By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
HANOI (Worthy News) – A Vietnamese man who recently became a Christian has been killed after local authorities objected to his conversion, Worthy News learned Saturday.
The Christian, identified only as “Brother Man,” was a widower and father of two who, in August, “came to faith in Christ,” Christians told Worthy News.
Soon after, persecution began, culminating in his death, according to several investigators.
“Brother Man was ordered to leave his home. When he refused to do so, the local authorities then confiscated his land and forbade him from contacting any other Christians, said Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), an advocacy group closely followed the case.
“Despite the opposition, the follower of Jesus remained firm in his newfound faith,” VOMC added in a message to Worthy News.
“On September 24th, Brother Man had been home alone while the rest of his household was out working. When his family members returned home later that day, they found the slain believer’s body on the floor. It was also discovered that the deceased Christian man had a bruise on the back of his neck,” the advocacy group explained.
Local Christians said that financial assistance had been provided to the grieving family in an undisclosed location inside Vietnam.
‘PRAYERFULLY REMEMBER’
VOMC said it has asked Christians to “Prayerfully remember Brother Man’s loved ones as they grieve their sudden loss.”
His death, while still being investigated, comes at a time of “oppressive restrictions being imposed on them” and other “persecuted believers from all levels of government” in the Communist-led Asian nation, the group said.
Among other cases, this year, Pastor Y Bum Bya was found dead under mysterious circumstances on March 8, Christians said.
Publicly declared a suicide by local authorities, the pastor’s death is under scrutiny from evangelicals around the world, according to human rights activists.
Rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) said Y Bum Bya, a native of Vietnam, pastored the Evangelical Church of Christ in Vietnam’s Central Highlands in Dak Lak Province.
Christians said he had been “Facing persecution for many years,” including beatings by local authorities in December last year as they tried to force him to leave his church.
Police reportedly confiscated his phone and threatened to beat him to death if he did not follow their commands.
SEVERELY BEATEN
After he was “severely beaten and further threatened,” Y Bum Bya “denounced” his church and his actions on the publicly broadcasted Dak Lak Security and Order Program, Christians recalled.
He was “not allowed to approach friends and relatives and was not allowed to use a smartphone because he had previously used it to take photos and videos, and then report (government violations) to the international community,” ICC said.
Pressure has been mounting on Christians who live in so-called “Communist villages” as most of them belong to ethnic minorities like the Hmong, raising suspicion among Communist authorities.
Advocacy group Open Doors said, “While historical Christian communities, like Roman Catholic churches, enjoy some freedom, both non-traditional Protestants and those who convert from indigenous religions face intense pressure and violence for their faith, especially in the remote areas of central and northern Vietnam.”
However, Vietnam regularly denies allegations of human rights violations by the United Nations and other international rights organizations, saying the accusations are based on “false and unverified information.”
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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