Despite protests arose in the Church of Vietnam and around the world, persecution keeps going on at Dong Chiem in various forms. The latest victims were three novices of the Society of St. Anthony of Padua.
“We strongly protest a series of ongoing violations of law against Vietnamese citizens, Catholics in particular,” said in an urgent protest statement of the congregation of Vinh in Hanoi, demanding the immediate release of novice Anthony Tran Van Son who was savagely beaten and arrested by police for coming to pray with Dong Chiem parishioners.
“A group of police attacked the three novices after they had attended Eucharistic Adoration at Dong Chiem church,” Fr. John Luu Ngoc Quynh, the spiritual adviser of the congregation said in the statement. “On their way home, a group of police at An Tien Commune, 1 km from Dong Chiem, stopped the three and savagely attacked them,” he continued noting that novice Anthony Tran Van Son suffered the most of the beating.
“He tried to run into a field to avoid the police attack but they chased after him and continued to beat him more violently,” Fr. John Luu added.
Additionally, “At 23:30 of Jan. 31, police took Anthony Tran to his dormitory where they made a thorough search, and arrested two more students living in the same room,” reported the congregation of Vinh in Hanoi.
On Monday, Jan. 25, state media reported the withdrawal of hundreds of police out of Dong Chiem “in order to restore normalcy in life there.” However, local parish source has informed the presence of a large number of plain-clothes police who are ready to assault any outsiders trying to get in, making the parish virtually under siege.
Thus, Fr. John Luu demanded “the end of the besiegement at Dong Chiem and the respect to the right to free movement and to visit the parish” and urged Vietnam government “to investigate the latest attack in order to bring the culprits to justice.”
The priest also asked the public to pray for the safety and freedom of novice Anthony Son, someone he described as "a decent and peaceful novice from Vinh congregation."
“We strongly protest a series of ongoing violations of law against Vietnamese citizens, Catholics in particular,” said in an urgent protest statement of the congregation of Vinh in Hanoi, demanding the immediate release of novice Anthony Tran Van Son who was savagely beaten and arrested by police for coming to pray with Dong Chiem parishioners.
“A group of police attacked the three novices after they had attended Eucharistic Adoration at Dong Chiem church,” Fr. John Luu Ngoc Quynh, the spiritual adviser of the congregation said in the statement. “On their way home, a group of police at An Tien Commune, 1 km from Dong Chiem, stopped the three and savagely attacked them,” he continued noting that novice Anthony Tran Van Son suffered the most of the beating.
“He tried to run into a field to avoid the police attack but they chased after him and continued to beat him more violently,” Fr. John Luu added.
Additionally, “At 23:30 of Jan. 31, police took Anthony Tran to his dormitory where they made a thorough search, and arrested two more students living in the same room,” reported the congregation of Vinh in Hanoi.
On Monday, Jan. 25, state media reported the withdrawal of hundreds of police out of Dong Chiem “in order to restore normalcy in life there.” However, local parish source has informed the presence of a large number of plain-clothes police who are ready to assault any outsiders trying to get in, making the parish virtually under siege.
Thus, Fr. John Luu demanded “the end of the besiegement at Dong Chiem and the respect to the right to free movement and to visit the parish” and urged Vietnam government “to investigate the latest attack in order to bring the culprits to justice.”
The priest also asked the public to pray for the safety and freedom of novice Anthony Son, someone he described as "a decent and peaceful novice from Vinh congregation."