Saigon:
Authorities threaten Catholics over disputed land by HT – AsiaNews 01/14/2014
At the center of the dispute , the parish of Thu Thiem and buildings used by a group of nuns. District 2 authorities intend to take possession of the area, despite the centennial presence of the Christian community, in violation of the Constitution. The faithful accuse the government of Ho Chi Minh City of "covering up abuse" and scuttling "historical and cultural traditions". Ho Chi Minh City ( AsiaNews) - The authorities of District No. 2 in Ho Chi Minh City want to expropriate land and property of the archdiocese of Saigon, razing a two hundred year old religious institution in order to create a project of "new urbanization" . At the center of the dispute , the parish of Thu Thiem, which has been serving the community for over 150 years , and the buildings occupied by the sisters of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart (including a very busy chapel) again present in Thu Thiem for over 173 years. Already in December, the local district of the Communist People's Committee had issued seizure order number 4825/UBND and now intends to accelerate operations and expropriate the land and buildings from the Catholics. Leaders
of the Catholic community say this robbery goes against state law and
constitutes a "blatant violation of religious freedom ." The district
authorities cannot order the expropriation of land , so the local Communist
leaders directive is a "coup" implemented through "persuasion, coercion and
threats" against two religious institutes.
Following this they implemented real threats and coercion against a priest (J.B.
Lê Đăng Liêm) , while he was in poor physical condition in a hospital bed .
However, the pastor of Thu Thiem did not budge and told them that he was "ready
for martyrdom for the parish and the Church of Vietnam." In recent years, the Vietnamese Church and the Catholic community have repeatedly clashed with the authorities for events related to the possession of land and buildings , most of which are of great historical and artistic value . Moreover, the age-old question of the property ( land and buildings ) in the country is a source of repeated abuse and forced evictions of individuals and communities , a practice that not only violates the law and the Constitution , but is also a major factor hampering the economic development of nation. And the alarm is not only raised by senior clerics but by World Bank experts, according to which the phenomenon can trigger "social unrest". Vietnam has a population of 87 million, 48 per cent Buddhists, more than 7 per cent Catholics, 5.6 per cent syncretistic in their religious practice and 20 per cent atheist. As a small, albeit significant minority, the Christian community is particularly active in education, health and social affairs. Conversely, religious freedom has been steadily eroded. Under Decree 92, more controls and restrictions have been imposed on religious practice, increasingly subordinated to the Communist Party and the one-party state.
Vietnam Human Rights Network |