The denial of a Vietnam spokesperson on the attack at Thai Ha has raised great concerns of Catholics for their security.
The New Hanoi newspaper on Tuesday reported that Le Dung, the spokesperson of Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign correspondent, had denied the attack at Thai Ha saying that “no government forces attacked Thai Ha parish area” on Saturday night.
Despite photographs taken by Thai Ha parishioners showing clearly the presence and the involvement of police, security forces, and militiamen, Dung denied any involvement of his government in the attack.
His denial did not make Hanoi Redemptorists and Thai Ha believe the government was “not guilty” in the attack, rather it made them more worried.
Fr. Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Nam Phong, a Redemptorist at Thai Ha Monastery stated that he himself was prevented from rescuing the chapel by a group of people led by the vice chairman of Quang Trung precinct. At 10pm local time, he was visiting flood victims when he got an urgent phone call asking him to return immediately to the monastery. “When I went home, I met with Mr. vice chairman of the precinct and a group of his people. He told me he wanted a meeting with us. In reply, I told him and his people that they had no rights to ask us to work with them at night-time,” he said.
“I also told him, if he wished, he could send a letter to summon us tomorrow morning. He and his people did not reply anything, and so far we have not received any such letters. Obviously, they just wanted to keep us occupied,” he added. Fr. Nam Phong and other Redemptorists at Thai Ha monastery were convinced the sudden meeting the local government asking for was just a diversionary tactic to clear the way for the mob violence.
Moreover, “anyone who participated in the attack at Thai Ha was paid 100,000 VND (about 6 USD),” a parishioner denounced. “Some people could not get to work to earn for their living due to the long-lasting flood in the city. They were lured by the local government to attack us for some money. They had gathered in front of the People’s Committee since Saturday afternoon,” he told.
It is believed that local government officials have been extremely upset with Redemptorists and Thai Ha parishioners. Some officials had been given pieces of land in the area of dispute. Protests of Thai Ha parish demanding for the requisition of the land led to the demolition of the area and its conversion to a public park.
The attack at Thai Ha on Saturday night was an obvious evidence that local officials had started to take revenge on parishioners. “In that sense, the denial of the spokesperson of Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs is disturbing to the people: now they think that the government is covering up retaliation by its officials against the Catholics of Thai Ha. The attack has created serious concern among Vietnamese all over the world, while the government demonstrates that it does not intend to carry out any investigation of the incident. It limits itself to denying its own involvement and behaves as if it is not liable for protecting Catholics – those who have always been considered second class citizens of the country,” Fr. Joseph Nguyen from Hanoi commented.
The New Hanoi newspaper on Tuesday reported that Le Dung, the spokesperson of Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign correspondent, had denied the attack at Thai Ha saying that “no government forces attacked Thai Ha parish area” on Saturday night.
Despite photographs taken by Thai Ha parishioners showing clearly the presence and the involvement of police, security forces, and militiamen, Dung denied any involvement of his government in the attack.
His denial did not make Hanoi Redemptorists and Thai Ha believe the government was “not guilty” in the attack, rather it made them more worried.
Fr. Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Nam Phong, a Redemptorist at Thai Ha Monastery stated that he himself was prevented from rescuing the chapel by a group of people led by the vice chairman of Quang Trung precinct. At 10pm local time, he was visiting flood victims when he got an urgent phone call asking him to return immediately to the monastery. “When I went home, I met with Mr. vice chairman of the precinct and a group of his people. He told me he wanted a meeting with us. In reply, I told him and his people that they had no rights to ask us to work with them at night-time,” he said.
“I also told him, if he wished, he could send a letter to summon us tomorrow morning. He and his people did not reply anything, and so far we have not received any such letters. Obviously, they just wanted to keep us occupied,” he added. Fr. Nam Phong and other Redemptorists at Thai Ha monastery were convinced the sudden meeting the local government asking for was just a diversionary tactic to clear the way for the mob violence.
Moreover, “anyone who participated in the attack at Thai Ha was paid 100,000 VND (about 6 USD),” a parishioner denounced. “Some people could not get to work to earn for their living due to the long-lasting flood in the city. They were lured by the local government to attack us for some money. They had gathered in front of the People’s Committee since Saturday afternoon,” he told.
It is believed that local government officials have been extremely upset with Redemptorists and Thai Ha parishioners. Some officials had been given pieces of land in the area of dispute. Protests of Thai Ha parish demanding for the requisition of the land led to the demolition of the area and its conversion to a public park.
The attack at Thai Ha on Saturday night was an obvious evidence that local officials had started to take revenge on parishioners. “In that sense, the denial of the spokesperson of Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs is disturbing to the people: now they think that the government is covering up retaliation by its officials against the Catholics of Thai Ha. The attack has created serious concern among Vietnamese all over the world, while the government demonstrates that it does not intend to carry out any investigation of the incident. It limits itself to denying its own involvement and behaves as if it is not liable for protecting Catholics – those who have always been considered second class citizens of the country,” Fr. Joseph Nguyen from Hanoi commented.