Montagnard Pastor Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years for Undermining National Unity Policy

Y Nuen Ayun, a Montagnard Protestant pastor, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by the People’s Court of Đắk Lắk Province, Vietnam, on 5 August. The court also imposed a four-year probationary supervision period following the completion of his prison term. The charge against Ayun was “undermining the national unity policy,” as outlined in Article 116 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code.

According to state media and the indictment cited during the proceedings, Ayun had been involved in organizing and leading unregistered Protestant religious activities since 2003. He later became associated with an individual, A Ga, who is reported to reside in the United States. Authorities claim that A Ga supports separatist movements through Protestant churches in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Prosecutors alleged that Ayun began participating in establishing and operating an organization known as the “Church of Christ Central Highlands” in 2019 and maintained communication with A Ga regarding religious activities.

The prosecution stated that Ayun helped organize religious gatherings, conducted both online and in-person meetings, recruited participants, submitted reports to overseas human rights organizations, and received over 7.7 million Vietnamese dong (approximately USD 294) to support organizational activities. Authorities further alleged that these actions were intended to promote the creation of a separate religious organization for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.

State media reports indicate that local authorities had previously met with Ayun and warned him about his activities. Prosecutors argued that his actions violated Article 116 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code, which addresses the offense of “undermining the national unity policy.”

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas commented on the case, stating that Vietnam continues to disregard international standards of human rights law in its campaign against freedom of religion or belief. He noted that religious minorities, particularly Christians in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, are often mischaracterized as seeking separatist sentiment when they are simply seeking the right to practice their religion in peace. Thomas called for Ayun’s immediate and unconditional release.

Source: Read the original report