HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Eight Vietnamese Catholics went on trial Monday for allegedly disturbing public order and damaging property during a series of prayer vigils held last year as part of a campaign to get back confiscated church land.
The Catholics are accused of knocking down a brick wall surrounding property near the Thai Ha church in Hanoi's Dong Da district during several weeks of prayer vigils late last summer. They face up to seven years in prison.
The peaceful demonstrations were a bold step in a country where church-state relations are often tense and the government frowns on public protests of any kind. The dispute did not focus on religious freedom but on a parcel of land worth millions of dollars.
Early Monday morning, close to a thousand Catholics gathered outside the Dong Da district court, many displaying pictures of the Virgin Mary and carrying signs to show support for the defendants. Scores of riot police stood guard around the building, but no clashes were reported.
As testimony began Monday, defendant Nguyen Thi Nhi, 46, said church members held the vigils to "protect the prestige and property of the church."
Hanoi authorities say the Thai Ha church and its surrounding land belong to the city. They say a former parish priest signed papers turning the property over to Hanoi in 1962.
Church members insist they have documents verifying their claim on the property.
Property laws are complex in Vietnam, where communist authorities seized buildings and acreage from wealthy landowners, churches and other groups since taking power. Such properties were used by the state or redistributed to veterans or others who helped bring the communists to power.
Earlier this year, Catholics also held vigils at a second valuable parcel of land in central Hanoi, the site of the former Vatican embassy in Vietnam, which closed after Vietnam's communist government took power in 1954. That property is close to St. Joseph's Cathedral, the largest church in Hanoi.
In each case, the Catholics began their demonstrations after hearing rumors the government planned to sell the church properties to developers.
As the conflicts escalated, the government announced that it would convert each site into a public park and open a library at the former Vatican site.
With more than 6 million followers, Catholicism is the second most popular religion after Buddhism in the country of 86 million.
Vietnam has often come under international criticism for its record on human rights and religious freedom. But in recent years, relations between Catholics and the government had begun to improve, emboldening church members to assert themselves more.
Vietnam and the Vatican have been discussing the possibility of re-establishing diplomatic relations. Masses at Catholic churches around the country are heavily attended.
(Source: By Ben Stocking, AP, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFaNWDuuQ4A1hcYeEtbf3GoGu5AwD94UDVSO0)
The Catholics are accused of knocking down a brick wall surrounding property near the Thai Ha church in Hanoi's Dong Da district during several weeks of prayer vigils late last summer. They face up to seven years in prison.
The peaceful demonstrations were a bold step in a country where church-state relations are often tense and the government frowns on public protests of any kind. The dispute did not focus on religious freedom but on a parcel of land worth millions of dollars.
Early Monday morning, close to a thousand Catholics gathered outside the Dong Da district court, many displaying pictures of the Virgin Mary and carrying signs to show support for the defendants. Scores of riot police stood guard around the building, but no clashes were reported.
As testimony began Monday, defendant Nguyen Thi Nhi, 46, said church members held the vigils to "protect the prestige and property of the church."
Hanoi authorities say the Thai Ha church and its surrounding land belong to the city. They say a former parish priest signed papers turning the property over to Hanoi in 1962.
Church members insist they have documents verifying their claim on the property.
Property laws are complex in Vietnam, where communist authorities seized buildings and acreage from wealthy landowners, churches and other groups since taking power. Such properties were used by the state or redistributed to veterans or others who helped bring the communists to power.
Earlier this year, Catholics also held vigils at a second valuable parcel of land in central Hanoi, the site of the former Vatican embassy in Vietnam, which closed after Vietnam's communist government took power in 1954. That property is close to St. Joseph's Cathedral, the largest church in Hanoi.
In each case, the Catholics began their demonstrations after hearing rumors the government planned to sell the church properties to developers.
As the conflicts escalated, the government announced that it would convert each site into a public park and open a library at the former Vatican site.
With more than 6 million followers, Catholicism is the second most popular religion after Buddhism in the country of 86 million.
Vietnam has often come under international criticism for its record on human rights and religious freedom. But in recent years, relations between Catholics and the government had begun to improve, emboldening church members to assert themselves more.
Vietnam and the Vatican have been discussing the possibility of re-establishing diplomatic relations. Masses at Catholic churches around the country are heavily attended.
(Source: By Ben Stocking, AP, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFaNWDuuQ4A1hcYeEtbf3GoGu5AwD94UDVSO0)