Vietnam 6-year-old girl beaten after parents turn to Christianity
A six-year-old girl in Vietnam was savagely beaten because her parents decided to follow Christ, according to Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors UK.
Phouc’s parents recently decided to stop the village practice of ancestor worship, and to follow Jesus instead. This has angered the local authorities. Despite villagers’ attempts to ask them to renounce faith, this family refused.
Villagers eventually came to their house and made the same demand. They endured being mocked, beaten and dragged over rocky ground for more than two hours. Once they got to the entrance to the village, Phouc’s parents were told to leave. Members of their church took them to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for three days.
The attackers hit little Phouc on the head and punched her in the stomach. She became very ill and had severe head and stomach pain and had to be rushed to the hospital, where she fell into a coma for a month. Even when she eventually woke up, she was unable to recognize her parents.
According to the family’s pastor, their faith is strong and they are leaning on God to get them through the ordeal, but admitted it’s been “extremely hard” to do life under such intense pressure and opposition. The young girl is confused and doesn’t understand why any of this is happening to her.
The family’s pastor intervened so local authorities allowed them to return to their homes. Yet villagers continued to threaten and curse them because of their new-found faith in Christ.
Each day feels like ‘a torture’ to them. Though God’s grace and love sustains them, their lives are extremely hard.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) designated Vietnam in 2019 as a “country of particular concern,” given the Communist government’s ongoing religious persecution. Christians, especially those who belong to ethnic minority groups, continue to face discrimination and harassment.
photo/ Jeevan Singla
