Vietnam: Surprise inspections threaten Christian activities

Imagine organizing a neighborhood Bible study or opening your home to a satellite worship service and being visited by local police for your “suspicious activities.” It may be difficult to fathom, but in Vietnam, especially in areas with heightened government scrutiny, this is the reality believers face.

Open Doors partners shared recent examples of what’s happening and asked us to pray.

Late last year, a family camp organized by an Open Doors local church partner encountered unexpected interruptions in northwest Vietnam. The area—home to diverse ethnic groups like the Hmong, Thai and Dao—is heavily monitored because it’s close to the Laos border.

Sinh*, a traveling evangelist, arrived at the church early in the morning. Shortly after, a border officer entered the building, asking for identification and what Sinh was doing there. The officer looked around the premises before leaving, allowing the program to proceed.

By noon, border police returned with additional personnel, questioning Sinh about the materials she brought and the churches she planned to visit. Despite her vague responses, the leader of the church Sinh was visiting advised her to end the program early to avoid trouble. The family camp was ultimately cut short.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Only a year before in the same district in northwest Vietnam, a similar challenge occurred with a different pastor who came to help with a family camp in a different village and church. Although the church had received permission for the gathering, local authorities still required the traveling pastor to report to them. During the gathering, police arrived to interrogate participants and gather information.

Leadership training under surveillance

Only a few months ago, in the beautiful region along the country’s eastern border known as Coastal Vietnam, local authorities summoned a church leader who organized a youth summer camp. Despite prior approval for the camp, Pastor Quoc* was still brought in for questioning and officers demanded a list of participants. Quoc refused.

“During the interrogation, the officers questioned us quite harshly and reminded us that any future programs would need to be approved for consideration,” Pastor Quoc shared. While the camp proceeded, officials warned that future events would require stringent approvals.

Following this disturbance, Pastor Hai*, the traveling church leader who taught at the camp, traveled to the Central Highlands of Vietnam for leadership training. Though the first session began smoothly, Hai noticed signs of surveillance. He was in his hotel room when seven uniformed officers staged a surprise inspection of his room, allegedly conducting a “routine check.”

“What are you looking for? Why are you here?” Pastor Hai said calmly. “If you want to check something, go ahead.”
After they left, Pastor Hai asked the hotel manager if they had ever experienced such a strange inspection.

The manager’s response confirmed Hai’s suspicions. “There hasn’t been a check like that in over 10 years,” he told Hai. “If they do check, it’s usually just one or two people standing at the reception [desk] asking a few questions.” Hai knew the inspection was related to his ministry … and that God was protecting him from something even worse. He canceled the training for the next day—for his safety and the participants’.

These are just a few of the recent incidents affecting our brothers and sisters in Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia. Despite these difficulties, however, God continues to use local believers to expand His Kingdom and impact their communities. For example, in northwest Vietnam, all churches face challenges to organizing programs or classes with help from instructors from other regions. Yet our partners tell us that inside the district, there are more than 20 churches.

please pray

Will you pray with the church in these regions?

• Pray for God’s protection and guidance for all believers as they face challenges, especially those obeying the call to travel and train Christians.
• Pray that God strengthens local pastors and believers to remain strong in faith, enabling them to spread God’s love to their communities.
• Pray that God opens and softens the hearts of the local authorities toward the activities of believers.
*Names changed for security reasons

GIVE TODAY

Will you consider giving regularly to the persecuted church?

Open Doors aims to “strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Rev 3:2). Your Monthly Donation can help us provide continuous support to the persecuted church worldwide and enable us to respond immediately to emergency situations.

GIVE A GIFT

Vietnam: Surprise inspections threaten Christian activities

Related Articles

Recommended Articles

Quick Links

Get Involved

Contact Details