HANOI, Vietnam — In what appeared to be part of a central government crackdown on Protestant Christianity in Vietnam, hundreds of Christians from 10 northern provinces were locked out of a Christmas celebration that was supposed to take place in Hanoi on Dec. 19. The throngs who arrived at the National Convention Center in the Tu Kiem district of Hanoi for the Christmas event found the doors locked and a phalanx of police trying to send them away, sources said. Deeply disappointed, some of the Christians began singing and praying in the square in front to the center, they said.
Police moved in, striking some Christians with fists and night sticks in the melee that followed. Christian leaders worked to calm the disappointed crowd, which eventually left, but not before at least six people — including Pastor Nguyen Huu Bao, the scheduled speaker for the event — were arrested. They had not been released at press time. Similar incidents occurred Dec. 19 in at least four other places throughout the country: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Quang Nam provinces, and in the city of Danang in central Vietnam. Even those who closely follow Protestant church developments in Vietnam were somewhat surprised at the severity of the crackdown. One well-respected overseas Vietnam leader observed that it is now clear that the actions resulted from a coordinated, well-planned and executed crackdown involving top Communist Party and government officials. One key church leader in Vietnam said that Directive No. 75, a secret Ministry of Interior document dated Oct. 15, ordered the crackdown on unregistered groups.
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