Two priests in the central coastal city of Dong Hoi are in critical condition after being beaten brutally by plain-clothed police and a group of thugs employed by the local government.
On Monday morning July 27, Fr. Paul Nguyen Dinh Phu parish priest of Du Loc was attacked by a group of plain-clothed police and thugs when he was on his way to Tam Toa parish to visit and concelebrate Mass with other priests of Trooc Deanery.
A day before, at 7 am local time on Sunday morning, 170 priests and 420 women religious led 500,000 Catholics of Vinh Diocese and neighboring dioceses in peaceful protests being held throughout 19 deaneries demanding the justice for victims who were assaulted brutally by police in Tam Toa parish on Monday July 20, as they were trying to rebuild their worship place.
On the way to Tam Toa, Fr. Paul Nguyen saw three Catholic women of Dong Yen village being beaten by a group of men.
As he was passing by, Fr. Paul Nguyen said, he tried to intervene to rescue these women. But, “before I could open my mouth, they left the women and turned on me as they recognized me a Catholic priest.”
“They kicked me brutally,” he continued noting that “there were at least 30 police in full uniform standing nearby”. But, “they looked indifferently at the attack,” he added.
The gang kicked him in the ribs, in the face, and on his head until a group of Catholics could manage to rescue him and took him to a nearby hospital.
Later the gang returned to the hospital with more members and more weapons. They have since surrounded the hospital.
Bishop’s Office of Vinh Diocese made an urgent complaint to the People’s Committee of Quang Binh and asked Fr. Peter Nguyen The Binh, pastor of Ha Loi, the nearest parish, to accompany with Tran Cong Thuat, deputy governor of Quang Binh, to visit Fr. Paul Nguyen.
At the hospital, Thuat secretly withdrew. As soon as he went away, the gang jumped to Fr. Peter Nguyen and beat him cruelly before throwing him from the 2nd floor of the building.
Fr. Peter Nguyen’s condition remains critical.
On Monday morning July 27, Fr. Paul Nguyen Dinh Phu parish priest of Du Loc was attacked by a group of plain-clothed police and thugs when he was on his way to Tam Toa parish to visit and concelebrate Mass with other priests of Trooc Deanery.
A day before, at 7 am local time on Sunday morning, 170 priests and 420 women religious led 500,000 Catholics of Vinh Diocese and neighboring dioceses in peaceful protests being held throughout 19 deaneries demanding the justice for victims who were assaulted brutally by police in Tam Toa parish on Monday July 20, as they were trying to rebuild their worship place.
On the way to Tam Toa, Fr. Paul Nguyen saw three Catholic women of Dong Yen village being beaten by a group of men.
As he was passing by, Fr. Paul Nguyen said, he tried to intervene to rescue these women. But, “before I could open my mouth, they left the women and turned on me as they recognized me a Catholic priest.”
“They kicked me brutally,” he continued noting that “there were at least 30 police in full uniform standing nearby”. But, “they looked indifferently at the attack,” he added.
The gang kicked him in the ribs, in the face, and on his head until a group of Catholics could manage to rescue him and took him to a nearby hospital.
Later the gang returned to the hospital with more members and more weapons. They have since surrounded the hospital.
Bishop’s Office of Vinh Diocese made an urgent complaint to the People’s Committee of Quang Binh and asked Fr. Peter Nguyen The Binh, pastor of Ha Loi, the nearest parish, to accompany with Tran Cong Thuat, deputy governor of Quang Binh, to visit Fr. Paul Nguyen.
At the hospital, Thuat secretly withdrew. As soon as he went away, the gang jumped to Fr. Peter Nguyen and beat him cruelly before throwing him from the 2nd floor of the building.
Fr. Peter Nguyen’s condition remains critical.