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Vietnam Prime Minister Issues New Statement Regarding Protestants

HANOI, Vietnam — Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued an executive order on February 4 that may give Protestant Christians greater freedom.

The instructions focused particularly on several hundred thousand Christian communities among the ethnic minorities, primarily in the inland mountainous areas. Several thousand of these Christians in a few dozen communities are related to the Vietnam Mennonite Church.

Under the new directions, the Prime Minister said they should be "guided to practice their religion at home," and also permitted to acquire a place in their village to meet when needed. If they meet as a congregation, the local authorities are to create favorable conditions for them to carry out their religious activities.

The authorities are also instructed to assist those who want to return to their traditional beliefs.

In the highlands of central Vietnam, the statement said that the government would recognize more congregations of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam. When the ECVN was formally granted legal status in 2001, several hundred congregations of ethnic minority Christians were not recognized by the government, and subsequently closed. In the past two years around 20 congregations have been organized, and the ECVN has been authorized to open a seminary in the highlands.

The statement said that in areas where no congregations were formed, Christians could practice normal religious activities in homes, and register at a place in the village as needed.

They would have to engage in purely religious activities. Persons associated with FULRO, an old political movement, or with "Dega Protestantism," a recent autonomous movement, would not be allowed to meet.

In the northwestern part of Vietnam, a significant percentage of the H'Mong and Yao ethnic groups become Christians largely though hearing the Gospel in radio broadcasts these past 30 years. They have generally been prevented from openly practicing their faith, and many leaders have been severely persecuted, and some have been killed.

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam in the northern part of the country has tried to give them support.

Vietnam's National Assembly adopted an Ordinance on Religion which took effect last November 15. While giving a bit more freedom to registered groups, it stipulated that religious activities must take place only within the physical facilities of the group.

In a conversation with a member of the National Assembly in December, a Mennonite delegation observed that this stipulation was impossible to observe if the church buildings were destroyed and the congregations were not permitted to build a church. The Prime Minister's instructions now address that matter.

Vietnam observers attribute the Prime Minister's order, as well as the recent prison release of several high profile religious freedom and human rights activists, to international advocacy. The United States has designated Vietnam a "country of particular concern" and the European Union has called for greater personal freedoms. Vietnam is hoping to enter the World Trade Organization by the end of 2005, and needs the full support of these nations for entry.

The churches among the minorities are not under any illusions that they will immediately be able to freely meet. In many areas local officials and security police will still try to hinder and control them. Now, however, the churches can appeal to the Prime Minister's order.