Vietnam: Two House Church Pastors Wounded in Separate Shooting Incidents

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Two house church pastors in Vietnam have been wounded in separate shooting incidents they each believe are connected to their congregations not not being registered with the Vietnamese communist government, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Members of the Ede people group, Pastor Y Hung Ayun, 62, and Pastor Y Pho Eban, 57 lead unregistered congregations in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, ICC reports.

Ayun was shot at with rubber bullets by two masked men on a motorbike and suffered severe wounds to his legs, ICC reports. Eban was shot with live bullets as he worked on his coffee plantation, leaving him unable to walk.

Reporting on the two attacks which have come to light in recent months, ICC noted: “Leaders and members of unregistered house groups are often harassed and oppressed by local and central government officials, particularly because they are not part of the government-sanctioned Evangelical Church of Vietnam. Both pastors have stated they believe the attacks on them are because of their ongoing unregistered church activities.”

In a 2024 website report about the situation facing Christians in Vietnam, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization states: “For many Christians in Vietnam, following Jesus can bring intense hostility and even violence. While historical Christian communities, like Roman Catholic churches, enjoy some freedom, both non-traditional Protestants and those who convert from indigenous religions face intense pressure and violence for their faith, especially in the remote areas of central and northern Vietnam.”

Ruled by an oppressive communist government, Vietnam ranks 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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