Hanoi censors and patrols funeral of Catholic dissident’s mother
Hanoi (AsiaNews /
Agencies) - The Vietnamese authorities are closely monitoring the home of the woman
who self-immolated last week to protest against the imprisonment of her
daughter on charges of "propaganda against the state". Officials
and security personnel monitor all those who pay homage to the family and offer
their condolences for the tragic death of Dang Thi Kim Lieng, mother of Mary Ta Phong Tan, a famous dissident who is currently in jail
awaiting trial and faces up to 20 years in prison . Many
activists, bloggers, faithful and supporters have made their way to the Lieng family
home in recent days in Bac Lieu, to bid a final farewell, but on their way they
encounter police officers and agents that block their path, or subject them to
repeated interrogations.
Dang
Thi Kim Lieng, mother of Catholic blogger Mary Ta Phong Tan, died on July 30,
after setting herself on fire in front of government offices in the southern province of Bac Lieu. Since
her death and for the duration of mourning, including the funeral, plainclothes
and security officials were stationed at her home and have recorded every
movement. During
the funeral they mingled with the crowd, trying to "intimidate" those
present.
Radio
Free Asia (RFA) reports that the former political prisoner Truong Minh
Nguyet was blocked by police as he walked - along with a group of activists -
the road that separates Ho Chi Minh
City from Bac Lieu. The
agents stopped him, accusing him of driving a stolen motorcycle. "We
have encountered many difficulties along the way - said the man - but we intend
to complete our journey."
Meanwhile,
human rights activists and international NGOs continue to protest the death of
Lieng and the imminent trial of her daughter Mary Tan. The
hearing in court against Mary Tan, 44, should begin on 7 August and there is a
very real possibility she will be sentenced to decades in prison. She is a
former police officer well known in Vietnam, because she denounced
abuses and distortions of the prison system online (see AsiaNews 17/04/2012 Vietnamese
government tries three bloggers for writing about strikes and justice). Her
decision to convert to Catholicism also weighs against her, after an
adolescence and childhood characterized by continuous "brainwashing"
in Communist ideology. However, her encounter with a lawyer and activist for
human rights sparked her desire to rediscover the faith that, over time, led
her to baptism.
The Vietnamese government has implemented tight
control over religious activities, and Catholics are often victims of violence
and abuse, both individuals and entire communities. Among the many examples are
the Montagnards in the Central Highlands and the Redemptorist Fathers, in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City, whose pastoral commitment is choked with
systematic regularity. However, this violence did not prevent them from playing
a key role in the spread of Catholicism and the teachings of the Church,
especially among the poor and the abandoned (see AsiaNews 05/08/2011 Redemptorists
teach Church's social doctrine in Ho Chi Minh City).
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