Vietnam province campaigns against Protestants
HANOI -
Authorities in an impoverished
province in northern Vietnam are
waging a propaganda battle against
what officials regard as illegal
religious activities.
The ruling Communist Party's
propaganda and education
committee in Ha Giang province
published a pamphlet aimed at
persuading the Hmong ethnic
minority not to follow an evangelist
cult known as Vang Chu, or Religion
of the Lord of Heaven.
The 42-page pamphlet, dated last
November and entitled
``Propagandising and Mobilising
People Not to Follow Illegal
Religion'' states that a growth in
Protestant evangelism was fuelled by
enemies of the state who were active
everywhere.
``These forces are propagandising
with deceptive beliefs and want us to
listen to Vang Chu in order to
destroy our solidarity, and discard
the good customs of our ethnic
minority people,'' said the pamphlet,
a copy of which was obtained by
Reuters.
It called on citizens to inform on
``bad people,'' wipe out the
propagation of Vang Chu, return to
traditional Hmong beliefs and cease
distributing information. ``Do not give
documents to foreigners or bad
people,'' it warned.
Some Western governments have
become increasingly concerned at
what they said appeared to be
concerted attempts by Vietnam to
clamp down on Protestantism.
Diplomats said an unknown number
of believers had been imprisoned.
They added that in meetings the head
of the Government Committee on
Religion stated that Hanoi feared that
the Hmong in the northern highlands
wanted an independent state with
Protestantism as the official faith.
While the climate for worship has
eased in the last decade all religious
groups have to be approved by the
state and permits are required for
most religious and other associated
activities.
The Ha Giang party committee
instructed that the pamphlet be
distributed to all provincial party
cells, village chiefs and other
organisations.
``All schools are to publicise the
content of this document so that
pupils understand...and mobilise their
families to implement it, especially in
areas where the illegal religion is
being spread,'' the pamphlet said.
Reuters - June 21, 1998.
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