Notable Religious Developments in August 2026:
- The Kon Tum Bishop’s Office Continues to Demand that Gia Lai Provincial Authorities Return the Property of Sơn Ca Kindergarten.
- Members of Kim Thượng Parish Protest the Authorities’ Demolition of Monica School.
- Quảng Trị Provincial Authorities Prevent Two Members of the World Mission Society Church of God from Practicing Their Faith.
- Hưng Yên Provincial Authorities Prevent Three Adherents from Practicing Falun Gong at Home.
- A Court in Đắk Lắk Sentences a Member of the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ.
The Bishop’s Office of Kon Tum Renews Its Call For Gia Lai Provincial Authorities to Return the Property of Sơn Ca Kindergarten
On Aug. 28–31, 2026, the Rev. Nguyễn Sỹ Sinh, pastor of Chợ Đồn Parish, repeatedly livestreamed on Facebook to report that the authorities in An Bình Ward, Gia Lai Province, had sent personnel and vehicles to demolish and dismantle Sơn Ca Kindergarten, despite objections from both the parish and the Kon Tum Bishop’s Office.
Earlier, on June 17, 2026, the Kon Tum Bishop’s Office issued letter No. 75/VT/’26/Tgmkt in response to official dispatch No. 1040/UBND-KTHTĐT from the An Bình Ward authorities in Gia Lai Province, reaffirming its position on ownership of the Sơn Ca Kindergarten property.
According to the letter, the Bishop’s Office maintains that the property originally belonged to the Catholic Church and was lent to local authorities for use during a period after 1975, with a commitment to return it when circumstances permitted.
The letter emphasized that Chợ Đồn Parish was not asking the state to allocate additional land for religious purposes. Rather, it was seeking the return of an existing property with an established ownership history, which was no longer needed for its original purpose because the locality had a new kindergarten facility.
The Bishop’s Office argued that the authorities’ reference to a 3,000-square-meter limit on religious land allocations was inappropriate because the case concerned a dispute over property originally owned by the church, rather than an application for a new land allocation.
The letter also highlighted the lack of classrooms for catechism instruction and space for religious activities at Chợ Đồn Parish.
The letter was also sent to the Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Agriculture and Environment, and the provincial police.
On July 10, 2026, An Bình Ward authorities responded to Chợ Đồn Parish’s petition for the return of Sơn Ca Kindergarten, stating that there were no grounds to consider or grant the request.
They said the state had consistently managed and used the 888.6-square-meter site for educational purposes for many years, in accordance with land laws and planning regulations.
The authorities maintained that the facility continued to serve its designated purpose and had been allocated funding for repairs and upgrades in 2026. They also asked the parish to support its continued renovation and use for education.
Chợ Đồn Parish said it owned both the land and the Sơn Ca Kindergarten buildings. The parish built the school in 1952, and authorities took it over after 1975 for public education; the parish had not donated it. The parish cited minutes from a 2007 meeting in which the parties agreed that the property would be returned when it was no longer used for education.
While awaiting a response to its petition for the property’s return, the parish said the authorities had dismantled the boundary wall separating the school from the church, prompting objections from some parishioners. In recent days, the authorities have also continued construction on the disputed land despite opposition from parishioners.
Members of Kim Thượng Parish Oppose the Authorities’ Dismantling of Monica School
On Aug. 24, 2026, parishioners from Kim Thượng Parish in Gia Kiệm gathered to protest the authorities’ demolition of Monica School, now known as Gia Kiệm Secondary School.
Kim Thượng was one of the parishes established by people who migrated south in 1954. Shortly after its founding, the parish established Monica School to educate children in the area.
After 1975, amid a shortage of schools and classrooms, local authorities took over Monica School for public education. Parishioners maintain that the property was only temporarily lent to the authorities for educational purposes, rather than donated to the state.
According to reporting by Luật Khoa, local authorities have built a new campus for Gia Kiệm Secondary School on another site in the locality. However, the former Monica School property has yet to be returned to the parish. Petitions from the parish and its members concerning the matter have not received an official response from the authorities.
After 1975, particularly following the issuance of Resolution 297/HĐBT on Nov. 11, 1977, many cultural, educational, and medical facilities belonging to religious organizations were placed under state management.
In addition to religiously affiliated schools and hospitals, authorities also took over many religious properties that lacked caretakers, using them as government offices or public facilities. Some were even designated for development into hotels or commercial housing projects.
These practices persist today. Although the Law on Belief and Religion continues to affirm the right of religious organizations to operate, it also keeps religious property and land under strict state control.
Quảng Trị Provincial Authorities Block Two Members of the Church of God the Mother from Participating in Religious Activities
Authorities in Lệ Thủy Commune, Quảng Trị Province, said they had identified two members of the World Mission Society Church of God, engaging in what officials described as unauthorized religious activities.
The World Mission Society Church of God, known in Việt Nam as Hội Thánh Đức Chúa Trời Mẹ, is a religious movement originating in South Korea whose followers believe in both “God the Father” and “God the Mother” and recognize founder Ahn Sahng-hong as the second coming of Christ.
According to the authorities, the two adherents had limited knowledge of the law and insufficient information, leading them to accept invitations and recruitment efforts by people from outside the area. Officials said that after receiving information about laws governing freedom of belief and religion, both pledged to stop participating in the church.
In April 2026, the Internal Security Division of the Quảng Trị Provincial Police said it had investigated a group called the World Mission Society Church of God operating locally, citing indications that it was promoting superstition and exploiting people for financial gain.
According to the authorities, the group operated through a hierarchy of religious leaders, group leaders, and regional leaders, using dozens of recruitment scripts tailored to the circumstances of individuals and psychological and mental states. The authorities also accused the group of targeting people experiencing financial hardship, emotional distress, or illness, considering them particularly susceptible.
According to the government, the group allegedly befriended people, offered emotional support, and learned about their personal circumstances before gradually bringing them into religious gatherings and doctrinal classes. In some cases, individuals were reportedly pressured to limit contact with their families.
Quảng Trị provincial authorities maintain that the World Mission Society Church of God is a foreign-origin religious organization unauthorized to operate in Việt Nam and unrecognized by mainstream Protestant denominations. The authorities have repeatedly accused the church of distorting religious teachings, defrauding people, and violating traditional customs and moral values.
Hưng Yên Provincial Authorities Stop Three Falun Gong Practitioners from Practicing Their Faith at Home
On Aug. 7, 2026, authorities in Vạn Xuân Commune, Hưng Yên Province, stopped three Falun Gong practitioners from practicing their faith at home.
After meeting with the three practitioners, officials urged them not to gather, distribute materials, or recruit others to participate in activities related to Falun Gong.
The incident illustrates Hưng Yên provincial authorities’ continued close monitoring of activities believed to be associated with Falun Gong. Provincial police had previously warned that groups were using social media and the Zalo messaging app to distribute promotional materials to local residents.
The authorities have consistently maintained that Falun Gong is neither a belief-based religion nor a religious organization and that it is not recognized by the government of Việt Nam. They have also advised people against distributing materials or participating in related promotional activities.
Đắk Lắk Authorities Sentence a Follower of the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ
On Aug. 5, 2026, a court in Đắk Lắk Province sentenced Y Nuen Ayun, 59, a resident of Ea Phê Commune, to seven years and six months in prison for “undermining the unity” policy—another way of saying he acts as a separatist—violating Article 116 of the Penal Code—on allegations that he participated in and led the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ.
The Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ (Hội thánh Tin Lành Đấng Christ Tây Nguyên) is an independent Protestant church serving ethnic minority communities, particularly Montagnards, in Việt Nam’s Central Highlands.
Vietnamese authorities have repeatedly characterized this church as a reactionary organization operating under the guise of religion.
According to the authorities, beginning in 2019, Y Nuen helped establish and run the church’s activities in Việt Nam under the direction of A Ga, who lives in the United States and whom Vietnamese authorities identify as the leader of a separatist organization. These activities included proselytizing, recruiting followers, and organizing religious gatherings both online and in person. He was also accused of receiving more than 7.7 million đồng ($297) to support the group’s activities.
The case quickly drew attention from international human rights and religious organizations. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and International Christian Concern (ICC) condemned the sentencing.
CSW founder and President Mervyn Thomas said the Vietnamese authorities continued to violate international human rights standards through their campaign against religious freedom, calling into question Việt Nam’s membership on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
He also said minority religious communities, particularly Montagnard Protestants in the Central Highlands, were routinely accused of harboring separatist views when they were simply practicing their religion peacefully.
This is not the first sentence under Article 116 targeting independent Protestant preachers in the Central Highlands. Human rights observers have told media outlets that the Vietnamese authorities frequently use the charge of “undermining the unity policy,” which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, against leaders of unregistered religious groups, particularly those with ties to human rights organizations or overseas Montagnard communities.
For years, independent Protestant groups in the Central Highlands have faced repeated government campaigns to control their activities. Following the 2023 attacks in Cư Kuin, Đắk Lắk Province, believers and international human rights organizations reported continued surveillance, harassment, interference with religious activities, and arrests of some adherents in the region.
The Vietnamese authorities reject these allegations, maintaining that their measures are intended to safeguard security and public order and address violations of the law.
In March 2026, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a press statement saying that Vietnamese authorities were intensifying their repression of independent religious communities in the Central Highlands, using the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion to maintain state control over religious activities.
The authorities also broadly applied provisions of the Penal Code, particularly Articles 116, 117, and 331, to criminalize individuals who practiced religion independently or who spoke out for freedom of belief.
Thiện Trường wrote this Religion Bulletin in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on September 11, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine owns the copyright for this English translation.
