The Vietnamese authorities are attempting to “politicise and demonise” ordinary religious life, particularly among members of ethnic minorities.

The human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) made the statement, according to the inVictory news website.

The statement was prompted by new measures targeting Protestant Christians in Gia Lai Province.

According to local police, cases involving 119 Christians were investigated in the province. The authorities said that they had been “re-educated” or held legally accountable. Two criminal cases were also opened against four people.

The authorities accuse these believers of links to the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO), as well as to so-called “Dega Protestantism.”

FULRO is an armed organisation established in the 1960s. It represented the interests of several ethnic minorities in Vietnam, including the Montagnard people living in the country’s Central Highlands. Most members of this community are Protestants.

The Vietnamese government considers FULRO a terrorist organisation. Human rights advocates note, however, that the group ceased any actual activity many decades ago.

CSW has also drawn particular attention to the term “Dega Protestantism,” which is widely used by the Vietnamese authorities. Formally, it refers to groups that combine the Protestant faith with political demands for greater autonomy for ethnic minorities.

CSW founder and president Mervyn Thomas said that Vietnam was becoming one of the most repressive countries in its treatment of religious communities.

“Labelling religious communities as ‘Dega’ or FULRO is a blatant attempt to politicise and demonise legitimate religious activity. We are not fooled by this,” he stressed.

Thomas also called on the international community to hold the Vietnamese authorities accountable for continuing violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief and other fundamental human rights.