VIETNAM: Eleven jailed Christians missing, an issue to be raised by Josep Borrell in Vietnam

Ahead of the visit to Vietnam, Josep Borrell, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Human Rights Without Frontiers

HRWF (25.07.2024) – From 29-31 July, Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU) will visit Vietnam to discuss reinforcing EU-Vietnam cooperation on issues of security, sustainable development and climate policy.

The visit takes place as Vietnam is set to receive $15.5 billion in funding from the EU and G7 nations under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a mechanism aimed at supporting energy transitions to boost renewables and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Vietnam, which is heavily reliant on coal, has pledged to reduce carbon emissions to net zero and engage to mitigate climate change. This is a unique opportunity to talk about the appalling situation of religious freedom in the country and to ask for the release of 11 missing Christians.

11 jailed Christians missing

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, five Catholics and six Protestants who were jailed in Vietnam have gone missing from police custody. Some of the group had been incarcerated since 2011, and family and friends of the detained raised alarm after contact was lost.

Among the group are Montagnard Protestants Siu HlomRo Mah PlaRmah Bloanh and Rmah Khil, who were accused of ‘undermining national unity policy’ and have been charged under Articles 117 and 331 of the Vietnamese Penal Code, which criminalise ‘distributing propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ and ‘abusing democratic freedoms to infringe the interests of the State’ respectively.

Hlom was sentenced to 12 years in prison in April 2011, Pla was sentenced to nine years in March 2014, and Bloanh and Khil were sentenced to eight and nine years respectively in September 2014. All were also sentenced to three to five years’ probation, and all should have been released at this point.

Also missing is Sung A Khua, a Hmong Christian who was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for attending unsanctioned church services on 2 January 2019. Prior to his arrest, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reported his family was expelled from their village and their home was destroyed for holding an illegal gathering in their home which doubled as a church. Khua’s custodial sentence should have ended in March 2021, but he was not released as scheduled and he has remained in custody ever since.

The other Protestant, Y Hriam Kpa, was arrested in July 2015 for refusing to close his church, which was not legally registered with the government.

Five Catholics – named as Runh, A Kuin, A Tik, Run and Dinh Kuh – have also gone missing. Two of the men were accused of ‘undermining national unity policy’ in October 2015 for taking part in church services that were not sanctioned by the government.  Both were also charged under Articles 117 and 331 of the Penal Code; it is unclear what the others were charged with.

See HRWF Database of 71 FORB Prisoners in Vietnam HERE.

Further reading about FORB in Vietnam on HRWF website