4/23/2024 Vietnam (International Christian Concern) — On March 8, relatives of Y Bum Bya found his lifeless body beaten and hanging from a tree. Now, local churches are calling for an investigation into the police.
The Evangelical Church of Christ of the Western Highlands (ECCWH), where Y Bum Bya was a member, has gathered support from 31 of its congregations calling for an investigation into his death. The ECCWH is made up of Êdê, also known as Rhade, an ethnic minority people group of about 200,000 people living primarily in Dak Lai province. The Êdê have traditionally been polytheistic, worshipping numerous gods and elements of creation. However, Christianity has spread steadily among the people group.
Y Bum Bya’s brutal killing is not a complete surprise. Authorities arrested him and beat him severely in August 2023. Now, his controversial death is the latest on a lengthy list of persecution and human rights abuses of Christian Êdê people.
The ECCWH is not registered with the Vietnamese communist government, and church members face ongoing pressure to join the state-sanctioned and carefully monitored Evangelical Church of Vietnam-South. The ECCWH’s call for an investigation into the police handling of Y Bum Bya’s death is a brave move by an oppressed minority Christian group.
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The post Local Churches Demand Investigation of Christian’s Suspicious Death appeared first on International Christian Concern.
4/23/2024 Vietnam — On March 8, relatives of Y Bum Bya found his lifeless body beaten and hanging from a tree. Now, local churches are calling for an investigation into the police.
The post Local Churches Demand Investigation of Christian’s Suspicious Death appeared first on International Christian Concern.
