Authorities charge 119 Christians in Central Highlands in 2026 so far

Vietnamese authorities have announced that 119 Christians in Gia Lai Province were subject to enforcement measures during the first six months of 2026 for alleged involvement with organisations advocating for religious and ethnic minority self-determination.

According to statements made by Major General Le Quang Nhan, Director of Gia Lai Provincial Police, during a meeting with Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang on 19 July, authorities identified, investigated and ‘handled’ 119 individuals and initiated two criminal cases involving four defendants for their alleged involvement with the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and ‘De Ga Protestantism’. State media reports continue to characterise activities associated with these movements as attempts to promote separatism in the Central Highlands

FULRO was an armed movement founded in the 1960s that sought greater autonomy for ethnic minority groups, particularly the Montagnard community in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Although the organisation largely ceased military operations decades ago, Vietnamese authorities continue to refer to FULRO and alleged successor networks in the context of national security and separatism concerns.

De Ga Protestantism (Tin Lành Đê Ga) is a pejorative term used by the Vietnamese government to describe a movement that it alleges combines Protestant religious practices with political objectives linked to FULRO and demands for ethnic minority self-determination in the Central Highlands. The government does not recognise De Ga Protestantism as a legitimate religious organisation and characterises it as a threat to national unity. Many human rights organisations consider the term to be pejorative aiming to delegitimise the religious practice of ethnic and religious minorities by characterising them as a threat to national security.

The announcement was made during an official working visit by the Minister of Public Security to Gia Lai Province. Authorities also reported that a provincial resolution concerning the management and education of individuals linked to FULRO had been implemented.

The announcement follows a separate case reported by state media in April 2026. In that case, Gia Lai police stated that they had dismantled a network allegedly linked to FULRO that was operating among the Ba Na ethnic community in the province. Authorities reported that the network had organised six groups with more than 200 participants and that four individuals were recommended for prosecution. Police alleged that the group sought to restore FULRO activities and promote De Ga Protestantism.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘Vietnam is increasingly becoming one of the most repressive states when it comes to persecuting and prosecuting religious groups. Branding religious communities as De Ga or FULRO is an unabashed attempt to politicise and demonise lawful religious activity – we are not fooled. The Vietnamese government must be held to account for its ongoing assault on the right to freedom of religion or belief and other fundamental freedoms.’

Note to Editors:

1. The majority of Vietnam’s Montagnard community are Protestant 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.