The Catholic Church in Vietnam continues to face intense pressure from the communist regime, according to a new report by the organization International Christian Concern (ICC), which accuses the authorities of controlling, infiltrating, and persecuting religious communities that operate outside state oversight.
The document, titled Freedom of Worship: A False Reality in Vietnam, argues that the religious freedom proclaimed by the Vietnamese government is largely a façade designed to conceal a system of surveillance and control over believers.
According to the report, every publicly permitted religious expression is subject to state supervision. Independent churches face constant surveillance, infiltration, and, in some cases, legal proceedings and prison sentences for their leaders and members.
Religious freedom on paper, control in practice
International Christian Concern maintains that the freedom of worship formally recognized by Vietnamese law is far removed from the reality experienced by numerous religious communities in the country.
The report describes a system in which the Communist Party of Vietnam seeks to control religious activity through administrative mechanisms, political oversight, and pressure on faith-based organizations. When these tools prove insufficient, the authorities resort to vaguely worded criminal charges to neutralize religious leaders or independent groups.
The organization recalls that the current persecution has its roots in the period following the Vietnam War. After the communist victory in 1975, the authorities directed their efforts particularly against Christian communities in the Central Highlands, viewed with suspicion due to their historical ties to the United States during the conflict.
The infiltration of Catholic communities
One of the most striking aspects of the report concerns the Catholic Church, described as the only major recognized religious community not directly integrated into the state structure.
According to ICC, the authorities use the so-called Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics to exert influence within parishes and ecclesiastical structures. The organization characterizes this body as a pseudo-religious entity controlled by the state, whose purpose is to increase the Communist Party’s ability to influence the internal life of the Church.
The report further states that members of this committee have acted against priests and faithful who denounce social or environmental injustices, defend religious freedom, or refuse to cooperate with the authorities.
Prisoners for religious reasons
When institutional control proves insufficient, repression takes more direct forms. The report notes that 57 religious prisoners are currently held in Vietnam, several of whom have reportedly suffered torture during detention.
The authorities often resort to vaguely defined offenses, such as “undermining national unity” or “abusing democratic freedoms,” to prosecute believers belonging to unregistered or regime-critical religious communities.
Among the cases cited by ICC is that of Nay Y Blang, imprisoned for his involvement in an officially unrecognized evangelical church, as well as that of Dinh Yum, sentenced to eleven years in prison for activities related to Degar Protestantism.
The Christians of the Central Highlands, among the most persecuted
The report pays special attention to the situation of the Montagnard Christians of the Central Highlands, a minority that has been denouncing religious restrictions and political pressures for decades.
Among the testimonies collected is that of Pastor Nglol Rahlan, currently a refugee in the United States, who claims that the authorities detain believers, pressure citizens to remain silent, and force some Christians to participate in celebrations organized by state-controlled churches.
Rahlan further denounces that the faithful of his community continue to lack genuine religious freedom despite repeated official claims of respect for fundamental rights.
A Church still under pressure
International Christian Concern concludes that Catholic churches and independent Christian communities represent an ideological alternative to the communism promoted by the Vietnamese regime. For this reason, it considers it unlikely that the authorities will grant greater religious freedom without sustained pressure from the international community.
The organization calls for intensified diplomatic efforts in defense of persecuted believers and urges support from Christians worldwide for a Church that, in Vietnam, continues to carry out its mission under state surveillance, administrative restrictions, and the constant threat of repression.