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Released Church Leaders Speak Out on Prison Abuse

STRASBOURG, France — Two Vietnamese Mennonite church leaders have reported on the treatment they received in prison.

Nguyen Huu Nghia, 24, and Nguyen Thanh Nhan, 22, who were arrested in March 2004, were released in early December. At their November 12 trial, they were sentenced to nine months in prison, essentially the time they had already served.

Since their release from prison, brothers Nghia and Nhan have spoken out about the battering they suffered, both at the hands of corrections officers and of other prisoners who received food and cigarettes as rewards for beating up the young Mennonites.

Both men reported savage beatings and kicking over all parts of their bodies from the moment of their arrests. The abuse often continued until they fainted or lapsed into convulsions. Splashes of cold water revived them, and the beatings continued. They were denied adequate food and water and did not receive the warm clothes their families brought for them.

The men also suffered humiliation and pain from verbal abuse and from being forced to squat motionless in tight places for long periods of time with only their toes touching the ground. They were not given sleeping mats, but were forced to lie on the rough cement floor.

They were moved to three different prisons; the abuse continued at each location. Their cries reverberated through the cell blocks, causing other prisoners to wonder what heinous crimes they had committed to deserve such brutal treatment.

"I don't know what hell is like, but in the months past I feel as if I have been in hell," said Nghia.

Often when they were at the point of exhaustion, officers brought documents for them to sign, admitting to crimes or implicating Pastor Quang. They refused, but sometimes their signatures were forged.

Medical examinations since their release have identified severe physical trauma, including potentially life threatening damage to their bodies. Despite their ordeal, the faith of both men remains strong.

"I am not only suffering in my body, but also in my spirit and soul.... But I always believe that the Lord of Heaven will keep and preserve me and that the Lord will bring a revival to our country," said Nhan.

Four other church leaders, also tried on November 12, remain in prison.

The sentences of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and Pham Ngoc Thach, for three and two years respectively, are being appealed. The appeal of the one-year sentence of Nguyen Van Phuong has been denied.

Authorities say the appeal of the one-year sentence of of Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien, 21, cannot proceed due to her mental condition.

At the trial, it was clear that Ms. Lien had suffered a mental breakdown because of the treatment she had received in prison. She was too weak to stand and did not respond to questions. Nhan and Nghia, who rode in the same paddy wagon back to the prison after the trial, reported after their release that Lien was beaten in the vehicle despite their efforts to ward off the blows.

A few days later, when her father, Le Quang Du, visited Lien in prison, officials described Lien as "very wild" in explaining why she was tied to her bed. A month later on another visit, Mr. Du observed that the mistreatment had not stopped. He requested that she be transferred to an outside hospital, but prison officials told him that this is not possible while the sentence of co-defendant Pastor Quang is under appeal.

Before the November 12 trial, Mennonite World Conference officials requested release of the prisoners because the charges against them were inappropriate. In early January, after the released prisoners issued their reports, another letter was sent to Ngo Yen Thi, Chairman of the Committee of Religious Affairs in Hanoi.

The letter expressed both cordial wishes for the New Year and serious concern regarding the harsh treatment of the "Mennonite Six." It asked authorities to end the mistreatment and to provide the best possible medical treatment for Ms. Lien.

The letter also asked that the sentences against those leaders remaining in prison be quashed.

Further responses to the situation Mennonites face in Vietnam will be on the Asia Committee agenda when the Council of International Anabaptist Ministries meets in Pittsburgh late in January. Key people who have been working closely with Vietnam agenda since last March plan to participate in the meeting.