Jubilee Campaign Condemns Vietnam for Denying "Mennonite Six" Appeal

A US-based human rights group - Jubilee Campaign - has expressed its concerns over the case of the six Vietnamese Mennonite Church leaders. Since the court hearing on Tuesday 12th April when Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and Evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach were sentenced to three-year and two-year jail respectively, the group have condemned the Vietnamese authorities for denying their appeals.

According to Assist News Service (ANS), the Jubilee Campaign has reported that there was a fear of chaos arising before the court trial on Tuesday.

Jubilee Campaign was quoted, "On the morning of the trial, various police units dressed in riot gear were stationed at the courthouse compound. Around 200 Christians came to the courthouse to show solidarity with the Mennonite prisoners by holding a silent prayer vigil." This has indicated that the authorities were on high alert, and therefore tightened the security for what turned out to be just a group of praying Christians.

"About half of those who came for the vigil were Mennonite leaders and Christians of Vietnam's ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. Leaders from...the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship of house churches (VEF) also participated. They had to overcome much harassment by officials to make the long trip."

The Vietnamese "Mennonite Six" case has drawn the attention from Christians worldwide, as well as Christian persecution watchdog groups such as the Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, Compass Direct, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. All Christians are speaking out for the Vietnamese Mennonite Church leaders.

However, even the basic right to appeal and protest has been blocked by the authorities. Jubilee Campaign reported that after the wife of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang wrote a letter and circulated an urgent appeal to Christians everywhere to fast and pray for justice to be done for her husband and the other Mennonite prisoners, she was summoned to the District 2 police station and given a warning, just one day before the last court hearing.

A Compass Direct news story commented, "Court proceedings violated Vietnam's own appeal regulations, noted legal observers, as the court did not send the legally required announcements and invitation to the families...According to Article 242 of the appeal court rules, the court is required to notify the defendants by official letter at least 15 days before the trial. However, the official notification was not provided to Quang's lawyer until 4th April, only a week before the trial date."

Vietnamese Mennonite leaders remarked that it was very clear that all these actions were intended to intimidate Christians who were close to Pastor Quang.

The Jubilee Campaign said that three other members of the "Mennonite Six" convicted on 12th Nov 2004 for "inciting people to obstruct officials from carrying out their duties"- Evangelists Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Thanh Phuongare and church elder Nguyen Hieu Nghia - have been released after serving their 3-6 months sentences.

The fourth, a 21-year-old church worker named Li Thi Hong Lien, remains in custody amid reports that she has suffered severe abuse while in detention, leading to a complete mental and physical breakdown.

They said, quoted Compass Direct: "We protest this trial because of the court's clear violation of its own procedural rules, and its refusal to admit evidence of the innocence [of] the Rev. Quang and Evangelist Thach prepared by their lawyer. We demand that the remaining Mennonite prisoners be released forthwith, particularly Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien who was abused in prison custody to the point that she lost her mind."

Amidst the seeming wave of government-sponsored persecutions against Christians in Vietnam, the US Department of State has added the country to the list of "countries of particular concern" (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act more. As a result the US may soon announce disciplinary measures against Vietnam for religious rights violations.