The government continues to treat human rights defenders incredibly harshly. For their tireless work exposing repeated violations of freedom of religion or belief, torture, pressure to recant and detention, they too are detained, harassed and beaten. Join us in praying for human rights defenders in Vietnam this week.
In April, six Vietnamese human rights defenders (including Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, Nguyen Van Dai, Hoa Hao activist Nguyen Bac Truyen) were sentenced to lengthy prison sentences because of their work. Four of the men appealed their sentences, but their sentences were upheld. Pray that they will all be released and the charges against them dismissed.
Pray today for protection for Montagnard ethnic minority Catholics and Protestants in the Central Highlands who often suffer some of the most serious human rights abuses, including beatings and torture and forced eviction.
Today, please pray for the release of Pastor A Dao, a Protestant pastor sentenced in April 2017 to five years in prison for helping people illegally leave Vietnam – a charge he denies.
In February 2018, six Hoa Hao Buddhists were sentenced to between two and six years in prison for holding a peaceful demonstration against the suppression of FoRB, after police had prevented them commemorating the death of another community member. Please pray for their release today.
Vietnamese human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison and a further five years under house arrest: before this, he spent over 600 days in detention without trial. He’s sorely missed by his family and the community for which he works. Please pray for God’s protection over him in prison, and for his release soon.
The case of Nguyen Van Dai and the five other men who were sentenced in the same hearing shows the danger that many human rights defenders in Vietnam experience during the course of their work. Thank God for their courage and pray for their protection.
Heavenly Father, today we ask you to watch over the six human rights defenders in Vietnam who are facing lengthy prison sentences. Thank you for their tremendous courage and heart to stand up for human rights: we pray that you will move powerfully to secure their release soon. Amen.
