Vietnam Christians under pressure

Christians in Vietnam are increasingly being charged for alleged involvement with separatist groups, with 119 arrested in the Central Highlands during the first half of 2026.

Authorities accuse some of those arrested of being involved with the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and De Ga Protestantism, characterised by the state as illegitimate Protestant practices in support of ethnic minority self-determination in the mountainous region.

The government regards such factions as national security threats, even though this categorisation “is not matched on the ground” today; historic rebellious FULRO activity largely ended in the late 1970s following periods of national instability, as revealed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Lead Advocate and Researcher for Vietnam, known by the pseudonym David for security reasons.

Speaking about the general situation, David told en that all officially recognised religious practice in Vietnam is highly-controlled by the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), including who is ordained and what can be preached in sermons.

“The government conflates religious practice with ethnic identity, viewing them both as threats to the unity of the country, unity under Communist Party rule,” he said. “The government uses the fear of separatism as an additional excuse to clamp down on and persecute religious minorities.

“It is hard to separate the experience of religious minorities and ethnic minorities in Vietnam because nine times out of ten the religious minorities are also ethnic minorities. The government uses this as a pretext to further persecute religious and ethnic minorities because they see the Kin majority, who are traditionally atheistic communists, as being the true people of Vietnam.”

Asked about whether the charges represent an increase in persecution, David revealed that the Vietnamese state has a “long history” of persecuting minorities, much of which has taken place unofficially, meaning that it has not necessarily increased in real terms.

He said: “A new law has come into effect which has meant that more prosecutions are occurring. My sense is that because the law has given greater freedom to charge people, there are more charges.”