{"id":60485,"date":"2026-09-01T10:24:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T01:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=60485"},"modified":"2026-09-01T10:24:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T01:24:01","slug":"vomk-report-414","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2026\/09\/01\/vomk-report-414\/","title":{"rendered":"VIETNAM: RURAL PASTOR RECEIVES 7 YEAR SENTENCE FOR \u201cUNDERMINING NATIONAL UNITY\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”60494″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”A 59-year-old pastor from Vietnam\u2019s Central Highlands region was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison last month by a court in \u0110\u1eafk L\u1eafk Province on the charge of \u201cundermining the national unity policy\u201d. Pastor Y Nuen Ayun, a member of the Ede ethnic minority, was also sentenced to four years of probationary supervision following completion of the prison sentence. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\u201c<\/span><\/span>Pastor Ayun\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>only crime was being a faithful Christian in a communist country,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe Vietnamese government requires churches to register with the government. Many\u00a0<\/span>pastors like<\/span>\u00a0Pastor Ayun refuse to register\u00a0<\/span>their churches on principle\u00a0<\/span>because of the government\u2019s extensive control over the\u00a0<\/span>registered\u00a0<\/span>churches.\u00a0<\/span>Registered churches\u00a0<\/span>have to<\/span>\u00a0receive approval in advance for\u00a0<\/span>special events<\/span>\u00a0and building changes. They face tight geographical limits on where they can minister. Any contact with foreign Christians is heavily scrutinized.\u00a0<\/span>They have to report about who comes to church and how much money the church receives, and from where.<\/span>\u00a0The government often uses the registered church pastors to spy on the unregistered church groups. Pastor Ayun\u2019s \u2018crime\u2019 was\u00a0<\/span>simply refusing to subject the church to state control. And he is paying a high price for his integrity.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Pastor Ayun was found guilty of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>undermining the nation unity policy<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0according to\u00a0<\/span>Article 116 of Vietnam\u2019s Criminal Code<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>A person violates this article if they commit any of the following acts to oppose the government:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n