Buddhist community ordered to destroy religious hall

A Khmer Krom community received a letter from the Vietnamese authorities ordering them to demolish their religious hall in Tong Hung Hamlet, Loan My District, Vinh Long Province in southern Vietnam on 2 December.

The religious hall, which is built on land donated to the community by Mrs Thach Thi Sa Bach, is used by Khmer Krom Buddhist followers for the practise of Theravada Buddhism and as a site to teach the Khmer language to children in the hamlet. On 19 November 2020, the villagers of Tong Hung Hamlet shared a video on social media about a traditional religious ceremony to start the construction of the hall. The building is currently approximately 90 %complete.

On 12 October this year, representatives from the Vietnamese authorities visited the hall and read out a court order to demolish the property under the accusation that it was built illegally. The representatives left the hall after facing resistance from Khmer Krom Buddhist followers. On 2 December, the Vietnamese authorities sent a letter asking the community to execute the judgement made by the Vietnamese court for the hall’s demolition.

On 10 December, representatives of the Vietnamese authorities reportedly visited the community again, to enforce the court order, but the villagers did not open the gate to allow them entry.

Caption: Vietnamese authorities in front of the gate on 10 December. Credit: CSW.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The persistent targeting of ethnic and religious minority communities in Vietnam is extremely worrying. Research by CSW has shown that individuals and communities in remote areas who are indigenous peoples, such as the Khmer Krom, often suffer the most severe abuses of the right to freedom of religion and belief and other rights. CSW urges the authorities to immediately revoke their order for the demolition of Tong Hung Hamlet’s religious hall, and to cease all harassment of Khmer-Krom Buddhists in the community.’

Note to Editors:

1. The Khmer Krom are ethnically Khmer people living in or from the region of Tây Nam Bộ in southwest Vietnam (Mekong Delta).