Nuns challenge the local government on the validity of the decision to convert their house into a public square while parishioners are going to sue state-run media for falsely reporting their trial.
As a clear indication that Catholics are not willing to yield to aggression and injustice leveled on them, the Congregation of St Paul of Chartres in Vinh Long diocese has just published their urgent letter to protest against a decision from the local government.
In the letter, sent to various governmental organs, the Sisters challenged the validity of the decision issued on Dec 12, 2008 by the People’s Committee of Vinh Long ordering the conversion of their house into a public square.
To make the issue straight, Sister Huynh Thi Bich-Ngoc, provincial superior of the order, put forward to the government a critical question “Please confirm if there was a governmental policy on eradication of religions and religious orders which could justify for the treatment against 18 St Paul nuns as if they were dangerous criminals; and for breaking-in, blocking up the facility, arresting the nuns and throwing them out of their dwellings with bare hands, and seizing all their properties including the religious items without any judicial order or warrant!”
“If such a policy did exist,” she continued, “we would cease our complaints, realizing the government officials were only pursuing state policy.”
“Otherwise, return the property to us,” she demanded.
“The question reveals the true color of the religion policy of Vietnam government,” said Sr. Marie Nguyen from Saigon. “Human rights and religious freedom exist only on paper and on the lips of Vietnam diplomats. In fact, believers of religions have long been suffering arbitrary mistreatments from local officials,” she added.
In another development, 8 parishioners of Thai Ha have issued a statement asking state-run media outlets for corrections.
On Dec 8, 2008, the People's Court in Hanoi tried 8 Thai-Ha parishioners on charges of "damaging state property and disorderly conduct in public". Despite clear and convincing evidences which were overwhelmingly supportive of their claim, seven of those defendants eventually received unjust stayed sentences ranging from 12 to 17 months.
Immediately after the trial, state-owned media knowingly and purposely reported that Catholic defendants "sincerely admitted their guilt and begged for government's mercy" and therefore "received reduced sentences in pursuant to tolerant policies of the party and the government."
“This was a blatant distortion of the truth by all accounts. In fact, to these charges, each and every one of them pleaded not guilty,” the statement said.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet, a defendant, stated that “During the trial each of us denied any charges from the government. We persisted that we were not guilty. Those media outlets which reported that we sincerely admitted our guilt and begged for government's mercy must make corrections. Otherwise, we are going to sue them.”
“I can confirm that state media outlets falsely reported Catholics on trial sincerely admitted their guilt and begged for government's mercy,” Mr. Le Tran Luat, a lawyer of Catholic defendants told Radio Free Asia.
“For me, the government was battling for the public opinion approval at the time when the crisis of faith in government has become more severe and widespread in ways. They had tried to force parishioners to admit guilty. Having failed to do that, they employed their media power to falsely report the trial,” he continued.
Lawyer Luat, a non-Catholic, remarked “The 8 parishioners are very polite and gentle. They have allowed the VTV1 Television and the New Hanoi newspaper a week to make the corrections before starting any legal process against these outlets.”
All state-run media outlets falsely reported the trial. However, the 8 parishioners opted to sue only the VTV1 Television and the New Hanoi newspaper as others only quoted from these sources.
As a clear indication that Catholics are not willing to yield to aggression and injustice leveled on them, the Congregation of St Paul of Chartres in Vinh Long diocese has just published their urgent letter to protest against a decision from the local government.
In the letter, sent to various governmental organs, the Sisters challenged the validity of the decision issued on Dec 12, 2008 by the People’s Committee of Vinh Long ordering the conversion of their house into a public square.
To make the issue straight, Sister Huynh Thi Bich-Ngoc, provincial superior of the order, put forward to the government a critical question “Please confirm if there was a governmental policy on eradication of religions and religious orders which could justify for the treatment against 18 St Paul nuns as if they were dangerous criminals; and for breaking-in, blocking up the facility, arresting the nuns and throwing them out of their dwellings with bare hands, and seizing all their properties including the religious items without any judicial order or warrant!”
“If such a policy did exist,” she continued, “we would cease our complaints, realizing the government officials were only pursuing state policy.”
“Otherwise, return the property to us,” she demanded.
“The question reveals the true color of the religion policy of Vietnam government,” said Sr. Marie Nguyen from Saigon. “Human rights and religious freedom exist only on paper and on the lips of Vietnam diplomats. In fact, believers of religions have long been suffering arbitrary mistreatments from local officials,” she added.
In another development, 8 parishioners of Thai Ha have issued a statement asking state-run media outlets for corrections.
On Dec 8, 2008, the People's Court in Hanoi tried 8 Thai-Ha parishioners on charges of "damaging state property and disorderly conduct in public". Despite clear and convincing evidences which were overwhelmingly supportive of their claim, seven of those defendants eventually received unjust stayed sentences ranging from 12 to 17 months.
Immediately after the trial, state-owned media knowingly and purposely reported that Catholic defendants "sincerely admitted their guilt and begged for government's mercy" and therefore "received reduced sentences in pursuant to tolerant policies of the party and the government."
“This was a blatant distortion of the truth by all accounts. In fact, to these charges, each and every one of them pleaded not guilty,” the statement said.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet, a defendant, stated that “During the trial each of us denied any charges from the government. We persisted that we were not guilty. Those media outlets which reported that we sincerely admitted our guilt and begged for government's mercy must make corrections. Otherwise, we are going to sue them.”
“I can confirm that state media outlets falsely reported Catholics on trial sincerely admitted their guilt and begged for government's mercy,” Mr. Le Tran Luat, a lawyer of Catholic defendants told Radio Free Asia.
“For me, the government was battling for the public opinion approval at the time when the crisis of faith in government has become more severe and widespread in ways. They had tried to force parishioners to admit guilty. Having failed to do that, they employed their media power to falsely report the trial,” he continued.
Lawyer Luat, a non-Catholic, remarked “The 8 parishioners are very polite and gentle. They have allowed the VTV1 Television and the New Hanoi newspaper a week to make the corrections before starting any legal process against these outlets.”
All state-run media outlets falsely reported the trial. However, the 8 parishioners opted to sue only the VTV1 Television and the New Hanoi newspaper as others only quoted from these sources.