Catholic students in Vinh have been expressing discontentment and at the government's latest move to restrict their freedom of a religion.
The students at the College of Higher Teacher Education of Vinh city, Nghe An province have made headlines when being asked on April 5 to sign an 6 article agreement caled "Pledge form" by the People's Committee of Nghe An in which the students would have to be bound by a set of rules governning them in various security and safety issues.
The agreement however contains article #3 which many views as unconstitutional and prejudice against Catholics, saying the students would have to abandon " illegal partipication in religious activities and gathering for activites at residential address which affects public order safety and local ordinances". Many students refused to sign, saying this article specifically puts their rights to practice religion at risk and in violation of Article 70 of Vietnam's Constitution which states " Citizens have the right to freedom of belief and religion, and may practise or not practise any religion. All religions are equal before the law.
Public places of religious worship are protected by law No one has the right to infringe on the freedom of faith and religion or to take advantage of the latter to violate State laws and policies."
But the follow up letter from the college's Administration Office signed by President Pham Ba Thang, dated Jun 3 sent to the College, suggesting the school officials to put "Average" on the box where the students' performance on behavior /conduct would be rated by school officials has caused much concerns and outrage among those who refused to sign in agreement with the Committee's demand on the said Article which many interpret as gross depletion of their fundamental human and religious rights.
The Catholic students of Vinh diocese have been well known to the public for their zealous devotion to their faith and to their fellow Christians when crisis arising. During the Dong Chiem incident early this year, a group of Vinh college students who were studying in Hanoi had been instrumental in bringing emotional support and food supply to the battered parishioners and priests. They walked for miles to get to Dong Chiem, visited the lonely, vulnerable elderly and children who became victimized by the police retaliation and abuse. They also re erected the bamboo cross on top of Mount Tho for the parish, after the concrete crucifix was blown up by military forces before dawn on Jan 6. Many of them had become subject for harassment, illegal search (without warrant) and confiscation, arrest and brutal attacks such as Tran Van Son, Pham Van Phung, Tran Van Phung. Severely beaten into unconsciousness and left for death in the open field on his way home from visiting fellow Catholics in Dong Chiem was Vu Hoang Quang, student of College of Finance who to date is still suffering from laceration of his small intestine membrane that he had to abandon his study for medical treatment. Most recently was the mysterious disappearance from Jun 6- Jun 13 of Nguyen thi Bich Hanh, the college graduate of Vinh origin who got fired from her teaching job in Quang Nam province for encouraging her students to seek correct and truthful information from the internet regarding history.
The harassment originated from deep hatred for these student advocates for human and religious rights had ultimately escalated up to the point that a groups of students from the College of Education had to stop going to Church which is located quite far from their dormitory for fear that they would be attacked and assaulted again by the same thugs who were previously sent out by the police to specifically target this brave student body since Dong Chiem incident. To make up for Church service, they organized regular bible study and prayer sessions at a parishioner's home nearby. This alternative form of religious practice is now being threatened to come to an end with the government new tactic unless the Church's leadership speaking out. In an interview given to Radio Free Asia by student Nguyen Thi Kieu who refused to sign on the pledge form, this punitive action would imply certain consequences for these students in getting hired by potential employers, regardless of their academic achievements.
Also during the RFA's interview, Tran Huu Duc, another student who protested the government's pledge form had reviewed that Fr. Anthony Pham Dinh Phung, Advisor to the Catholic student body in Vinh had offered them with emotional and spiritual support by saying " You should not be afraid. Praying for social evils is the right thing to do. They are just trying to put pressure on you all"
Asked if he has anything to ask of the Pope, Duc would like to tell his Holiness that despite recent incidents within the Church, the Vietnamese Catholic youth like to pledge their absolute loyalty to the Universal Church. "I hope the Church will both a strict mother who offers guidance to her children, and a loving mother who's willing to listen to her young children's cry for help. I also wish for him to pay closer attention to Vietnam the country and the Church, In the same spirit, I say most Vietnamese Catholic youth and faithful would like one day his Holiness will pay a visit to our country to see for himself and understand the tragic situation in Vietnam nowadays, to reinforce the faithful's trust in the Mother Church. Last but not least we are begging for the Holy Father's special prayer for our country and our Church in Vietnam".
The students at the College of Higher Teacher Education of Vinh city, Nghe An province have made headlines when being asked on April 5 to sign an 6 article agreement caled "Pledge form" by the People's Committee of Nghe An in which the students would have to be bound by a set of rules governning them in various security and safety issues.
The agreement however contains article #3 which many views as unconstitutional and prejudice against Catholics, saying the students would have to abandon " illegal partipication in religious activities and gathering for activites at residential address which affects public order safety and local ordinances". Many students refused to sign, saying this article specifically puts their rights to practice religion at risk and in violation of Article 70 of Vietnam's Constitution which states " Citizens have the right to freedom of belief and religion, and may practise or not practise any religion. All religions are equal before the law.
Public places of religious worship are protected by law No one has the right to infringe on the freedom of faith and religion or to take advantage of the latter to violate State laws and policies."
But the follow up letter from the college's Administration Office signed by President Pham Ba Thang, dated Jun 3 sent to the College, suggesting the school officials to put "Average" on the box where the students' performance on behavior /conduct would be rated by school officials has caused much concerns and outrage among those who refused to sign in agreement with the Committee's demand on the said Article which many interpret as gross depletion of their fundamental human and religious rights.
The Catholic students of Vinh diocese have been well known to the public for their zealous devotion to their faith and to their fellow Christians when crisis arising. During the Dong Chiem incident early this year, a group of Vinh college students who were studying in Hanoi had been instrumental in bringing emotional support and food supply to the battered parishioners and priests. They walked for miles to get to Dong Chiem, visited the lonely, vulnerable elderly and children who became victimized by the police retaliation and abuse. They also re erected the bamboo cross on top of Mount Tho for the parish, after the concrete crucifix was blown up by military forces before dawn on Jan 6. Many of them had become subject for harassment, illegal search (without warrant) and confiscation, arrest and brutal attacks such as Tran Van Son, Pham Van Phung, Tran Van Phung. Severely beaten into unconsciousness and left for death in the open field on his way home from visiting fellow Catholics in Dong Chiem was Vu Hoang Quang, student of College of Finance who to date is still suffering from laceration of his small intestine membrane that he had to abandon his study for medical treatment. Most recently was the mysterious disappearance from Jun 6- Jun 13 of Nguyen thi Bich Hanh, the college graduate of Vinh origin who got fired from her teaching job in Quang Nam province for encouraging her students to seek correct and truthful information from the internet regarding history.
The harassment originated from deep hatred for these student advocates for human and religious rights had ultimately escalated up to the point that a groups of students from the College of Education had to stop going to Church which is located quite far from their dormitory for fear that they would be attacked and assaulted again by the same thugs who were previously sent out by the police to specifically target this brave student body since Dong Chiem incident. To make up for Church service, they organized regular bible study and prayer sessions at a parishioner's home nearby. This alternative form of religious practice is now being threatened to come to an end with the government new tactic unless the Church's leadership speaking out. In an interview given to Radio Free Asia by student Nguyen Thi Kieu who refused to sign on the pledge form, this punitive action would imply certain consequences for these students in getting hired by potential employers, regardless of their academic achievements.
Also during the RFA's interview, Tran Huu Duc, another student who protested the government's pledge form had reviewed that Fr. Anthony Pham Dinh Phung, Advisor to the Catholic student body in Vinh had offered them with emotional and spiritual support by saying " You should not be afraid. Praying for social evils is the right thing to do. They are just trying to put pressure on you all"
Asked if he has anything to ask of the Pope, Duc would like to tell his Holiness that despite recent incidents within the Church, the Vietnamese Catholic youth like to pledge their absolute loyalty to the Universal Church. "I hope the Church will both a strict mother who offers guidance to her children, and a loving mother who's willing to listen to her young children's cry for help. I also wish for him to pay closer attention to Vietnam the country and the Church, In the same spirit, I say most Vietnamese Catholic youth and faithful would like one day his Holiness will pay a visit to our country to see for himself and understand the tragic situation in Vietnam nowadays, to reinforce the faithful's trust in the Mother Church. Last but not least we are begging for the Holy Father's special prayer for our country and our Church in Vietnam".