Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 254 – Tue 13 Jan 2004

——————————————- VIETNAM: IMPORTANT CASE NEEDS URGENT PRAYER ——————————————-

On Tuesday 13 January 2004, Pastor Bui Van Ba, General Secretary of the Full Gospel House Church in Vietnam, will stand trial in a People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City on a contrived charge of ‘interfering with an officer doing his duty’. Under Vietnam’s legal system, Pastor Ba’s legal advisors are not permitted to help defend him. However, Christians in Vietnam are planning to attend the trial in large numbers. They have also urged members of Western consulates and embassies as well as foreign journalists to witness it – if they are permitted to attend.

The charge stems from Pastor Ba’s concern to get his ailing wife, Mrs May, to hospital in the midst of a violent police raid on a prayer meeting in his home on 18 August 2003. Mrs May was knocked to the ground by the police as they invaded the house, later fainting with severe chest pains. When the police refused Pastor Ba’s plea, the believers implored them to let him leave with his wife. At this, the police violently attacked Pastor Ba, restraining his children and beating him brutally. They had already assaulted Christians present and beaten a Pastor Hanh’s head into a concrete wall. Pastor Ba, Pastor Hanh and several of the believers were then taken to the police station. (Eventually one of the other believers was allowed to take Mrs May to the emergency ward of the hospital.)

At the police station Pastor Ba was chained to a post and beaten by police. He was then stripped and locked in a cell for 36 hours without food, water or a blanket. The seven believers arrested with the pastors were charged with administrative offences and released after being detained for 12 hours. The two pastors were released from prison on 19 August 2003 and placed under house arrest.

The Centre for Religious Freedom (Washington) reports that on 5 January 2004, leaders of the 21 house church organisations of the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship published a four-page ‘letter of protest’ which they addressed to foreign embassies, domestic and foreign mass media, and human rights organisations. They are calling for the dismissal of all charges against Pastor Ba, and for action to be taken against the police and security officials who attacked the pastor and other church attenders. These Christian leaders have done this knowing they risk reprisals.

The Rev. Pham Dinh Nhan has called on the Christians in the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship to fast and pray from 12 through 14 January for justice for Pastor Ba.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* justice to be done at Pastor Ba’s trial and that the police and officials who acted criminally will be charged.

* God to protect the courageous Christian leaders who have greatly risked their own safety by publicly protesting this injustice and drawing attention to abuse of religious liberty in Vietnam.

* the Holy Spirit to burn within all suffering, grieving, frightened, imprisoned Vietnamese believers, counselling them (John 14:16), comforting them (2 Cor 1:3) and strengthening them (Isaiah 40:31).

* all the suffering connected with this case to be used by God, redeemed for his glory and purpose and result in the eventual blessing of the Church in Vietnam.

~~~

SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ———————————————————— TRIAL SPOTLIGHTS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ABUSES IN VIETNAM

Vietnam follows the standard Communist system of controlling religion through ‘official’ state churches. Being outside this system, Vietnam’s house churches are therefore illegal and suffer official systematic oppression and persecution. Many pastors, Catholic and Protestant, are in prison for being involved in the house church movement. In August 2003, Pastor Bui Van Ba, General Secretary of the Full Gospel House Church, was arrested and severely beaten, both in front of his family and later at the police station. His wife had collapsed with chest pains as police violently searched her home and assaulted believers who had met there for prayer. Pastor Ba was charged with ‘interfering with an officer doing his duty’ because he tried to take her to hospital. Vietnam’s house church leaders have put themselves at great risk by publicly protesting the situation. Please pray for change in Vietnam.

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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