barrykind
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UPDATE: Letter Writing Campaign for Nguyen Hong Quang, Vietnam
January 2005
(Source: Compass Direct: “Vietnam's Imprisoned Mennonites Appeal to People’s Supreme Court,” January 13, 2005; “Imprisoned Vietnamese Christian Hospitalized for ‘Mental Disease,’” November 18, 2004; “Harsh Sentences for Vietnamese Mennonites,” November 12, 2004; “Vietnam Still Holding Nguyen Hong Quang in Unknown Location,” July 8, 2004; “Vietnam Police Arrest Nguyen Hong Quang,” June 4, 2004)
BACKGROUND
Six Vietnamese Mennonite workers received sentences ranging from 9 months to 3 years for “resisting an officer doing official duty” last November. Two of the Christian prisoners, brothers Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Hieu Nghia, were released in December and reported non-stop beatings, deprivation and humiliation because of their Christian faith.
A favored method of abuse was to entice hardened criminals with rewards of food and cigarettes to beat the Christian prisoners. They enthusiastically complied. The brothers recall loud screams of pain under torture reverberating through the cell-block and fading to nothing as, one by one, the brothers and the other Mennonite prisoners were beaten into unconsciousness.
Many times they were tortured because they would not sign prepared false accusation documents against their leader, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang. They believe that is also why sister Le Thi Hong Lien has been declared “stubborn and uncooperative” and denied family visits.
The torture and abuse that Lien has suffered while imprisoned has led to her complete mental and physical breakdown. A strong, bright and committed Christian worker when she was arrested in June 2004, Lien is now a mere shadow of her former self.
Authorities told her father that she is “wild” and needs to be tied hands-and-feet to her bed. They said she has no control over her bodily functions and that punishment for this does no good. When she is unrestrained she removes her clothes and staggers around naked.
Nguyen Hong Quang (45) is the Vice President and General Secretary of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam. He is a trained lawyer and an advocate for religious freedom. He was arrested in June 2004. Police ransacked his home and office, confiscating money, four computers and numerous books and papers, including his legal files on human rights cases. He has been slandered on government websites and media. He has a wife, Le Thi Phu Dung and three children, Huy-Gideon (9), Trieu-Daniel (8) and Anne (2) years. Pastor Quang was sentenced to three years in prison on 12 Nov. 2004. His appeal before The People’s Supreme Court is scheduled for February 2.
Pham Ngoc Thach is a Mennonite evangelist. He was arrested in March 2004 after going to the police station following reports that Elder Nghia was being beaten. He was with Pastor Quang when the undercover police officers were discovered. He was beaten almost to death at the police station. Thach was sentenced to two years in prison on 12 Nov. 2004. His appeal before The People’s Supreme Court is scheduled for February 2.
Nguyen Van Phuong is a Mennonite evangelist. He was arrested in March 2004 after going to the police station following reports that Elder Nghia was being beaten. He is married with an infant child. Phuong was sentenced to one year in prison on 12 Nov. 2004. He has been moved to the Bo Vu Prison in Binh Phuoc Province.
Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien (21) is a children's teacher. She was arrested and held without charge in July 2004. Her house was searched and ransacked by police. Despite being too weak to stand or speak at the trial, Lien was sentenced to one year in prison on 12 Nov. 2004. The abuse and torture has caused a complete mental and physical breakdown. Her parents are denied access to visit her.
Nguyen Hieu Nghia (24) is a Mennonite elder in the house church congregation in Ho Chi Minh City's District 2. He was arrested in March 2004 when several dozen police officers armed with guns and electric cattle prods surrounded Pastor Quang's home, after Quang had discovered undercover policemen spying on him. Nghia was sentenced to nine months in prison on 12 Nov. 2004 and was released in December. He has a crippled leg as a result of the torture in prison and is unable to work.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan (22) is a Mennonite evangelist. He was arrested in March 2004 after going to the police station following reports that his brother, Nghia, was being beaten. Nhan was sentenced to nine months in prison on 12 Nov. 2004 and was released in December. He still has constant bouts of vomiting as a result of the torture in prison and is unable to work.
Pastor Quang has consistently documented abuses and exposed authorities who violate Vietnam's laws regarding religious freedom and other human rights. His ceaseless confrontations of injustice have led officials to make at least four attempts on his life. While the government has maintained that the trial of the Mennonite workers has nothing to do with religion, at least five raids on the Quang home and Mennonite church involving dozens of police officers strongly belie that claim. The stated objective of the raids, some of which were recorded and video-taped, was to put an end to all “illegal religious activity.”
Please send the letters to the following addresses:
VIETNAMESE MENNONITE PRISONERS IN VIETNAM
Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang
C5/1H Tran Nao, Khu Pho 1
Phuong Binh Khanh, Quan 2
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach
Family address :
Mr. Le Van Thanh
Thon 17, Xa Hoa Khanh
Cu Jut District, Dak Lak Province
Vietnam
Evangelist Nguyen van Phuong
Mother’s address :
Mrs. Pham Thi Phuong Trang
25b/4, Khu Pho 10, Phuong Tan Bien,
Bien Hoa, Dong Nai Province
Vietnam
Evangelist (Ms) Le Thi Hong Lien
Father’s address is:
Le Quang Danh
19/5 Dien Bien Phu
Phuong 15, Quan Binh Thanh
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Evangelist Nguyen Thanh Nhan and
Elder Nguyen Huu Nghia (bothers)
Mother’s address is:
Mrs. Quang Thi Kim Lan
Hop Thu 70, Buu Dien Tan Hiep
Kien Giang Province
Vietnam
Please observe these important guidelines:
Every letter will naturally be opened and read by the prison authorities first, before they are (or if they are going to be) released to the addressees.
Make sure, therefore, that the letter does not have any political undertones. Instead, the letter should contain words of encouragement for the imprisoned brothers and sister and their families, e.g. prayers, Scripture verses.
Pastor Quang knows English. The others may not, but write them anyway.
We want to impact the jail guards and other authorities with Christian love and unity and of the solid support behind Pastor Quang and the five others by brothers and sisters all over the world. The letters that may come in worldwide may counter the effects of the black propaganda campaign that is being spread by the government against Rev. Quang specifically, on a wide scale, inside and outside Vietnam.
Open Doors should never be mentioned nor hinted in the letter.
All letters should carry the address of the writer only.
Do not send money or gifts.
Sample Letter
Dear (Name),
I have heard about your time in prison and am greatly encouraged by what you are willing to endure for your love of Christ. I am praying today that God will strengthen and encourage you, and that you will feel the arms of our Lord surrounding you. I pray that your witness will lead many to Jesus. My prayers are with your loved ones also as they wait and pray for you. The Lord is your shepherd; He will be with you.
Your (Brother/Sister) in Christ,
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The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART!
John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27
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