Vietnam: Christians Arrested Ahead of Christmas, “Following Jesus Can Bring Intense Hostility”

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Multiple ethnic Montagnard Christian leaders in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region were arrested on December 21 after they began preparing to celebrate Christmas and led congregations in unauthorized worship services, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Communist-led Vietnam ranks 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

According to ICC, it is common for Vietnamese authorities to threaten Montagnard Christians with arrest around Christmas. “Representatives of the Montagnard community say officials threaten Christians if they decorate their homes, make holiday food, play Christmas music, or gather for Christmas worship,” ICC said in its report.

Moreover, Christians in Vietnam are more generally subject to governmental harassment and intimidation as well as arbitrary restrictions on worship, ICC said. “The government has long targeted ethnic minorities including Christians of Montagnard and Hmong descent for perceived political and religious threats,” ICC reports.

In a 2024 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.”

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