by Joseph Dang

For weeks, protesters have camped outside the local government building, demanding the return of illegally seized parish land. They want local authorities to uphold a prime ministerial decree that orders to return of properties seized after 1991, which is their case. The incident illustrates the problem of corruption that the authorities are trying to sweep under the carpet.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) – Another peaceful protest broke out in Vietnam against the illegal seizure of Church property. This time it occurred in Thai Nguyen, 80 kilometres northeast of Hanoi where hundreds of people (pictured) have been camping out in front of the Provincial People’s Committee  (administration) building, demanding the return of land taken away from their parish.

Unlike the case of the Apostolic Delegation compound or Thai Ha parish, protesters here want the law to be enforced and promises made by the prime minister upheld.

The incident began on 29 November when hundreds of parishioners went to the Provincial People’s Committee, demanding to see the new chairman, Pham Xuan Duong, to submit a written complaint.

In view of his refusal to meet them, they decided to camp outside the building, setting up tents, putting up banners and posters and, despite the cold and rain, singing rosary and religious hymns. Since then, they have not budged.

The protest, which involves the largest church in the country’s northeast region, is rooted in Prime Ministerial Decree Nº 1940, of 31 December 2008, which says that Church property seized before 1991 would not be returned. At the same time, it promised to "return to people of all faiths" properties seized after that year. The Apostolic Delegation compound, Thai Ha parish and others fall within the first category. Thai Nguyen parish falls within the latter.

The Thai Nguyen parish church, which is located in Bac Ninh diocese, was built before 1927. Destroyed in 1947 during the French Indochina War (1946-1954), it was rebuilt in 1957. On 8 April 1991, the local government issued an order to seize a large portion of its land. After that, local officials started rewarding each other with lots of land to build their own houses or sell for profit.

What is at stake here is the government’s commitments and its pledge to fight corruption. The fact that people from all walks of life, including non-Catholics, have joined the protest and that the government’s press has not attacked the protesters goes to show that this matter is different.  And yet, local officials are still trying to hang on to their ill-gotten property.

The local parish priest, Fr Nguyen Duc Dai, said that Interior Ministry agents came to him on 8 and 9 December to pressure him to have the protesters stop and remove their tents.

On other occasions, representatives of the State administration for Religious Affairs told him to end the demonstration.

Despite threats to his life, the courageous priest rejected all such demands. “I told them we don’t trust their promises. As soon as my parishioners’ reasonable and lawful demands are met, we shall stop right away.”

• vietnam
• land
• seizure
• corruption
• catholic
• church
• parish