In Thai Binh, Catholics boycotted the festival on the birthday of Uncle Ho meanwhile in Son La Catholics reported to US Committee for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on continuous persecution.
In Thai Binh province, all Catholic music bands have decided to turn down a local government's invitation to join in Ho Chi Minh - the late party's founder- annual birthday celebration on May 19 in protest of the local officials' recent effort to block the Catholic clergy, religious and any faithful who were on their way to Thai Ha, Ha Noi to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Redemptorists and to receive a plenary indulgence.
As a result of this crackdown, many Thai Binh faithful having to stay home while others were forced to get off their buses outside Hanoi city in the dead of night and had to walk for miles to get to their destination in Hanoi.
With the horrible memory of how badly the bands especially the all women brass band from Cam Chau parish had been treated still so fresh on their minds, Thai Binh Catholics are becoming to realize that their faithful contributions throughout history of the (HoChiMinh birthday) celebration has never been considered as such, when the provincial government only views them as "tools" to decorate the political events they need to present to the public, yet in the meantime the same officials can also become the abuser should their interest be in conflict with the faithful's. They even ignored Bishop Francis Nguyen Van Sang's complaint sent to the authority a few days later.
Needless to say, the communist leader's annual birthday celebration this year has become a total failure without the participation from the Catholic bands.
On the same day, a delegation of USCIRF met with dozens of brave Son La Catholics who came out to report on the ongoing religious and human rights abuse they have been subjected to at the hands of local government in Son La.
Local authorities had tried their best to prevent the meeting. Days prior to the arrival of the USCIRF delegation, Catholics in Son La had been warned that they would “severely violate the law” should they come to talk with the delegation.
Also, the meeting location had been changed frequently to confused potential attendants. It had originally been set up at a Catholic’s private house which has been utilized as a house church for Son La faithful over the years at the generosity of its owner. At the last minute, the government singlehandedly changed the location to the town hall where they could easily limit the number of participants. They could also prevent a meeting between the delegation and Mr. Trinh Xuan Thuy, the owner of the house church, who has been continually harassed by local officials. Thuy had just been back home from his medical treatment in Hanoi and still too ill to attend the meeting at the new location.
The USCIRF delegation, however, had made a swift decision by coming to Thuy's home to visit him and hold a meeting there before going to the town hall. Their decision has been proven to be wise and effective indeed. They had been filled in with testimony from witnesses who made all effort to come and disclose to representatives of the free world on the true colour of Vietnam religion policy. The faithful also called for the US government's quick and active intervention so they could be free to practice their religion.
For the first time, in front of the very local officials who caused them so much suffering, Son La faithful had conquered their culture of fear and had their chance to speak loud and clear about what has been preventing them from having a meaningful, active religious life as they wish, and their hope for a drastic, realistic change in state and local policy on freedom of religion, instead of empty words which tend to fade away as soon as the representatives of the free world head back home.
In Thai Binh province, all Catholic music bands have decided to turn down a local government's invitation to join in Ho Chi Minh - the late party's founder- annual birthday celebration on May 19 in protest of the local officials' recent effort to block the Catholic clergy, religious and any faithful who were on their way to Thai Ha, Ha Noi to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Redemptorists and to receive a plenary indulgence.
As a result of this crackdown, many Thai Binh faithful having to stay home while others were forced to get off their buses outside Hanoi city in the dead of night and had to walk for miles to get to their destination in Hanoi.
With the horrible memory of how badly the bands especially the all women brass band from Cam Chau parish had been treated still so fresh on their minds, Thai Binh Catholics are becoming to realize that their faithful contributions throughout history of the (HoChiMinh birthday) celebration has never been considered as such, when the provincial government only views them as "tools" to decorate the political events they need to present to the public, yet in the meantime the same officials can also become the abuser should their interest be in conflict with the faithful's. They even ignored Bishop Francis Nguyen Van Sang's complaint sent to the authority a few days later.
Needless to say, the communist leader's annual birthday celebration this year has become a total failure without the participation from the Catholic bands.
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| Meeting at the house church |
Local authorities had tried their best to prevent the meeting. Days prior to the arrival of the USCIRF delegation, Catholics in Son La had been warned that they would “severely violate the law” should they come to talk with the delegation.
Also, the meeting location had been changed frequently to confused potential attendants. It had originally been set up at a Catholic’s private house which has been utilized as a house church for Son La faithful over the years at the generosity of its owner. At the last minute, the government singlehandedly changed the location to the town hall where they could easily limit the number of participants. They could also prevent a meeting between the delegation and Mr. Trinh Xuan Thuy, the owner of the house church, who has been continually harassed by local officials. Thuy had just been back home from his medical treatment in Hanoi and still too ill to attend the meeting at the new location.
The USCIRF delegation, however, had made a swift decision by coming to Thuy's home to visit him and hold a meeting there before going to the town hall. Their decision has been proven to be wise and effective indeed. They had been filled in with testimony from witnesses who made all effort to come and disclose to representatives of the free world on the true colour of Vietnam religion policy. The faithful also called for the US government's quick and active intervention so they could be free to practice their religion.
For the first time, in front of the very local officials who caused them so much suffering, Son La faithful had conquered their culture of fear and had their chance to speak loud and clear about what has been preventing them from having a meaningful, active religious life as they wish, and their hope for a drastic, realistic change in state and local policy on freedom of religion, instead of empty words which tend to fade away as soon as the representatives of the free world head back home.