Viet. Govt. Tortures & Murders its Christians

The trial of a pastor of an underground Protestant church was postponed
this week reportedly because of international publicity.

Pastor Bui Van Ba, general secretary of the Full Gospel Church of
Vietnam,

has been under house arrest since police raided a prayer meeting at his
home in August, Compass Direct reported.

After Ba and others were beaten, he was charged with "resisting an
officer doing his duty," Agence France-Presse reported.

Ba's trial was supposed to start Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City.

But local sources say house church leaders' threat to send demonstrators
into the streets and growing international interest caused the
postponement.

Church leaders, though, warned that authorities could announce a new
trial date for Ba at any time.

They also urged Christians worldwide to pray for justice for Ba and for
religious freedom in Vietnam, Compass reported.

***Meanwhile, Montagnard Christians were reportedly brutally attacked by
police last month, Christian Aid Mission (CAM) said.

Believers in several villages, including Bia Bre and Plei O Dot,

***were taken to prison where they were tortured by beatings, kicking
and electric shock.

***Some of the Christians were killed, while others have not been seen
since.

The Montagnards are a collection of hill tribe peoples,

many of whom are Christians who sided with the United States during the
Vietnam War.

On Dec. 18, the U.S. International Commission for Religious Freedom
(ICRF) recommended that Vietnam be designated a country of "particular
concern" concerning violations of religious freedom, CAM said.

The ICRF also urged Congress to pass the Vietnam Human Rights Act of
2003,

which would link future U.S. aid to the Southeast Asian nation based on
improvements of religious freedoms and human rights.