Protestant pastor arrested and charged with spreading ‘anti-state propaganda’

Police in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam arrested 71-year-old Protestant pastor Nguyen Manh Hung after he was accused of spreading anti-state propaganda on 16 January.

Pastor Nguyen was arrested in a raid on his home during which his son, Nguyen Tran Hien, was also detained. The authorities seized several phones and laptops. Pastor Nguyen’s son was released after several hours of interrogation.

The pastor was charged under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code and is accused of using his social media platform to spread ‘anti-state propaganda.’ If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

The charges relate to a post on Pastor Nguyen’s Facebook page dated 14 January, in which he claimed that Vietnam’s Communist Party once referred to those who bought land as ‘cruel landlords,’ while these days, ‘those who abuse power to acquire land are called ‘outstanding’’.

Pastor Nguyen is a former solider and was most recently associated with the Chuong Bo Protestant Church which is affiliated with the global Mennonite Church. He is currently a member of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam, which advocates for freedom of religion or belief for all. Neither church is officially registered with the Vietnamese government, which is a requirement under Vietnamese law.

Pastor Nguyen belongs to the Kinh majority ethnic group, which is noteworthy as to date the majority of Christians who have been arrested and charged under Article 117 have belonged to minority ethnic groups residing in the central highlands of Vietnam.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The arrest of Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung is yet another sign that the Vietnamese Communist Party is insouciant towards its obligations under international law to respect the rights of all Vietnamese citizens. The early days of To Lam’s tenure have been marked by authoritarianism, the targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, and the sweeping deterioration of human rights across the board. This makes a mockery of Vietnam’s membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the government must be held to account accordingly.’