Vietnam: Church Raided and 14-Year-Old Arrested
- Updated Jun 17, 2016
The Vietnamese government conducted a raid on a local church and beat and arrested church members, including a 14-year-old boy.
According to ChristianToday.com, the raid took place on June 13, just a couple of weeks after a U.S. delegation, including President Obama, visited the country.
"It is appalling to see the actions by the Vietnamese government against its Christian population both before and after the President's visit. In an effort to bring forth a new chapter in US-Vietnamese relations, the President lifted the weapons embargo between the two nations in hopes of a better future," said International Christian Concern regional manager for South Asia, William Stark.
"Unfortunately, the President relinquished the last major bargaining chip the United States had to use with Vietnam regarding their deplorable human rights record. These recent attacks on the church and the arrest and torture of an imprisoned pastor's wife shows the true colors of Vietnam's leadership,” Stark continued.
During the raid on the church which is near Vietnam’s border with China, two people, including the 14-year-old boy, were arrested, others were beaten, and the priest was interrogated.
Government authorities also claimed that the church was disrupting and endangering the security of the community.
Publication date: June 17, 2016
