Update: Thai Ha Church rings church bell; Large number of parishioners came to the church
Translated by Danlambao's reader - According to urgent news sent to Danlambao on the evening of March 22, 2014, a prayer vigil to pray for Peace and Justice for 3 people who got arrested in Lap Vo (Dong Thap province) was held at Thai Ha Church (in Hanoi). After the prayer vigil ended, dozens of uniformed police officers and government-affiliated citizen patrols (of all types) surrounded Thai Ha Church.
Currently, about 30 police officers broke into the premise of the church in order to harass people.
Mrs. Dang Thi Quynh Anh (daughter of Mrs. Bui Hang) was kidnapped by Hanoi police after attending mass. Reportedly, along with Quynh Anh, her husband and 7-month-old child were also arrested by the police.
Meanwhile, the police also went to the house of Mr. Bạch Hồng Quyền and checked out the house. And Mr. Truong Van Dung was stopped on the street by four men wearing mask; the four men used metal bars to hit Mr. Dung and broke his leg and battered his face.
All the fierce crackdowns took place right before a scheduled protest gathering to call for Mrs. Bui Hang's release from prison. The protest is expected to take place at Hoan Kim Lake at 9am on Sunday, March 23, 3014.
At 8:45pm, Mrs. Dang Thi Quynh Anh telephoned her brother, Tran Trung Bui, to tell him that she and her husband and 7 -month-old daughter are being held at the police headquarter in Trang Tien ward ( located at No. 2 Cổ Tân Street, Trang Tien Ward , Hoan Kiem District , Hanoi. Telephone: (84-4)38255538;39341569; (84-4) 38255538;39341569).
Facebooker Ngoc Nhi Nguyen said: "Tran Trung Bui has called police officer on duty, but this officer said that no one got arrested. So Tran Trung Bui had to go directly to the police headquarter to demand the release of his sister and niece. Tran Trung Bui said: 'If the police refused to release them then I will be protesting outside with banners until this legal matter is resolved.' Tran Trung Bui also posted on his Facebook page: 'Now I will be protesting with banners at the gate of the police headquarter of Trang Tien ward. If I am missing or dead, please share the news that my family and I were killed by police in Vietnam.'
Let's join together to question why the police of Trang Tien Ward can behave so irresponsibly and have such a disregard for the law; and demand that the police Mrs Quynh Anh and her daughter immediately. The innocent child needs to rest and sleep. Terrorizing the child to mentally and psychologically hurt her is not only illegal but also inhuman!"
UPDATE: Thai Ha Church rings church bell; Large number of parishioners came to the church
In light of the police harassment in the middle of the night, Thai Ha church rang church bell to spread urgent news. Parishioners then immediately came to the church to close the church gate.
Presently, a group of uniformed police and thuggish police inside the church are being recorded (by parishioners) for infringing and disturbing a sacred place.
Outside, about 50 uniformed police continue to besiege Thai Ha Church.
According to the Facebook page of Father Dinh Huu Thoai, at 11pm the police used loud speakers to demand the church staff to open the gate so they can carry out their "duty".
Currently there are 2 police vehicles parking right in front of the church gate; police force is being reinforced. Number of police camcorders and cameras are also increasing.
What law allows police to harass and threaten priests and parishioners in the middle of the night?
