|
VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK 14550 Magnolia St., Suite 203, Westminster, CA 92683 Email: vnhrnet@vietnamhumanrights.net Tel.: (858) 837-2152
Statement on Recent Human Rights Violations in Hanoi
Vietnam Human Rights Network is very concerned about recent religious and human rights violations against Catholic Priests and faithful who have peacefully assembled at Redemptorist Monastery at Thai Ha parish to pray and demand the return of the land which was taken away by Vietnam’s communist government since 1954.
Since 1996, the Church has repeatedly requested the requisition of the property that was seized illegally. In desperation, since last month, hundreds of church members have been holding round-the-clock prayer vigils to demand justice from the government. In response, police used tear gas, stun guns and beat priests, nuns and faithful.
According to Catholic World News, at least 20 Vietnamese Catholics were hospitalized on August 31, 2008 after police disrupted a religious procession at the embattled Redemptorist Monastery, beating and spraying priests, altar boys, and lay people with tear gas at close range.
We condemn in the strongest terms all forms of violence against the Christians in Thai Ha parish and other parts of the country, and demand the government of Vietnam to respect human rights, and to settle this land ownership dispute in a timely manner with fairness and justice.
California, September 3, 2008 Nguyen Thanh Trang President
Vietnam Human Rights Network |