The IRF Community and the Southeast Asia Working Group circulated a letter highlighting human rights violations against minority religious groups in Vietnam, particularly the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Church and its Thien Am Zen Monastery. The Vietnamese government has persecuted this small Buddhist community, he including their 92-year-old leader under house arrest, and several adult monks and nuns who have been imprisoned. Members have faced beatings, forced DNA tests, torture, forced gynecological exams, surveillance, hate speech, media defamation, confiscation of life savings, and accusations of incest.

The letter references the USCIRF's findings and its 2024 Annual Report on Vietnam, which includes recommendations to the US Government. In March 2024, Secretary Blinken discussed economic cooperation with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister but did not prioritize religious freedom and human rights.

The signatories urge the U.S. government to address the Vietnamese government's violations of religious freedom and human rights and to support persecuted religious communities in Vietnam, particularly the Buddhist Sangha Church.

Informative Sources:

• Le Tung Van Bio Information, USCIRF

• The Case of Tinh That Bong Lai Temple: What You Need To Know, by Jason Nguyen at The Vietnamese Indecent Journalism Matters

• USCIRF 2024 Annual Report (Pages 50-51)

• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Vietnamese Minister But Thanh Son Before Their Meeting

• Religious Leader Faces New Charge in Case That Brought 5-year Sentence, Radio Free Asia