Rights group condemns ‘rising’ religious repression in Vietnam
(ABC Radio Australia)
An international human rights group has accused the Vietnamese government of intensifying its campaign against religious freedom. The US-based Human Rights Watch says Vietnamese authorities last month bulldozed a church and arrested pastors and followers of the Mennonite church – a Christian denomination not recognised by the government. The group has also highlighted repression against other independent religious groups, including a Buddhist church whose monks have been detained. The executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division, Brad Adams, says thousands of Vietnamese citizens are being persecuted because they want to worship outside government restrictions.
