Religious and Human rights In ThaiHa VietNam

Dear: Father Benedict XVI
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
The Government of Vietnam,
The Governments of the Free World,
The Human Rights Organizations,
and The United States President and Congress


We are writing this letter to express our deep concerns about the recent dispute between Redemptorists/parishioners versus the government of Vietnam over a piece of property at Hanoi Redemptorist Monastery - Thai Ha parish. We have been deeply troubled by recent religious and human rights violations against the said religious order as well as Catholic faithful who have assembled since January of this year for peaceful prayer vigils at the site in dispute.

The property in question consists of 15 acres of land purchased by the said religious order in 1928. After the Communist takeover of Northern Vietnam in 1954, most of the Redemptorists in Northern Vietnam had moved to the South to avoid persecution. Of those five who remained in Hanoi, two were arrested, imprisoned without being released until their death; another pair who had foreign citizenship were deported, thus leaving a local priest solely in charge of the entire property . Despite the pastor's protests, local authorities, following a harsh anti-religion policy, had allowed individuals and state-run organisations to seize the parish's land one section at a time. The 15-acre plot has been reduced to only about half an acre.

Since 1996, this religious order has been repeatedly requesting the requisition of the property claiming that it was seized illegally all to no avail. The Redemptorists and their followers in their desperation were left with no choice other than holding peaceful protests completely complying with Vietnam law to call out for justice from the authorities since 5th January, 2008.

In response, the government of Vietnam launched a terrorising campaign against Hanoi Catholics, starting with a media campaign threatening to use "extreme actions" against the Redemptorists, depicting them as "criminals" who have used their influence to incite the faithful in a confrontation against the government, destroying state property, assembling and praying illegally in public areas, and disturbing the public order. The campaign, which has incited a social sentiment not only against the Redemptorists but also the Church as a whole, has been stepped up by a series of arrests on August 28.
On the same day, numerous of priests and lay people were kicked and beaten brutally by police when they peacefully requested for the release of detainees. Demonstrators had claimed the police beat them brutally and used stun guns on them.

Even worse, on Sunday 31th August, Vietnam police disrupted a Catholic procession at Hanoi Redemptorist Monastery. Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Khai, the celebrant, was personally attacked when he was leading a procession on the ground of Hanoi Redemptorist Monastery. A policeman in uniform sprayed the priest, altar boys and people nearby with tear gas at close range causing many to faint and vomit. Another tear-gas bomb was thrown into the crowd causing a total chaos among the faithful, many ran and cried out in panic. 30 parishioners, most of them were children, suffered badly from tear gas inhalation. Among them at least 20 were hospitalised. Needless to say, a supposed-to-be peaceful religious event had been completely ruined.

The United States of America has a long tradition of being a beacon protector of religious and human rights through out the world and a beacon whenever humanity is in harm way. We respectfully request that you do everything in your power to ensure that the Hanoi regime desists from all sorts of violent repression of the protestors, and earnestly participate in a settlement negotiation regarding the confiscated Church property that is at the root of the dispute. The Vietnamese government must respect its own laws and international laws that it had signed and pledged to obey. It must be immediately taking firm and concrete action to prevent further religious and human rights violations against followers of religious groups, recognising their rights to practice their faiths free of harassment and oppression. For a far too long period, people of faith have suffered and persecuted under Hanoi's repressive and brutal rule.

We desperately hope that you will take action immediately to prevent a potential bloodshed. Definitely, your actions and words count.
Please accept our sincere wish for good health and happiness to you, and your family.