Protestant pastor Pham Ngoc Thach
On Sunday, security officers in the Ho Chi Minh City-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport stopped pastor Thach when he was on his way to leave the country. They said that he is on the list of activists who cannot leave the nation due to security reasons under Decree 136 of the government.
By Vu Quoc Ngu, August 3, 2016
On July 31, Vietnam’s security forces barred Protestant pastor Pham Ngoc Thach from taking an international flight to Timor Leste where he was invited to attend 2016 Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia.
On Sunday, security officers in the Ho Chi Minh City-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport stopped pastor Thach when he was on his way to leave the country. They said that he is on the list of activists who cannot leave the nation due to security reasons under Decree 136 of the government.
Pastor Thach, who lives in the Central Highlands, was prisoner of conscience. He was imprisoned for two years for advocating freedom of religion and belief.
After being released, he has been under close surveillance of the local authorities who constantly harass him and his family.
He had been detained and tortured in police station several times in the 2011-2013 period.
The Vietnamese communist government has persecuted independent religious groups, especially Protestant groups in the Central Highlands and the northern mountainous region.
Recently, Christian Aid Mission reported that at least 108 Vietnamese Protestant pastors are currently imprisoned because they refused to register or merge their churches despite pressure from local officials. While in prison, pastors are subject to torture and harsh conditions. Failure to comply with all orders and regulations can bring lethal retribution.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has barred hundreds of local activists from going abroad, not allowing them to travel to foreign countries to meet with international counterparts and diplomats.
Under Decree 136, the minister of public security is responsible for forming a black list of barred activists based on controversial definitions on national security.
The 2016 Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia, held in Dili, East Timor on August 1-2, aimed to (i) provide a platform for various Southeast Asian religious groups and advocates of religious freedom to better understand distinct and shared obstacles experienced across the region, and identify and discuss key emerging issues; (ii) develop advocacy strategies and best practices that work in overcoming the challenges of religious freedom or mitigating religious persecution, and to strengthen the cooperation among multi-stakeholders in promoting FoRB in Southeast Asia; and (iii) create an action plan towards implementing those strategies.
Few Vietnamese activists were able to attend the event due to the blockage of the government.
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August 3, 2016
Vietnamese Protestant Pastor Barred from Going to Timor Leste to Attend Regional Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Protestant pastor Pham Ngoc Thach
By Vu Quoc Ngu, August 3, 2016
On July 31, Vietnam’s security forces barred Protestant pastor Pham Ngoc Thach from taking an international flight to Timor Leste where he was invited to attend 2016 Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia.
On Sunday, security officers in the Ho Chi Minh City-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport stopped pastor Thach when he was on his way to leave the country. They said that he is on the list of activists who cannot leave the nation due to security reasons under Decree 136 of the government.
Pastor Thach, who lives in the Central Highlands, was prisoner of conscience. He was imprisoned for two years for advocating freedom of religion and belief.
After being released, he has been under close surveillance of the local authorities who constantly harass him and his family.
He had been detained and tortured in police station several times in the 2011-2013 period.
The Vietnamese communist government has persecuted independent religious groups, especially Protestant groups in the Central Highlands and the northern mountainous region.
Recently, Christian Aid Mission reported that at least 108 Vietnamese Protestant pastors are currently imprisoned because they refused to register or merge their churches despite pressure from local officials. While in prison, pastors are subject to torture and harsh conditions. Failure to comply with all orders and regulations can bring lethal retribution.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has barred hundreds of local activists from going abroad, not allowing them to travel to foreign countries to meet with international counterparts and diplomats.
Under Decree 136, the minister of public security is responsible for forming a black list of barred activists based on controversial definitions on national security.
The 2016 Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia, held in Dili, East Timor on August 1-2, aimed to (i) provide a platform for various Southeast Asian religious groups and advocates of religious freedom to better understand distinct and shared obstacles experienced across the region, and identify and discuss key emerging issues; (ii) develop advocacy strategies and best practices that work in overcoming the challenges of religious freedom or mitigating religious persecution, and to strengthen the cooperation among multi-stakeholders in promoting FoRB in Southeast Asia; and (iii) create an action plan towards implementing those strategies.
Few Vietnamese activists were able to attend the event due to the blockage of the government.