Release International

Vietnam's human rights record has taken another nosedive following the arrest of two more religious rights activists.

Barely a fortnight after the arrest of well-known pastor Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, police arrested two lawyers -- Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan -- in Hanoi on March 6.  All three are now charged with 'propagating against' the government, according to Advocates International (AI), a Christian legal organisation. Ly remains under house arrest: Dai and Nhan have been ordered to be detained for four months, pending investigations.

AI reports that state-run Vietnam TV said that, when police raided Dai's offices, they confiscated 'many religious documents that were about to be provided to foreign sources'. Dai, who is also an elder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, has been repeatedly harassed since August 2006 when he launched a pro-democracy bulletin.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders says that Ly, who was arrested on February 18 (as reported by 7x7 on March 6), went on hunger strike from February 24 to March 5.

• Pray that the push for greater religious freedom in Vietnam would gather pace.
• Pray that God would fill the three imprisoned lawyers with His peace.

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