Dong Chiem has been virtually besieged by a large number of troops after the protest of thousands of local Catholics against the brutality of police and the destruction of the crucifix in the parish cemetery, a sacrilegious act condemned by bishops in Vietnam.
“We are going to make this hill the Hill of Crosses as the one in the city of Šiauliai, Lithuania,” said a college student of Hanoi after her group had managed to carry dozens of crosses to the top of the hill despite numerous roadblocks and police's effort to prevent them from reaching to the site.
Vietnam government now seems unable to stop a large scale protest not only from local Catholics but also from a much wider community of those who strongly denounce the sacrilegious act of the local authorities and the brutal attack of police against parishioners who tried to prevent the despicable crime on Jan 6 at Dong Chiem.
Since the news on the demolition of Dong Chiem crucifix and the assault on parishioners by police were first published on Catholic websites, parishioners from all over northern Vietnamese provinces have been making effort to come visit the poor farming village of Dong Chiem where faithful are still reeling from the shock of being targeted by police brutality..
In a gesture of defiance toward the government, hundreds of new crosses can be seen now at the very site where the destroyed crucifix once stood, and everyday thousands of people keep flocking to the site to pray and to erect their crosses there.
The local government has reapplied the old trick of using hired thugs, and delinquent juveniles to attack Catholics in order to threaten and hence minimize the number of pilgrims. One of them was JB Nguyen Huu Vinh, a Catholic freelance journalist, who had been beaten into unconsciousness on Jan. 11 while trying to take photos of the roadblock on the way to Dong Chiem
On hearing the news of the attack against Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Fr. Nguyen Van Lien, assistant priest of Dong Chiem Parish, who was with the journalist at the time of the incident, and also the arrest against two other Catholics, more than 2000 of Catholics from Nghia Ai, a nearby parish, rushed to Dong Chiem in a rescue effort. With another thousand or more of local Catholics from Dong Chiem, they organized a massive protest at the People’s Committee Office, demanding the authority to reprimand its police for illegal attack and detain on innocent civilian and journalist, also the release of the victims' property as well as compensation for their injury.
Facing the fury of people, local authorities called for more troops and virtually besieged the village of Dong Chiem with huge dirt piles, roadblocks and checkpoints on the bridge of Ai Nang and other gateways.
Some Catholics from Hanoi, however, still managed to reach Dong Chiem by boat. Some even swam across the Vai River.
On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Fr. Jos. Pham Minh Trieu, the leader of a group of 1000 Catholics from Ham Long parish in the Hanoi metro, reported that his group had to abandon their plan of pilgrim at Dong Chiem. “Police had confiscated all driver licenses from our bus drivers,” he said.
Hundreds of Ham Long’s parishioners, however, did not give up. They travelled to Dong Chiem on their motorbikes. The group of Hanoi college students was among the lucky ones. They made it to the top of Nui Tho, or "Worship Mount", where they recite Stations of the Cross and erected their crosses.
Bishop Michael Hoang Duc Oanh of Kontum diocese, though could not visit to Dong Chiem in person had sent his letter of support to Archbishop of Ha Noi. His letter wrote "Your joy and sorrow is also mine". He disclosed that he was originally from the parish next to Dong Chiem; therefore, the tragic event at Dong Chiem on Jan 6 had such a profound impact on him.
"The Dong Chiem crucifix has been transformed into a powerful testimony of Good News and Love to be told to the whole world about our Jesus The Lord had died on the cross to redeem everyone, including those who assaulted him" the prelate wrote.
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| Catholic students managed to reach to the site |
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| New crosses erected |
Vietnam government now seems unable to stop a large scale protest not only from local Catholics but also from a much wider community of those who strongly denounce the sacrilegious act of the local authorities and the brutal attack of police against parishioners who tried to prevent the despicable crime on Jan 6 at Dong Chiem.
Since the news on the demolition of Dong Chiem crucifix and the assault on parishioners by police were first published on Catholic websites, parishioners from all over northern Vietnamese provinces have been making effort to come visit the poor farming village of Dong Chiem where faithful are still reeling from the shock of being targeted by police brutality..
In a gesture of defiance toward the government, hundreds of new crosses can be seen now at the very site where the destroyed crucifix once stood, and everyday thousands of people keep flocking to the site to pray and to erect their crosses there.
The local government has reapplied the old trick of using hired thugs, and delinquent juveniles to attack Catholics in order to threaten and hence minimize the number of pilgrims. One of them was JB Nguyen Huu Vinh, a Catholic freelance journalist, who had been beaten into unconsciousness on Jan. 11 while trying to take photos of the roadblock on the way to Dong Chiem
On hearing the news of the attack against Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Fr. Nguyen Van Lien, assistant priest of Dong Chiem Parish, who was with the journalist at the time of the incident, and also the arrest against two other Catholics, more than 2000 of Catholics from Nghia Ai, a nearby parish, rushed to Dong Chiem in a rescue effort. With another thousand or more of local Catholics from Dong Chiem, they organized a massive protest at the People’s Committee Office, demanding the authority to reprimand its police for illegal attack and detain on innocent civilian and journalist, also the release of the victims' property as well as compensation for their injury.
Facing the fury of people, local authorities called for more troops and virtually besieged the village of Dong Chiem with huge dirt piles, roadblocks and checkpoints on the bridge of Ai Nang and other gateways.
Some Catholics from Hanoi, however, still managed to reach Dong Chiem by boat. Some even swam across the Vai River.
On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Fr. Jos. Pham Minh Trieu, the leader of a group of 1000 Catholics from Ham Long parish in the Hanoi metro, reported that his group had to abandon their plan of pilgrim at Dong Chiem. “Police had confiscated all driver licenses from our bus drivers,” he said.
Hundreds of Ham Long’s parishioners, however, did not give up. They travelled to Dong Chiem on their motorbikes. The group of Hanoi college students was among the lucky ones. They made it to the top of Nui Tho, or "Worship Mount", where they recite Stations of the Cross and erected their crosses.
Bishop Michael Hoang Duc Oanh of Kontum diocese, though could not visit to Dong Chiem in person had sent his letter of support to Archbishop of Ha Noi. His letter wrote "Your joy and sorrow is also mine". He disclosed that he was originally from the parish next to Dong Chiem; therefore, the tragic event at Dong Chiem on Jan 6 had such a profound impact on him.
"The Dong Chiem crucifix has been transformed into a powerful testimony of Good News and Love to be told to the whole world about our Jesus The Lord had died on the cross to redeem everyone, including those who assaulted him" the prelate wrote.