A Con Dau parishioner died on Saturday after being brutally beaten by Da Nang police, Vietnamese sources report.
Mr Nam Nguyen, 43, was allegedly beaten to death by police for his protest against the seizure of his parish cemetery, Viet Catholic reports.
Throughout the last fortnight, Nam, a member in the parish’s funeral team, had been subjected to a series of long hour interrogations and brutal violence by police for his active role in a funeral in early May that led to a clash between Catholics and police.
During the procession of the funeral of Mary Dang Thi Tan, 82, on May 4, police intervened to prevent her burial in the parish cemetery. For almost an hour, there were clashes between the faithful and 500 police resulting in the arrest of 59 people and the injuries of dozens Catholics who were beaten brutally by police.
Nam was among detainees. Later, he was released.
On Monday May 17, police in Cam Le district of Da Nang city announced that they were going to prosecute 6 parishioners of Con Dau for “disrupting public order” and “attacking state security administration personnel who are carrying out their functions according to law”.
Nam and another parishioner had been summoned by police and forced to provide false accusations against the six parishioners who are going to be tried in a short time. He had refused to “collaborate” with state agents despite being threatened and beaten brutally.
Last Saturday, police released him just a few hours before he died at home.
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| Parishioners face police in mass |
Throughout the last fortnight, Nam, a member in the parish’s funeral team, had been subjected to a series of long hour interrogations and brutal violence by police for his active role in a funeral in early May that led to a clash between Catholics and police.
During the procession of the funeral of Mary Dang Thi Tan, 82, on May 4, police intervened to prevent her burial in the parish cemetery. For almost an hour, there were clashes between the faithful and 500 police resulting in the arrest of 59 people and the injuries of dozens Catholics who were beaten brutally by police.
Nam was among detainees. Later, he was released.
On Monday May 17, police in Cam Le district of Da Nang city announced that they were going to prosecute 6 parishioners of Con Dau for “disrupting public order” and “attacking state security administration personnel who are carrying out their functions according to law”.
Nam and another parishioner had been summoned by police and forced to provide false accusations against the six parishioners who are going to be tried in a short time. He had refused to “collaborate” with state agents despite being threatened and beaten brutally.
Last Saturday, police released him just a few hours before he died at home.