Vietnamese Government Violating Religious Freedom of the Mennonite Church in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. Update on December 1, 2015

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Vietnamese Government Violating Religious Freedom of the Mennonite Church in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. Update on December 1, 2015"

Miranda Taylor
5 years ago
Views:

1 Vietnamese Government Violating Religious Freedom of the Mennonite Church in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam Update on December 1, 2015 The Vietnamese authorities continue to harass and physically assault members of the Mennonite Church. Following are the key incidents. On each Sunday between November 9 and November 30, 2014, this group of over 80 individuals participated in attacks as witnessed by at least 5 families living near the Mennonite Religious Training Center and over 40 Church members staying in the Center in My Phuoc 1. They consisted of approximately 10 undercover public security agents, nicely dressed and carrying expensive cell phones, supported by over 70 men who had the looks of thugs. At least 5 families living near the Center and over 40 Church members who had been previously attacked confirmed that the 70 plus men were thugs employed by public security and who came from the northern provinces such as Nghe An, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, or Hai Duong. November 9, From approximately 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2014 public security ordered over 150 thugs to surround and attack the Mennonite Center. 10 or more (nicely dressed) plainclothes public security agents sat in a coffee shop across the street from the Center. They directed the attack on the Center, the attack was carried out by a group of hired thugs. 5 other agents took up various positions on D10 Street near the Center. Pastors knew by sight nearly all who live near the Center; and therefore recognized government personnel because they are not local residents. Public security stopped all other civilians from approaching the center; thus, any strangers that the pastors saw must have been part of the government s group. Our experience shows that public security agents who operated undercover typically wear decent clothing and constantly use their cell phones while directing the operation. Local residents who witnessed the attacks told the pastors that the hired thugs who did the actual work spoke with accents typical of other provinces. That time, there were more thugs than in previous government operations. About 10 males penetrated deeply into the Center to smash glass windows and pots containing plants and flowers, while at least 10 others removed the metal gate and threw it down on the street. They pulled the 1000-liter water tank down onto the ground and destroyed the water pump to prevent church members from having any water. Nearly 40 church members trapped in the Center and a number of local residents witnessed the presence of fast-reaction police (113 police) in uniform and riding motorcycles. Those police officers 1

2 positioned themselves about 10 meters from the Center, but did not stop the thugs rampage. Residents living near the Center saw everything but could not be witnesses because they fear the government. Public security of Ben Cat District ordered 17 factory workers, all Mennonites, to report to the public security station at 7 p.m. for an interrogation related to public order and security. Those workers did not go to the public security station because they had to worship at 7 p.m. in the Center. Their names are listed as Item 2 of the addendum. - In the afternoon of November 8, 2014, 10 men stopped Pastor Tran Minh Hoa as he was coming home from work and assaulted him as he came close to the Center. No one knew if the assailants were real thugs or public security agents pretending to be thugs, but Pastor Hoa s role as the senior clergyman of the My Phuoc Church was the reason for the attack. Passers-by and local residents saw the attack but dared not come forward as witnesses. Pastor Hoa recovered from blows to his chest and back without long-lasting health problems. November 12 November 13, At approximately 11 p.m. on November 12, 2014, about 10 plainclothes agents used hammers and pliers to force their way through the Center s gate. They announced themselves as public security agents tasked with checking the status of the out-of-town trainees who were at the Center. They asked the 9 trainees for their ID cards. The agents also brought along 8 scantily dressed women, ordered them to stay inside, and then went outside to film the 8 women standing among church members. The women did what the agents told them to do, e.g., entering the Center or leaving the Center. Public security used the footage to charge the Church with engaging in prostitution under the guise of religion. Public security used the same tactic in 2010, 2012, and 2013 to charge the Church with engaging in prostitution. When the agents first brought the 8 women inside, a number of church members, including Mrs. Le Thi Phuoc Hien, Rev. Quang s mother-in-law, protested the presence of so many suspicious females at a religious facility. Other than voicing protests, those church members took no action. - At approximately 11:30 p.m., public security took 9 church members into custody without presenting a warrant. When church members asked agents to read aloud their official order, the agents refused. The public security office gave the reason for the arrests: no ID cards. Yet those agents had seized the victims ID cards and temporary residency permits during previous raids. - Public security released the detainees shortly after 2 a.m. on November 13, 2014, after more than 2 hours of interrogation. Although agents tried to make the victims sign an agreement to stop worshipping at Pastor Quang s church, no one signed the paper. During the interrogation, an agent introduced himself as specializing in religious affairs. He and the others requested church members, including Evangelists and pastors, to stop unauthorized retreats and group prayers because the government had not yet allowed the Church to operate. 2

3 November 22, On November 22, 2014, about 10 plainclothes agents directed thugs who threw rotten eggs into the Center. 4 or 5 masked men wearing gloves brought over 100 rotten eggs penetrated the Center where they threw many eggs at the worship room, the pastor s room, his two sons room, the dining room, the communal kitchen, and the children s classroom. The eggs broke against windows, then dripped onto the hallways, causing a tremendous stench. During the attack, a public security captain constantly telephoned the Center to ask Mr. Dinh Nhat Minh Khoa, the Center s English teacher and Bible teacher, asking him to meet with him outside on security and public order matters. Mr. Khoa did not come out, knowing that they would detain him if he stepped out. - At about 7 p.m. on November 23, 2014, about 10 men on powerful motorcycles gathered at the intersection of Street N6A and Street D10 (50 meters from the Center) and intended to ambush and assault Mr. Khoa. Fortunately, a local resident warned Mr. Khoa, saving him from a vicious attack. November 28, At about 7 p.m. on November 28, 2014, thugs resumed throwing rotten eggs, this time with dead fish into the Center. - At about 8 p.m., 5 to 6 men armed with knives, machetes and hammers entered the Center. Only 3 trainees were in the Center (Y Ngan, Giang Mi Mua, Trang A Xai) along with Pastor Quang s elderly mother-in-law. All four hid in a room used by female trainees on the third floor after locking the door. The assailants damaged the stairs, searched the worship room and library, tipped the bookcases onto the floor, smashed furniture, and caused other damages. The 3 students and elderly woman were safe inside the room. After rampaging for 2 hours, the thugs left after ruining the stairs, throwing all books and other printed religious materials to the ground, and leaving behind a pile of rubble and broken things. December 2, 2014 December 3, At approximately 11 p.m. on December 2, 2014, about 10 uniformed public security agents and 10 plainclothes agents showed up. They introduced themselves as agents from Ben Cat Ward s public security station. Using tools, they pried open the gate, entered, and asked to speak with Mr. Tu Van Len and Pastor Quang s mother-in-law, Mrs. Le Thi Phuoc Hien. Over 20 men stood outside the Center. The 10 uniformed agents asked for Mr. Tu Van Len s ID card and announced that they were about to have the place searched. The plainclothes agents went everywhere in the Center, opened the doors to the prayer room, library, restrooms, Pastor Quang s room, the female trainees room, etc. to see if anyone was hiding. 3

4 Finally, the chief of Ben Cat Ward public security, Mr. Pham Quoc Thai, started to write a citation as they arrested Mr. Tu Van Len at about 11:20 p.m. At the public security station, Mr. Thai completed his citation, documenting the fine against Mr. Tu Van Len, 200,000 in Vietnamese currency, for illegal residency. - They released Mr. Len (by then exhausted) at around 2:30 a.m. - In the afternoon of December 3, Mrs. Le Thi Phuoc Hien inspected the Center. She saw graffiti painted on walls, including House of pleasure and other obscenities. She also saw a white strip of cloth left on a beam to intimidate church members (photo taken on December 3, 2014, included in part II, section 3 of the Addendum 1). - At about 10 a.m. on December 7, a church member who was traveling on Highway 13 near the Thoi Hoa Ward public security station saw approximately 20 masked men assaulting Pastor Tran Minh Hoa, with 2 public security agents among the assailants. - At 10:37 a.m. on December 7, Pastor Hoa told the person reporting that public security released him after interrogating him throughout the night. At a few hundred meters from the Thoi Hoa public security station, near the My Phuoc 3 gate on Highway 13, assailants gave him a severe beating, including kicks and punches aimed at his belly and other body areas. They took his cell phone and said that they would arrest him again in the afternoon. - The church member who had been released along with Pastor Hoa, Mr. Phuong, was also beaten. He revealed that the beating lasted 15 minutes as they reached the gate leading into My Phuoc 3. Phuong felt pain throughout his body. Although he had registered for his temporary stay and had government cards authorizing his temporary absence from his community and temporary stay at the Mennonite Center, public security warned him not to conduct religious activities at the Center. - Mr. Dinh Nhat Minh Khoa, also interrogated that night, revealed that 2-person teams of agents took turns to interrogate him from December 6 (midnight) through noon of December 7, They seized his Honda motorcycle, papers, temporary residency permit, etc., after striking him very hard on his head, causing a headache. The interrogation focused on his religious activities at Mennonite retreats and training sessions in Tam Ky, Quang Ngai Province during the previous 2 months. Mr. Minh Khoa is from the H'rê ethnic group in Quang Ngai, works for the Ta Tung Ny Phuoc Company in Binh Duong Province, saved money to study English and the Bible; received his bachelor s degree in theology, and devoted all his time to serving Christ. This young believer teaches English and translates from English to Vietnamese, has never done anything to harm national security. Yet the government set up a meeting to accuse him of reactionary activities and threatened to expel him from the area. - At 11:30 a.m. on December 12, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuan telephoned to tell that public security expelled his parents from their leased room after seizing their temporary residency permit cards. His mother and two younger brothers work for a foreign company in the area. Although they were believers, they had not dared to come to the Center over the past few weeks. Still, public security had blacklisted his family 4

5 of five and arbitrarily deported them without any court decision. Thuan had been coming to the Center to repair water pipes, toilets, etc. and do cleaning work (the other 4 family members had been staying away out of fear). Public security must have targeted his family for his actions. 5

6 ADDENDUM 1 I: List of victims of the religious freedom violation 1. Victims information - All are members of the Mennonite Church whose lead pastor is Rev. Quang Hong Nguyen. a. - Family name: Tran - Given name: Minh Hoa - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Sex: male b. - Family name: Dinh - Given name: Nhat Minh Khoa - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male c. - Family name: A - Given name: Ben - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male 6

7 d. Family name: A - Given name: Bung - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male e. - Family name: Y - Given name: Ngan - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male. f. - Family name: Giang - Given name: Mi Mua - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male g. - Family name: Ho - Given name: Van Tuyen - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male 7

8 h. - Family name: Tran - Given name: A Xai - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male i. - Family name: Nguyen - Given name: Quang Trieu - Address or Place of Origin: D10 Street, Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province. - Birth date: Gender: Male j. - Family name: Tu - Given name: Van Len - Address or Place of Origin: Phan Văn Hớn Street, Xuan Thoi Thuong, Hoc Mon - Birth date: March 26, Gender: Male k. - Family name: Nguyen - Given name: Xuan Phuong - Address: Đường D10, Xã Thới Hòa, Huyện Bến Cát, Tỉnh Bình Dương. - Birth date: unknown - Gender: Male 8

9 2. List of 16 victims interrogated at public security station on November 9, 2014 Order No. Family Name Given Name Gender 1 Ho Thi Dam Female 2 Ho Thi Hanh Female 3 Ho Thi Nhi Female 4 Dinh Thi Ba Huong Female 5 Dang Ngoc Thuan Male 6 Ho Van Hien Nam 7 Dinh Thi Chi Female 8 H Nha Ca Bla Male 9 Đinh Thị Lê Female 10 H Rim Nie Male 11 H Tiri Bya Male 12 H Trem Broong Male 13 H Met Bya Male 14 H Kruc Nie Male 15 H Juoong Bkrong Male 16 H Wo Nie Male Non-victim witnesses: - Family name: Từ - Given name: Văn Lên - Religion: Mennonite - Residence: đường Phan Văn Hớn, Xuân Thới Thượng, Hoocmon. - Tel: Birth date: 3/26/ Age: 26 - Gender: Nam - Citizenship: Việt Nam Anh Đặng Ngọc Thuận muốn công khai làm nhân chứng cho vụ việc - Family name: Đặng - Given name: Ngọc Thuận - Religion: Mennonite 9

- Residence: Mỹ Phước 2, Thới Hòa, Bến Cát, Bình Dương - Tel: 0997227646 - Age: 24 - Gender: Nam - Citizenship: Việt Nam See below photos taken during the incidents II.

10 - Residence: Mỹ Phước 2, Thới Hòa, Bến Cát, Bình Dương - Tel: Age: 24 - Gender: Nam - Citizenship: Việt Nam See below photos taken during the incidents II. Photos taken during the incidents: 1-16 Letters inviting victims to Administrative Office of housing quarter 6 of Thoi Hoa Ward for questioning: inviting Victim Ho Thi Dam inviting Victim: Ho Thi Hanh 10

11 inviting Victim Ho Thi Nhi: Inviting victim Dinh Thi Ba Huong: 11

12 inviting victim Dang Ngoc Thien: inviting victim Ho Van HIen: 12

13 inviting victim Dinh Thi Chi: inviting victim H. Nha Ca Bla: 13

14 inviting victim Dinh Thi Le: inviting victim H Rim Nie: 14

15 inviting victim H Tiru Bya: inviting victim Juoong Bkrong: 15

16 Inviting victim H Het Bya: inviting H Ruc Nie: 16

17 Inviting victim H Ju on Bkrong: inviting victim H Wo Nie: 17

18 2. 6 Photos of the Mennonite Training Center of My Phuoc I, D10 Street, Thoi Hoa, Ben Cat, Binh Duong being attacked and rampaged by thugs (under the directives of public security agents), and plainclothes agents on November 16, 2014: 18

19 19

20 20

21 21

22 3-9 Photos of rotten eggs thrown by thugs into the Mennonite Training Center of My Phuoc I, Binh Duong, and different areas of the Center were sabotaged on November 22, 2014: 22

23 23

24 24

25 25

26 26

REPORT Independent Cao Dai Church s Activities from 10/2015 through 02/2016

REPORT Independent Cao Dai Church s Activities from 10/2015 through 02/2016 Respectfully submitted to: - United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). - The Honorable David Saperstein,