VIETNAM: FACED WITH BOILING WATER, BROKEN BONES, EVICTION, CHRISTIANS REMAIN FAITHFUL
Three years ago, thugs in a rural village in Vietnam’s Highlands region attacked Sister T* (*name withheld for security reasons). They claimed they had been sent by local authorities to make her renounce her faith. When she refused, they threw boiling water on her.
“This year, the thugs returned,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. “Once again, they claimed the authorities had sent them to cause her to renounce her faith. Once again, she refused.”
The result was a serious assault on Sister T. “She suffered severe pain and was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered several fractures,” says Representative Foley. “Surgery was required to insert pins and stabilize the fractures with splints.”
Voice of the Martyrs Korea released photos of Sister T’s hospital visit and x-rays in order to call attention to the plight of Christians in Vietnam’s Highlands. Despite severe persecution by local authorities and family members, Voice of the Martyrs Korea and other Christian watchdog organizations note that members of Vietnam’s tribal minorities continue to convert to Christianity in large numbers.
“Believers in Vietnam’s Central and Northwest Highlands regions regularly face threats like expulsion from their villages, confiscation or destruction of property, and physical violence,” says Representative Foley. “They’re prevented from supporting themselves, and they’re excluded from social benefits and government aid programs. Then they’re told by authorities, ‘All these problems will go away if you just renounce your faith’.”
Sister T receives hospital care for broken bones following an assault by thugs demanding she renounce her Christian faith
Representative Foley shared the story of Brother O* (*name withheld for security reasons) and his wife as an example of the cases her ministry and other Voice of the Martyrs offices help to address through local Christian partners in Vietnam.
“Earlier this summer, local authorities and thugs came to Brother O’s home and pressured him and his wife to leave the village. When they refused, they were told they would have to pay 10 million VND (approximately 520,000 KRW) to remain. After being threatened with violence, Brother O gave them all the money he had, which was around 6 million VND (approximately 310,000 KRW). About a month ago, the men returned and accused the couple of illegally preaching the gospel and holding unauthorized church gatherings in their home. Before Brother O could respond, they attacked him with a sharp object. Thankfully, it narrowly missed his eye.”
When asked whether they planned to move away, Brother O* told Voice of the Martyrs that his family would have nowhere to go and no way to earn a living.
“He said that if they left, the local authorities would also confiscate their home and land,” says Representative Foley. “He said he would rather die for Christ than abandon the Christian brothers and sisters who gather in his home or the people he is leading to Christ.”
Brother O describes efforts to force he and his wife to leave their home and village
Representative Foley said that evangelists who travel by motorcycle to reach small groups of Christians in the remote villages of Vietnam’s Highlands are frequent targets of persecution.
“Brother H* (*name withheld for security reasons) was training his son in evangelism. They often rode together by motorcycle to villages where they shared the gospel with unreached people. On one journey, they realized they were being followed. They attempted to escape by taking a shortcut along a rough road. They both fell from the motorcycle. Brother H suffered only minor injuries, but his son hit his head. A CT scan revealed bleeding on the brain.”
Doctors initially considered surgery, says Representative Foley. After further consultation, however, they decided to continue to monitor him. She says her organization and the other Voice of the Martyrs offices are also continuing to monitor the situation in case help is needed.
In the 2026 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Commission recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The son of motorcycle evangelist Brother H. The son suffered bleeding on the brain as a result of falling from the motorcycle during an escape from pursuers.
Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea works together with the other Voice of the Martyrs offices to share the stories of faithful believers in Vietnam and to provide them with financial aid and ministry resources as needed.
Individuals interested in learning about Christian persecution in rural Vietnam can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/vietnam.