HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — More than two months after their arrest, three evangelists and a staff member of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam remain imprisoned and their status unknown.
The four were arrested in Ho Chi Minh City March 2. An April 1 letter signed by 13 church leaders and sent to the prime minister and ministry of public security decried the “evil actions” of the police “in beating, imprisoning and refusing to allow the church to visit (the prisoners).” The letter also cites “many other brothers and sisters who have disappeared whose whereabouts we do not know.”
Vietnamese Mennonites have been targeted by authorities for months. In January, a church building was demolished and the property confiscated, and church members have had their property confiscated. Other church leaders and members have been beaten and intimidated. Church members claim they are being falsely accused of being reactionaries, American lackeys and government opponents.
Mennonite World Conference, the global Mennonite fellowship, has sent a letter of concern to Vietnamese officials and requested a meeting with them to discuss the situation. The Mennonite Church in Vietnam has more than 1,000 members in 26 congregations.
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