mervyn Thomas, founder and president of CSW, said, “Vietnam is increasingly becoming one of the most repressive states when it comes to persecuting and prosecuting religious groups.
“Branding religious communities as De Ga or FULRO is an unabashed attempt to politicise and demonise lawful religious activity – we are not fooled.
“The Vietnamese government must be held to account for its ongoing assault on the right to freedom of religion or belief and other fundamental freedoms.”