Facing pressure from international organizations calling for the release of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang (click here for more details on his arrest), the official Vietnamese press has released defamatory statements against Pastor Quang, referring to him as a hooligan, a gangster, and a "habitual criminal." The news releases by the Vietnam News Agency on June 30 and July 3 outline the "criminal" activity of Quang, including various arrests and his imprisonment from 1984-87 for "disseminating counterrevolutionary documents." The charges against him have included organizing illegal meetings, obstruction of police officers, organizing protests and obstructing the demolition of illegal construction.
It is evident from statements made by the official press agency that the Vietnamese government has clearly felt the pressure to release Quang and is attempting to justify his imprisonment through showing that he has been acting against the best interests of the country. VOM spokesman, Glenn Penner, says that the wording of their accusations, however, only vaguely covers the real reason for his imprisonment. "Quang was arrested because he was fighting for the religious freedom of Christians in Vietnam," says Penner. "This is something that the present government of Vietnam is not prepared to allow." Quang's struggle for religious freedom makes him, according to the Vietnam News Agency on June 30, "an habitual criminal, abusing democratic and religious freedom to disseminate wrong information and to incite others to act against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam." Apparently, information that does not agree with the official viewpoint of the government is judged to be wrong and, therefore, illegal.
In a related development, the Vietnamese government has recently adopted a new religion law, to take effect on November 15. According to a July 13 report from Associated Press, the law reiterates and strengthens many of the existing policies. Among other things, the law would require that all clergy seek permission to speak outside of their regular church or to hold any religious meetings. Citizens would be banned from using religious freedom to, in any way, cause divisions and any religious activities that threaten social order or unity would be prohibited.
Pray for the release of Nguyen Hong Quang and for his safety in prison. Pray for his family during this time. We encourage Christians throughout the world to continue to pressure the Vietnamese government by raising concerns about Quang's arrest with government officials. Contact information is available on our website (click here).
For more information on persecution facing Christians in Vietnam, click here.
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