Montagnard pastor and congregant arrested for ‘undermining national unity’

Authorities in Vietnam’s Gia Lai Province arrested two Montagnard Christians on charges of ‘undermining national unity’ on 1 June.

Pastor Siu Yúi, 68, and church member Siu Dok, 40, are accused of using religious teachings to mobilise and encourage ethnic minorities in Vietnam’s Central Highlands towards succession and independence. Both men were charged under Article 116 of the country’s Penal Code, a provision frequently used in cases involving ethnic minority and religious communities.

According to local media reports, the men are alleged to have been involved in grassroots training and advocacy among members of several different ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. Authorities claim that the group used religious gatherings to mobilise local communities and collect information, and that they maintained links with individuals abroad who run ‘illegal’ organisations.

Prosecutions under Article 116 are commonplace in the Central Highlands, where ethnic minority communities, particularly those practising independent or unregistered religious beliefs, have faced crackdowns from authorities.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is concerned by the arrests of these two men under a provision that has repeatedly been used to target members of ethnic and religious minority communities. We urge the Vietnamese authorities to ensure that both are afforded due process, including access to legal representation, and that no one is detained for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of religion or belief, expression, or association. We also call on the government of Vietnam to review and amend provisions of the Penal Code that are inconsistent with its obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’

Note to Editors:

1. The majority of Vietnam’s Montagnard community are Christians and live in the country’s Central Highlands. The community has a long history of conflict with the Vietnamese government and have faced intense harassment and intimidation since a June 2023 attack on provincial Communist party offices in Dak Lak that left nine dead, including local party officials and police.