Proclaim release to the captives…

FATHER THADEUS NGUYEN VAN LY:  PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE

Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, 57, has spent half of the last 26 years in Vietnamese prisons.  His most recent arrest in May 2001, for defending religious freedom for all in Vietnam, resulted in a 15 year prison term.  Amnesty International is asking for our help to free Father Thadeus.  Please sign the letters to the Vietnamese government which will be at both entrances of the church next week, and send Fr. Thadeus support.  Letters to prisoners are delivered.

Fr. Thadeus' 2001 arrest followed increasing tension between religious groups and the government.  While Vietnam claims to allow religious freedom, such freedom exists only for state-approved religious groups.  Those following the teachings of non-approved churches - including many Buddhists and Catholics - are persecuted by the state.

Fr. Thadeus' first year in jail, 1977-78, was for the 'crime' of distributing a letter by his bishop.  The letter, expressing sadness at the arrest of Buddhist monks and calling for religious freedom, stated that Catholics were being treated like "second class citizens."  In 1982, Fr. Thadeus was again arrested, this time for attempting to make a pilgrimage to a site holy to Vietnamese Catholics since the 1800s.  Police had forbidden the pilgrimage.

Fr. Thadeus later annoyed government authorities by attempting to organize relief for victims of heavy flooding.  Fr. Thadeus is a board member of the U.S. -based Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam that collected donations to help with flood relief projects.  Such donations are regarded with suspicion by the authorities, who have prevented other religious groups from conducting similar charitable missions.  Buddhist monks were given lengthy prison terms for their 'unauthorized' relief missions.