The Police in Vietnam in a renewed attack on Christians in that country have along with “armed thugs” ransacked a a Mennonite center and arrested Christians for not having identity papers which the Officials had confiscated previously.
This is contained in a statement by Release International (www.releaseinternational.org), United Kingdom (UK), adding that the Officials and ‘hired hands’ wielded hammers and metal-cutters as they attacked the Mennonite Christian center in Ben Cat, north of Ho Chi Minh City, last week.
Quoting Morning Star News, it noted that among those detained and charged for not having proper papers were two pastors and the son of church leader Nguyen Hong Quang. The Christians were interrogated for two hours before being released. Their documents had been confiscated during earlier raids and not returned.
The statement said the raid last Friday, which was filmed by police, was the latest in a string of attacks on Pastor Quang’s congregation since June. “Officials have cut off water and power supplies to their center and roads leading to it have been blocked. More than 30 church members have been injured, some requiring hospital treatment. Some say they have been harassed at home and work too.”
It noted that Pastor Quang and five other members of his church came to international prominence as the ‘Mennonite Six’ when they were imprisoned in 2004, and that since his release, Pastor Quang, who is also a lawyer, has concentrated on church activities rather than campaigning for religious freedom – but persecution of his church has continued regardless.
According to the statement, Release International, a registered Charity in UK, through its international network of missions, serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice.