Catholic World News News Feature

Vietnamese bishop anticipates being arrested September 12, 2008

A Vietnamese bishop has said goodbye to this people, explaining that he expects to be jailed for his participation in public protests, as evidence mounts that authorities are preparing a crackdown on Catholic demonstrators.

In Hanoi, the Dan Tri newspaper reported that police have issued four "urgent orders of arrest" for leaders of prayer vigils at the Trai Ha parish, where Catholics are protesting the government's seizure of Church property. At least 7 lay people have already been arrested, and the superior of the Redemptorist monastery at Trai Ha has been summoned for police questioning.

Bishop Francis Nguyen Van Sang of Thai Binh announced on September 11: "I want to say farewell to my faithful, to go to jail, because I have committed all the 'sins' that state media have laid against Thai Ha protestors."

Another Vietnamese prelate, Bishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan of Lang Son, strongly defended the protestors against accusations that they were engaged in unlawful activities. The demonstrators, he said, "are not rioters, not anti-society people who disturb public order,” as described in state media. Rather “they have a strong conviction,” he added, “to live up their Christian vocation in their earthly journey.” Government officials took a very different view, as did the state-controlled media. In New Hanoi, attorney Vuong Trong The argued that there has been ample evidence of "organized crime." The paper went on to state that the protest was plotted by “hostile forces” opposed to the Communist government.

Some Catholic reporters in Hanoi have been summoned by police and asked to stop sending their articles to the outside world. Some other journalists are being sought by police.