VIETNAM

For the third time, evangelist Dinh Van Hoang’s home was burned down because he would not sign a paper denying his Christian faith. A member of the Hre minority and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South), Hoang and several other Hre members have been discriminated against and harassed for their faith for years. Authorities in the Son Ha District of Quang Ngai Province allegedly incited a mob of war veterans, local defense forces and young people to burn down Hoang’s home. Hoang has undergone mockings, beatings and imprisonments over the years by local authorities. This recent action comes shortly after Vietnam adopted legislative measures supporting greater religious freedom. (Compass Direct)