There are signs of escalating troubles aiming directly at Redemptorists in Vietnam. Having their church in Saigon been raided, their monastery in Hanoi been attacked by pro-government thugs, their convent in Dalat been demolished for a state office, their provincial superior been investigated, threaten, and prohibited from leaving the country for international conferences; now they have to face another outrageous harassment on their properties.
In an urgent protest letter released on March 3, Father Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, chief of the secretariat of the local Redemptorist province, cried out that the government has violated its own law on Complaints and Denunciations.
“Previously we had filed 3 petitions with all complete evidents and legal basis to the People's Committee and all authoritive agents in regard to the said issues”, said Fr. Joseph Thoai, the spokesperson of the Order in Vietnam.
“We, however, have not to this day received any responses from your offices. In the meantime, the property which we have the legal ownership and the legal rights to use keeps being violated”, he added.
The property in dispute locating right in front of the monastery in Saigon has been seized by the government for decades to run a Preschool and kindergarten. Recently, the local government has unitarily demolished the house to use it for another purpose.
Vietnam law on Complaints and Denunciations orders that "Complaints and denunciations must be examined and dealt with by the State agencies within a period of time stipulated by law". However, complaints from Church have been always fallen into deaf ears.
Many buildings that once belonged to the Church have been administered by the State on the grounds that they were needed for social purposes. Even when their purposes are no longer met, the buildings are seldom returned to their owners. It’s very often that Church properties have been used either to award government officials or to produce financial support for the Party.
In an urgent protest letter released on March 3, Father Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, chief of the secretariat of the local Redemptorist province, cried out that the government has violated its own law on Complaints and Denunciations.
“Previously we had filed 3 petitions with all complete evidents and legal basis to the People's Committee and all authoritive agents in regard to the said issues”, said Fr. Joseph Thoai, the spokesperson of the Order in Vietnam.
“We, however, have not to this day received any responses from your offices. In the meantime, the property which we have the legal ownership and the legal rights to use keeps being violated”, he added.
The property in dispute locating right in front of the monastery in Saigon has been seized by the government for decades to run a Preschool and kindergarten. Recently, the local government has unitarily demolished the house to use it for another purpose.
Vietnam law on Complaints and Denunciations orders that "Complaints and denunciations must be examined and dealt with by the State agencies within a period of time stipulated by law". However, complaints from Church have been always fallen into deaf ears.
Many buildings that once belonged to the Church have been administered by the State on the grounds that they were needed for social purposes. Even when their purposes are no longer met, the buildings are seldom returned to their owners. It’s very often that Church properties have been used either to award government officials or to produce financial support for the Party.