HRC55: Oral statement during the general debate on Item 4

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker:Mr. Ellis Heasley

Thank you, Mr President,

On 26 January Vietnamese Montagnard Christian Nay Y Blang was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on charges of ‘secession and incitement’ for holding prayer meetings in his home.

Mr Blang was not given access to legal representation, and his sentencing came just days after over 100 Montagnards were convicted on various terrorism-related charges that family members have claimed were based on confessions made under duress.

The government of Vietnam has increased its crackdown on the Montagnards since a June 2023 terrorist attack on Communist party offices in Dak Lak, but has been hostile to this predominantly Christian ethnic group for decades.

We emphasise that this is part of a wider pattern of targeted violations against religious and ethnic minorities across Vietnam and is often more severe in rural areas. We call on the Vietnamese authorities to cease all harassment of these groups across the country.

The Chinese Communist Party also views religious gatherings and simple acts of prayer as threats to its power, and is responsible for an extensive crackdown on religion or belief groups and those who defend their rights across the country.

It has been over five years since the Early Rain Covenant Church crackdown, and the church’s pastor Wang Yi remains in prison. Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has been forcibly disappeared since August 2017.

We continue to call for the immediate release of Pastor Wang Yi, Gao Zhisheng and all others who have been detained or imprisoned on account of their religion or belief or for defending human rights. This Council must do more to hold China to account for its human rights violations.

Thank you