Incidents in Kon Tum City

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June 11, 2004

Rev. Nguyen Cong Chinh (alias: Nguyen Thanh Long), DOB 10/10/1969 is a pastor in the western highlands. He is related to the Mennonite Church in Vietnam.

In December 2003, through the help of friends, he purchased a property for the church at Thon Kon Ro Bang 1, Xa Vinh Quang, TX Kon Tum, in Kon Tum Province and built a house for his family to live in and for Christians friends to meet for fellowship and religious activities.

On 16 January 2004 a large group of persons from the Kon Tum People's Committee, security police, soldiers and others came when Pastor Chinh was away. His wife, Tran Thi Hong, and five month-old son were at home. These people took away all their personal belongings, clothes and food, and then completely destroyed the house.

The property had been properly purchased and recorded. The house was built in an area where other families were building houses.

Pastor Chinh put up a temporary tent on the property to stay in. On 8 February 2004, representatives of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam traveled to Kon Tum to visit Pastor Chinh's family. The police prevented them from traveling to visit friends of Pastor Chinh.

On or around 27 February 2004 a large group of security police came to the home of deacon Athe at the base of Chopao mountain and searched through and messed up his house when he was out working in a field. Athe is an assistant to Pastor Chinh, and some Christians meet in his home to practice their religious faith.

In the morning of 2 March 2004 the security police of Kon Tum asked a group of Ba-na ethnic minority Christians to come to Vinh Quang hamlet and were forced to sign a report denouncing Pastor Chinh of being a Dega follower (advocating independence) and falsely accusing him of many crimes.

We ask that the responsible authorities apologize for these actions and assist Pastor Chinh to rebuild his house so he is able to assist his community.