The authorities responded to a rally on Women's Day by sending in 40 officers, who have sent summons to women and interrogated children, frightening them into avoiding school.
Nghi Thach (AsiaNews) - On the morning of March 23, the police interrogated the children of the parish of Lap Thach. Now the children are afraid to go to school. A woman who was cleaning the parish cemetery was also seen being apprehended by the officers.
There are about 2,500 faithful in the parish of Lap Thach. It is in the municipality of Nghi Thach, district of Nghi Loc, on the road to the Cua Lo beach. It is about 10 kilometers from the office of the diocese of Vinh, and 300 from Hanoi.
Priests and parishioners have protested against the actions of the authorities, who, following Women's Day, sent 40 police officers to repress the rally held on the occasion. Some officials threatened the women, provoking strong protests on the part of many of the faithful.
In recent days, the officers have interrogated the parishioners, especially the women, who have received letters of summons in order to frighten them, but none of them has gone to the police station. Unsatisfied, the police officers are continuing to go to Nghi Thach Junior High School, asking the professors to interrogate the children.
"I don't know anything about this business with the adults," says one student, "but the police and the school haven't stopped their interrogations. They continue to seek information from the children. Nguyen, who teaches at the school and is the head of the Young People's Union, has told the Catholic students that they cannot go to school if they do not answer the questions of the police."
The children are in a state of fear. A number of other Catholic students have not been permitted to go to school, because of the police investigations. They have gone to the parish to ask the priests to defend them. The priests of the parish of Lap Thach have written a petition to send to government offices in defense of the faithful, especially of the fundamental rights and dignity of women and children.
It is unimaginable that a society should still condone actions like these.
Nghi Thach (AsiaNews) - On the morning of March 23, the police interrogated the children of the parish of Lap Thach. Now the children are afraid to go to school. A woman who was cleaning the parish cemetery was also seen being apprehended by the officers.
There are about 2,500 faithful in the parish of Lap Thach. It is in the municipality of Nghi Thach, district of Nghi Loc, on the road to the Cua Lo beach. It is about 10 kilometers from the office of the diocese of Vinh, and 300 from Hanoi.
Priests and parishioners have protested against the actions of the authorities, who, following Women's Day, sent 40 police officers to repress the rally held on the occasion. Some officials threatened the women, provoking strong protests on the part of many of the faithful.
In recent days, the officers have interrogated the parishioners, especially the women, who have received letters of summons in order to frighten them, but none of them has gone to the police station. Unsatisfied, the police officers are continuing to go to Nghi Thach Junior High School, asking the professors to interrogate the children.
"I don't know anything about this business with the adults," says one student, "but the police and the school haven't stopped their interrogations. They continue to seek information from the children. Nguyen, who teaches at the school and is the head of the Young People's Union, has told the Catholic students that they cannot go to school if they do not answer the questions of the police."
The children are in a state of fear. A number of other Catholic students have not been permitted to go to school, because of the police investigations. They have gone to the parish to ask the priests to defend them. The priests of the parish of Lap Thach have written a petition to send to government offices in defense of the faithful, especially of the fundamental rights and dignity of women and children.
It is unimaginable that a society should still condone actions like these.