Vietnamese police attack Catholics because they were praying

08 December 2010
The Underground

Hundreds of Vietnamese security forces attacked recently 100 Degar Catholics while they were worshiping, including women, children and elderly, leaving 22 injured and one crippled.

The attack occurred in Ploi Kret Krot, a highland village in Gia Lai province bordering Cambodia. This is the third attack on Christians in the province, the other two occurring in Ploi Kuk Kong and Ploi Kuk Dak villages, Montagnard Foundation reported.

Villagers were threated with arrest if they told media overseas. Vietnam has, of late escalated a crackdown on Catholics and Christians, some say in light of its pending congress (its first in five years) to meet in January. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/10/vietnam-jails-catholics-over-funeral-melee-14218).

Others blame the crackdown on internal party struggles amid strengthening relations between Vietnam in the U.S. Several human rights groups have asked that Vietnam be placed on the U.S. annual list of Countries of Particular Concern for its violations of religious freedom rights. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/12/christian-watchdog-seeks-release-of-two-pastors-in-vietnam-14706\).

Electric prods, batons

In the latest attack Degar Catholics were holding an open prayer service when local police told them to leave. When the Christians said they were not committing a crime, the police confiscated their crosses, pictures of Jesus and the virgin Mary and other religious artifacts, Montagnard Foundation’s website said.

The website reported the police also beat the worshipers with electric prods, batons, kicks and stomps including women, children and the elderly. Nine were rendered unconscious, while others escaped into the forest.

Those rendered unconscious ranged in age from 24 to 60. They were beaten several times on the head with batons after which they were kicked and stomped on. One of them, A Bom, 50, may be crippled, the website said.

The website listed those who were beaten to unconsciousness as A Kat, 45, A cuun, 27, A Li, 31, A Cur, 43, A Liu, 24, A Sung, 24, A Khin, 46, and A Hlai, 60.

Those who managed to escape were hit on the back and thighs rather than on the head. The website said they are A Wung, 29, A Sinh, 27, A Yil, 30, A Gyun, 28, A Raih, 26, A Do, 30, A Kinh, 31, A Bop, 35, A Ngo, 34, A Mun, 22, A Wung, 17, A Yim, 16, and A Blun, 28.

Many who fled are now in hiding, while the police are hunting them down, patrolling the village and disallowing villagers to leave their homes, according to the website.

There are about 1 million Degar, nearly half of whom are Protestant and 200,000 Roman Catholics. Degar tribes who reside in the highlands do not share the language and culture of Vietnam.

Last month, at a General Assembly of the People of God, Bishop Cosmas Hoang Van Dat, secretary general of the Vietnamese bishops’ conference said, “Vietnamese Catholics are Vietnamese citizens. Our people have contributed to the development of the nation, in culture, education, society and the defense of the country. In particular, good pastors have consolidated and strengthened the Church in Vietnam in the context of contemporary society. We need to have dialogue and cooperation with the government. Above all, we trust in the Vatican and are in communion with the pope,” Spero News reported.