At 7:40 a.m. on March 3, a delegation led by Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang greeted Pham Ngoc Thach as he was released from the Z30A Prison in Xuan Loc after serving two years in prison. Thach is the last of six Mennonite workers arrested in 2004 to be released. During his imprisonment, Thach endured beatings from police and fellow prisoners and hard labour, which included digging graves for fellow prisoners who died.
The Vietnam Mennonite Church believes the release of these workers can be directly attributed to the international attention to this case. "The leadership committee of the Vietnam Mennonite Church wishes to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all who prayed, worked on behalf of, and supported our workers imprisoned because of their faith."