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Vietnam: Christians Raise Concerns About Country’s New President

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Christian advocates have expressed concern that the August 3 election of communist President To Lam as Vietnam’s new leader will make life more difficult for Vietnamese believers. Even before Lam’s election, Communist-ruled Buddhist-majority Vietnam ranked 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Prior to his election as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, Lam led Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security – an agency which cracked down on human rights activists and members of minority religions including Christians, ICC said.

“This move is bad news for Christians in Vietnam and Vietnamese Christians from minority ethnic groups who have fled Vietnam to other nations,” ICC said in its report. “To Lam’s record against Vietnamese Christians and human rights defenders is well documented,” ICC said. “As a ministry supporting and strengthening suffering Christians, we must watch Vietnam even closer to ensure Christians there can endure the coming trials they are almost certain to face under this new Communist Party leadership.”

In a recent website statement about the situation facing Christians in Vietnam, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains: “For many Christians in Vietnam, following Jesus can bring intense hostility and even violence. Most believers belong to ethnic minority groups, like the Hmong, and face social exclusion, discrimination, and attacks.”

Christians who live in so-called “Communist villages” are also vulnerable [to persecution], Open Doors said. “Since most of them belong to ethnic minorities like the Hmong, the Communist authorities are particularly suspicious of them.”