Support Persecution Preparedness Training for Vietnamese Christians

According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2019 Annual Report,

“During 2018, the government continued a nationwide crackdown on religious leaders, human rights defenders, peaceful activists, and other critics across the country.”

Voice of the Martyrs Korea representative Foley Hyun-Sook says this assessment is confirmed by local church leaders in Vietnam.

“The Constitution of Vietnam guarantees religious freedom,” says Representative Foley,

“But church leaders have reported to us church raids, harassment of religious leaders, and assault of Christian ethnic minorities. Last January, Vietnam’s Law on Belief and Religion went into effect. This is a law which forces churches to register with the government and submit all religious activities for pre-approval. But this law isn’t a sudden burst of persecution in an otherwise free nation. It’s another bead on a long string of persecution.”

“Persecution of minority Christians, especially Hmong and Montagnard Christians, has been going on for a long time in Vietnam. As the 2019 USCIRF report explains, ‘An estimated 10,000 Hmong and Montagnard Christians in the Central Highlands remain stateless because local authorities have refused to issue ID cards, in many instances in retaliation for refusing to renounce their faith.’”

According to Foley, this is a common tactic of both the Vietnamese government and local Vietnamese authorities when dealing with Christians.

“Christians are often denied social services, utilities, and schooling in an attempt to pressure them into rejecting Christianity,” Foley says.

Foley notes that Voice of the Martyrs has been active in Vietnam for many years but is now concentrating its efforts on providing resources and training to equip Vietnamese pastors and church leaders to make a faithful witness amidst the persecution they are currently experiencing. The training is done by local leaders who have experienced persecution. The training was developed by Voice of the Martyrs in conjunction with persecuted Christians around the world.

In response to continued persecution of Vietnamese Christians under laws enacted in early 2018, Voice of the Martyrs has launched a new partnership with Vietnamese pastors and church leaders. The partnership, which consists of print and digital resources and training events conducted by local leaders throughout the country, is designed to equip Vietnamese Christians to make a faithful witness for Christ in a hostile environment.