Vietnam Allows Operation of Conditional "House Church"

The Vietnamese Government's treatment of Christians has recently been heated by a number of events. Last week, the court was set to hear the appeal of Reverend Nguyen Hong Quang and evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach of the Vietnam Mennonite Church. However, the appeal was postponed. They were arrested one year ago in a crackdown and the sudden postponement has greatly worried Christians who originally called for a special prayer vigil for the appeal.

On the other hand, the Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has issued an instruction guiding affairs concerning Protestantism, and reaffirmed the state’s willingness to "create more favourable conditions for Protestant followers to adhere to their local communities, thus encouraging them to get more deeply involved in local economic, cultural and social development as well as national construction and defence."

In addition, as stated in a release by the Associated Press (AP), under the decree issued on Friday, the house churches will be allowed to operate if they revoke all ties to FULRO (the French acronym for the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races). FULRO is a guerrilla group that fought alongside the Americans during the Vietnam War.

The "house churches" in fact used to be banned from operation as they are run by followers of Dega Protestantism, an unsanctioned form of evangelical Protestantism that Vietnam has condemned as being linked to a separatist movement.

However, now according to the decree, "If the religious followers there have pure religious needs, commit to abiding by the law, do not work for the reactionary FULRO, and have no connection to Dega Protestantism, the local governments will create conditions for them to carry out normal religious activities at home or at suitable places in their villages."

Protestant followers in Vietnam's northern mountainous provinces will also be allowed to practice their religion, according to the decree.

The Prime Minister demanded the local governments to "seriously and effectively implement these specific tasks" and "carry out severe punishments against illegal religious activities". The names of those who disguise themselves as Protestant clergy to engage in anti-government activities are called to be publicised as well.

The religious freedom and human rights in Vietnam are known to be very poor. It is now under extremely strong international pressure to make improvements, especially from the US government and the European Union. The way is now finally beginning to open.

This month, Hanoi will also release two of its most prominent dissidents - Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly and Dr. Nguyen Dan Que - as part of a Lunar New Year prisoner amnesty.