Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Installment #13 - Persecution Watch - Vietnam

Government officials in Vietnam's Lao Cai province have confiscated the land and home of a former opium addict because of his phenomenal success as an evangelist. According to Compass Direct News, "Local Christians report Sua Yinh Siong of Lau Chai village, in Sapa district in the Northwest Mountainous Region, had long been a desperate opium addict, leading to destitution for him and his family.

In 2004, after becoming a Christian, Siong broke from his addiction and his animistic past, taking down paraphernalia for ancestor worship and other spirit-related articles and burning them. His joy over his liberation soon spread to others, and eventually more than 200 families also decided to follow Christ."

The Compass report added, " Earlier this month, Siong told other Christian leaders that government harassment had reached a crisis point - in April, local and provincial officials had confiscated his land, citing ‘illegal religious activities.' In the first few days of this month, Siong said officials evicted him from his home and threatened to destroy it." Source: Voice of the Martyrs

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