After they had taken Quang to prison, the police officers went to a building in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, which serves as the Mennonite church and office, as well as the Quangs' primary residence. Pushing their way into the house, they detained Quang's wife and children, along with others present, and for over four hours, ransacked the place. They confiscated personal papers and money and carted off computers and many files on the human rights abuses that Quang and his colleagues were investigating. It is expected that Pastor Quang will be tried in court on charges of "inciting people to resist officers of the law doing their duty." It is impossible to predict when he will actually stand trial.
Pastor Quang's arrest is thought to be directly connected to an incident in early March when church elder Nguyen Hieu Nghia and three evangelists were arrested (click here for details). It is suspected that one or more of the four prisoners cracked under the pressure of their interrogation and provided "evidence" against Pastor Quang to the authorities, giving them an excuse to arrest him.
Pastor Quang is one of Vietnam's leading pastors. As chairman of the legal committee of the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship of house churches, he works as an advocate for those whose religious liberty was abused, either through quiet negotiations or peaceful legal demonstrations. Sometimes his actions succeeded in forcing authorities to relent.
Pray for strength and courage for Pastor Quang. Pray for his wife, Dung (pronounced "yoom") and children Gideon (9), Daniel (8) and Anne (2).
We also encourage Christians around the world to write polite letters, expressing concern for Pastor Quang and calling for his release, as well as the release of the other four Mennonites arrested in March. Contact information is available below, or click here.
Mr. Ngo Yen Thi, Director
Government Bureau of Religious Affairs
53 Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Ambassador Richard Lecoq
Canadian Embassy
31 Hung Vuong
Hanoi
VIETNAM
We also ask that you contact your government representatives, asking them to take action against Vietnam in response to their violations of religious rights. Notes of encouragement may also be sent to Pastor Quang's family at:
Rev. and Mrs. Nguyen Hong Quang and family
C5/1H Tran Nao
Phuong Binh Khanh, Quan 2
Ho Chi Minh City
VIETNAM
For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam, click here.
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