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Ho Chi Minh City Authorities Target Mennonite Congregation

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Authorities are unyielding in their determination to close the Mennonite Church center in the city's District Two, south-east of the Saigon River. The congregation, which meets in the home of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, has demonstrated tenacity in continuing to meet to worship God and to receive strength to live their Christian lives.

Around 8:00 p.m. on November 28, some 30 adults and children were in the service of worship when about 50 security police and administrative personnel from the local precinct arrived, broke up the meeting, and issued citations for gathering in an unauthorized meeting. The citations call for a fine. Some of the believers have to borrow money to pay the fines.

Mrs. Quang reported that the authorities asked why she is defying the order not to meet for worship.

"I am the shepherd of the flock," she replied. She was again told that the group was not permitted to meet.

The center is located at C5/H1 Tran Nao Street, a wide alleyway in a new part of Ho Chi Minh City that was rice paddy fields before the war. The center serves as the office of the Vietnam Mennonite Church and is the home of Mrs. Quang, who continues to live there with her three young children. She has assumed some pastoral duties since her husband was arrested in June.

Vietnam's constitution "guarantees" freedom to believe or not to believe and there is much more freedom of religion today than when power was consolidated under the socialist regime in the whole of Vietnam in 1975. Six major religions have received legal status, but some Buddhists, Christians (especially house churches) and other believers not affiliated with recognized bodies are frequently harassed.

In Ho Chi Minh and other cities, local authorities generally recognize leaders and give tacit agreement for house churches to meet. But when that agreement is withdrawn, the church has no legal basis to continue.

The church meeting in Pastor Quang's home experienced a tolerable level of harassment for several years. That changed earlier this year.

After Quang was arrested, authorities gathered area people to denounce the church. One man claimed that the church welcomed young people in to "scream and sing," using amplifiers and drums, disturbing the people "from 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 and 12:00 p.m.!" The neighbours said the activities were affecting their health. They also complained that the vehicles of Quang's guests took up all the space and they feared their children would be run over.

While some neighbors might have been disturbed, it does not appear loud music is a major motivation in the authorities' determination to close the meeting place.

The Quang home also served as a training center for young evangelists. On October 10, eleven persons were ordered to vacate the premises immediately. When they produced papers showing they were properly registered to live there, the police confiscated their identity cards.

On October 27, local security police summoned 18 persons, including Mrs. Quang, to come to the police station the following day. The order said that police found people living there without permission and that "unlawful activities" continued to take place. These "unlawful activities" were the worship services.

On November 10, just before Pastor Quang's November 12 trial, local authorities called a community gathering and denounced the household as troublemakers and ordered them to stop worship services immediately and to remove the church sign. Mrs. Quang did not attend because of another commitment.

A large group then came to her home, berating Mrs. Quang and repeating their demands to stop the services. Mrs. Quang asked them whether there was a law against meeting for worship.

The group returned with a statement, signed by the chairman of the precinct' s people's committee, declaring that the state "always guarantees freedom of religion and religious belief of all citizens, but it must be according to the law." All religious activities at the Quang home were ordered to cease by the next day, November 14.

Nevertheless, the Mennonite Christians met as usual that Sunday, and the authorities did not interfere.

At 11:30 p.m. on Monday, several security police came and searched the house. They wrote up 10 citations, accusing Mrs. Quang of illegally harboring people and warning young students living there that they would be arrested and detained if they did not leave.

The following Sunday, November 21, 40 security police and local defence forces again raided the house at the 6:30 p.m. meeting time. Church equipment was confiscated and charges were written up against the worshippers.

In early December, the church divided into groups of 12 or 15 persons, meeting in several locations for worship. However, whenever groups would gather at the center, police continued to come.