Notable Religious Events in April 2026:
- Authorities Continue To Prevent World Mission Society Church of God Followers From Practicing their Religion
- Gia Lai Provincial Authorities Prosecute Four Independent Protestant Followers
- Amended Law on Belief and Religion Passed
- Chợ Đồn Parish Requests the Return of Its Former School Facility in Gia Lai
- Vĩnh Long Provincial Authorities Arrest a Khmer Buddhist Follower
- Authorities Sentence Nguyễn Đình Thắng of BPSOS in Absentia
Authorities Continue To Prevent World Mission Society Church of God Followers From Practicing Their Religion
On April 19, authorities in Quảng Trị Province said they had prevented a group of about 50 followers of the World Mission Society Church of God from conducting religious activities.
According to government officials, the group organized closed-door activities, maintained a tightly layered management structure, and frequently changed its meeting locations to avoid the authorities’ attention.
Reports from authorities allegedly indicate that participating followers had to limit contact with the outside world, comply with strict internal rules, and make financial contributions.
Some followers were said to have fallen into a state of spiritual dependence, leading to family conflicts or extreme decisions concerning their property and personal lives.
Earlier, on April 1, the group was said to have split into several smaller meeting sites for Easter activities in different areas of Quảng Trị.
On the same day, the authorities also discovered eight other groups conducting “unauthorized” religious activities, seizing eight laptops, 31 mobile phones, one tablet, seven copies of scripture, and 33 types of documents.
The incident continues to reflect how the Vietnamese authorities view religious groups outside the officially recognized system not merely as a matter of belief but also as an issue related to social order and public security.
For years, the authorities have often regarded the World Mission Society Church of God as a “heretical group,” frequently associating it with superstition, psychological manipulation, and the risk of damaging family relationships.
However, the followers continue to debate whether they consider their group a heretical religious organization or a belief group that has not been legally recognized.
This leaves independent religious groups exposed to the risk of surveillance, administrative sanctions, and criminal investigation when they are deemed to have a negative impact on society.
Gia Lai Provincial Authorities Prosecute Four Independent Protestant Followers
On April 9, Gia Lai Provincial Police said they were finalizing the case file to prosecute four independent Protestant followers on charges of “undermining the unity policy” under Article 116 of the Penal Code. The four allegedly exploited ethnic and religious factors to build separatist forces in the Central Highlands.
According to the authorities, the four people involved in the case are Rôh, Thông, Siu Di, and Đinh Yum. Siu Di and Đinh Yum are currently abroad. The authorities alleged that the group had links to exiled elements of the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and operated under the self-proclaimed organization “Bahnar Đêga Kon Kông.”
At the same time, FULRO was an armed ethno-nationalist movement formed in the 1960s by Montagnard and other minority groups in Việt Nam’s Central Highlands, along with Chăm and Khmer Krom activists, to demand autonomy and protection from domination by the Vietnamese state.
After 1975, FULRO continued an insurgency against the communist government for decades, but its armed struggle largely collapsed by the early 1990s, leaving the name mainly invoked today in state allegations against independent ethnic and religious activism.
According to officials, since 2019, overseas followers of the Bahnar Đêga Kon Kông have connected with some people inside the country to disseminate propaganda and mobilize people to join that organization.
Since 2023, these activities have been said to have increased with the formation of six group meeting points in communes in Gia Lai, attracting more than 200 participants.
Officials accused the group of collecting membership lists to send abroad, receiving financial support and materials for propaganda activities, seeking to revive the Đêga Protestant model and promote ethnic separatist ideology.
For many years, the Vietnamese government has regularly controlled independent Protestant organizations in the Central Highlands. After the attack in Cư Kuin District, Đắk Lắk Province, many followers of the Đêga Protestant religion said they had been harassed, obstructed from practicing their religion, and even detained.
This shows that independent religious groups, especially those in ethnic minority areas, are increasingly viewed through the lens of national security rather than freedom of belief.
Revised Law on Belief and Religion Passed
On April 23, Việt Nam’s National Assembly passed the revised Law on Belief and Religion, with 100% of the attending deputies voting in favor. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
One of the most significant changes is the expansion of the government’s power to intervene in the internal affairs of religious organizations.
Under the new law, authorities may request the suspension or dismissal of religious dignitaries and officeholders if they are deemed to have violated the law or acted against the organization’s principles or engaged in conduct considered to affect national defense or security.
The law also adds provisions governing religious activities in cyberspace. Religious organizations and individuals who preach or conduct religious activities online must comply with content management requirements. Telecommunications companies are also responsible for blocking or removing content deemed to have violated laws on belief and religion at the request of government authorities.
For belief-related activities at places of worship, the revised law more clearly defines the obligation to notify the authorities before organizing annual activities. It also decentralizes management authority between commune- and provincial-level governments, depending on the scope of activities at each level of establishment.
The law also maintains a strict administrative management framework for the registration of religious activities, the appointment of religious dignitaries, the organization of festivals, and the operations of religious organizations.
According to Luật Khoa Magazine, the amendments to the Law on Belief and Religion continue to reflect the government’s growing control over religious life in Việt Nam.
While the Constitution guarantees freedom of belief and religion, the current model of religious governance still subjects religious organizations to tight administrative oversight, from leadership appointments to communications and community activities.
In practice, the exercise of this right remains significantly dependent on the approval of administrative authorities.
Chợ Đồn Catholic Parish Seeks Return of Former School Facility in Gia Lai
On April 13, Chợ Đồn Catholic Parish submitted a petition to the Gia Lai provincial government and An Bình Ward authorities, requesting the return of the former Sơn Ca Kindergarten facility.
According to Chợ Đồn Catholic Parish, the facility was built in 1952 on parish-owned land to serve the education of local children.
In the wake of a shortage of school facilities, local authorities took over the site for public education purposes after 1975. The parish maintains that this arrangement was only temporary and did not amount to a donation of the property to the state.
The petition also cited a 2007 working record between the parish and local authorities, under which the parties had agreed to consider returning the facility once it was no longer used for educational purposes.
The parish also said the school now has a new campus, while the church lacks space to organize pastoral activities and community gatherings.
However, while the parish was awaiting a response from the authorities, local forces began dismantling part of the wall separating the school grounds from the church, prompting objections from many parishioners.
According to Luật Khoa Magazine, local authorities have yet to issue an official response to the petition from Chợ Đồn Catholic Parish. After 1975, particularly after Resolution 297/HĐBT was issued on Nov. 11, 1977, many cultural, educational, and medical facilities belonging to religious organizations were placed under state management.
In addition to schools and hospitals, many religious facilities that lacked administrators were also taken over for use as government offices or public institutions, and some were even rezoned as hotels or commercial residential areas. To this day, many religious communities continue to demand the return of properties they say are under their lawful ownership.
As the Law on Belief and Religion continues to affirm the right of religious organizations to operate while keeping property and land under strict state management, petitions such as that of Chợ Đồn Parish show that the matter remains a sensitive issue with no unified resolution.
Vĩnh Long Authorities Arrest a Khmer Krom Buddhist under Article 331
On April 29, authorities in Vĩnh Long Province arrested Thạch Chanh Tra on charges of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals” under Article 331 of the Penal Code.
The authorities accused Thạch Chanh Tra of using social media to post, livestream, and take part in discussions involving content they deemed false and that allegedly distorted the state’s policies and guidelines, as well as making statements related to religion and the Khmer ethnic community.
On the same day, Vĩnh Long provincial authorities posted a video titled “People Agree With the Arrest and Handling of Thạch Chanh Tra.” The video featured comments from several residents and Khmer Krom Buddhist monks expressing support for the arrest.
The authorities use the public release of such opinion-shaping content as a familiar method to reinforce the legitimacy of their actions. According to some observers, publishing such videos may create public pressure against the arrested person before the court tries the case.
The Khmer Krom community in the Mekong Delta has long faced various forms of discrimination, as well as restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religion or belief, the preservation of cultural identity, and the use of their language.
Notably, individuals who speak out to defend or promote these rights often face harassment, arbitrary arrest, and criminal prosecution carrying severe sentences.
Previously, in August 2025, a press release from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said experts were concerned about the Vietnamese authorities’ continued repression of the Khmer Krom.
Authorities Sentence Nguyễn Đình Thắng of Boat People SOS
On April 28, the authorities in Đắk Lắk Province sentenced Dr. Nguyễn Đình Thắng to 11 years in prison on charges of “terrorism” under Article 299 of the Penal Code.
The authorities accused Thắng of directing, inciting, recruiting, and supporting Y Quỳnh B’đắp and several individuals inside Việt Nam in carrying out acts of terrorism and murder on June 11, 2023, in Ea Ktur and Ea Tiêu communes, Cư Kuin District, Đắk Lắk Province.
Y Quỳnh B’đắp is a Montagnard Christian activist and co-founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ) who was convicted in absentia in Việt Nam on terrorism charges linked to the 2023 Đắk Lắk attacks, allegations he denies, saying his work focused on documenting rights abuses. Thailand extradited him to Việt Nam on Nov. 28, 2025, despite warnings from the U.N. and rights groups that he faced a serious risk of torture, arbitrary detention, and other abuses.
According to the allegations, the Thailand-based organization MSFJ carried out these activities, which Thắng allegedly founded, managed, and operated.
Previously, in February 2025, authorities also designated Boat People SOS (BPSOS) as a terrorist organization, alleging that it had connections to the Cư Kuin incident. Nguyễn Đình Thắng, in his role as executive director of BPSOS, was also placed on the terrorism list.
Nguyễn Đình Thắng is currently not in Việt Nam, so the authorities have not been able to arrest him. In recent years, Thắng and BPSOS have regularly engaged in international advocacy on the right to freedom of belief and religion for Montagnards, particularly independent Protestant groups in the Central Highlands.
Thiện Trường wrote this Religion Bulletin in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 13, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine owns the copyright for this English translation.
