Vietnamese Pastor Arrested, Questioned

(Compass) – The Rev. Tran Mai, a prominent Vietnamese house church leader, was arrested on August 29 and held for eight days of interrogation. He was released on September 6, but given orders to appear for further questioning at the Ministry of Public Security. Mai was arrested as he crossed a land border into Vietnam after several months abroad. He was allowed an initial brief phone call to his wife, but the police refused to tell his wife where he was being held or the charges against him. During his brief imprisonment Mai was shifted to three different locations and questioned about his activities abroad. He was also questioned regarding his association with two other prominent house church leaders who are currently in police custody: the Rev. Bui Van Ba, arrested on August 18, 2003, and the Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang, arrested on June 8.