Catholics in Son La city were once again denied their right to celebrate another religious holiday when the city police used force to prevent Fr. Nguyen Trung Thoai to come prepare his parishioners for Easter celebration this year last Sunday April 12, 2009.
It has been well known that Son La province -situated in the northeast region of North Vietnam where more than a million people mostly of ethnic groups are living in poverty, 6,000 of those are Catholics- has been one of the worst places in Vietnam for Christians to practice their right to religion, even though the local diocese has been established since 1895.
Last Christmas was an example. When Fr. Nguyen Trung Thoai, a priest designated by bishop Anthony Vu Huy Chuong to the region trying to arrive in Son La city for Christmas celebration, he was warned not to come due to "unstable situation". Another priest from Hanoi also tried to come to join Son La Catholic community in Christmas celebration but was followed, intimidated and coerced by the local government to go back home without doing anything for his flock in Son La city. Following the priest-ban, local police issued a curfew for all residents with the intention to prevent them from gathering for Midnight praying on Christmas eve at certain locations.
During Easter celebration this year things did not get any better for the priest and his Catholics, either. On last Sunday, Fr. Nguyen Trung Thoai made his faithful trip to Son La while Catholics were gathering at the designated location, waiting for him to arrive before they can start celebrating mass. He never made it to the site since tens of plain clothed police were waiting for him to force him to go back. Facing fierce resistance from hundreds of defiant Catholics who rushed to Fr. Thoai' rescue to protect and escort him to their "make-shift church", the cadres followed and kept on their harassment until Fr. Thoai had to give up his plan to save his flock from getting more serious threats.
Once again, the people of Son La had witnessed another violation of Vietnam government on human rights and religious freedom on Easter Sunday of 2009, and it seems to get more aggressive and more organized by the city authority.
The situation is now still tense. The Catholics however are determined to bring out this unconstitutional and violent acts of the local government to show the world and ask for help. They took vivid photos which speak thousand times louder than words, that there has never been a day the Catholics can freely worship God the way the rest of the world would, simply because the Vietnam government would rather put them back on poverty and devil worshiping than letting them getting closer to God.
It has been well known that Son La province -situated in the northeast region of North Vietnam where more than a million people mostly of ethnic groups are living in poverty, 6,000 of those are Catholics- has been one of the worst places in Vietnam for Christians to practice their right to religion, even though the local diocese has been established since 1895.
Last Christmas was an example. When Fr. Nguyen Trung Thoai, a priest designated by bishop Anthony Vu Huy Chuong to the region trying to arrive in Son La city for Christmas celebration, he was warned not to come due to "unstable situation". Another priest from Hanoi also tried to come to join Son La Catholic community in Christmas celebration but was followed, intimidated and coerced by the local government to go back home without doing anything for his flock in Son La city. Following the priest-ban, local police issued a curfew for all residents with the intention to prevent them from gathering for Midnight praying on Christmas eve at certain locations.
During Easter celebration this year things did not get any better for the priest and his Catholics, either. On last Sunday, Fr. Nguyen Trung Thoai made his faithful trip to Son La while Catholics were gathering at the designated location, waiting for him to arrive before they can start celebrating mass. He never made it to the site since tens of plain clothed police were waiting for him to force him to go back. Facing fierce resistance from hundreds of defiant Catholics who rushed to Fr. Thoai' rescue to protect and escort him to their "make-shift church", the cadres followed and kept on their harassment until Fr. Thoai had to give up his plan to save his flock from getting more serious threats.
Once again, the people of Son La had witnessed another violation of Vietnam government on human rights and religious freedom on Easter Sunday of 2009, and it seems to get more aggressive and more organized by the city authority.
The situation is now still tense. The Catholics however are determined to bring out this unconstitutional and violent acts of the local government to show the world and ask for help. They took vivid photos which speak thousand times louder than words, that there has never been a day the Catholics can freely worship God the way the rest of the world would, simply because the Vietnam government would rather put them back on poverty and devil worshiping than letting them getting closer to God.