The year 1975 was the pivotal year for both Vietnam and
Cambodia.
In Vietnam, a Declaration of Independence had been declared
by Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945. However, the French
continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated,
ending 70 years of French occupation. As is well known,
Communist forces were only able to control the North, while
the USA provided military aid to the South until the 1973
cease-fire agreement. By 1975 the Communist regime had
completed its overtake of the South.
Although the Protestant church has grown to about 400,000,
persecution is rampant in Vietnam. As recently as
October 2, 2003, "Religion Today" printed a report about
soldiers who "confiscated Bibles, raped, arrested and used
electric-shock torture on Vietnamese Christians."
In an incident reported by "Christian Aid," Vietnamese
police interrupted a gathering of worshipers and ordered
them to leave. When the Christians refused to do so, the
police sprayed them with an unknown gas. More than 100
Christians were overcome by the gas. In many cases,
leaders have been arrested, punched, kicked, beaten, and
sentenced to jail or forced labor; efforts have been made
by officials to force Christians to recant by drinking
from a bowl of goat's blood mixed with wine; vehicles and
important household equipment such as water pumps have
been confiscated with the promise of being returned if the
owners recant; in some cases, church buildings have been
razed.
Christian News Service reported what happened to
Pastor A En when he answered a summons to appear before
local security police. For three hours he was forced to
stand like Christ was hung on the cross, on one foot,
with arms outstretched. When he moved or put down his other
foot, he was taunted, punched and kicked. When finally
released, he crumpled to the ground, unable to move. An
elder of his church had to carry him out of the police
station.
The response of the Christians is heard in this recent
statement by a member of the church , "The more the
Communists persecute us, the more God blesses us and the
faster the church grows."
Please pray for these areas. God bless.
Cambodia.
In Vietnam, a Declaration of Independence had been declared
by Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945. However, the French
continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated,
ending 70 years of French occupation. As is well known,
Communist forces were only able to control the North, while
the USA provided military aid to the South until the 1973
cease-fire agreement. By 1975 the Communist regime had
completed its overtake of the South.
Although the Protestant church has grown to about 400,000,
persecution is rampant in Vietnam. As recently as
October 2, 2003, "Religion Today" printed a report about
soldiers who "confiscated Bibles, raped, arrested and used
electric-shock torture on Vietnamese Christians."
In an incident reported by "Christian Aid," Vietnamese
police interrupted a gathering of worshipers and ordered
them to leave. When the Christians refused to do so, the
police sprayed them with an unknown gas. More than 100
Christians were overcome by the gas. In many cases,
leaders have been arrested, punched, kicked, beaten, and
sentenced to jail or forced labor; efforts have been made
by officials to force Christians to recant by drinking
from a bowl of goat's blood mixed with wine; vehicles and
important household equipment such as water pumps have
been confiscated with the promise of being returned if the
owners recant; in some cases, church buildings have been
razed.
Christian News Service reported what happened to
Pastor A En when he answered a summons to appear before
local security police. For three hours he was forced to
stand like Christ was hung on the cross, on one foot,
with arms outstretched. When he moved or put down his other
foot, he was taunted, punched and kicked. When finally
released, he crumpled to the ground, unable to move. An
elder of his church had to carry him out of the police
station.
The response of the Christians is heard in this recent
statement by a member of the church , "The more the
Communists persecute us, the more God blesses us and the
faster the church grows."
Please pray for these areas. God bless.
