Jeff King of International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that the 11 men – six Protestants and five Catholics – have been in prison for about 10 years. They had been sentenced, at different times, to a combined total of 90 years and eight months in prison, dating back as far as 2011 and as recently as 2016. But now, their whereabouts are unknown.
In addition to the missing men, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has reported allegations of torture and mistreatment of four other imprisoned Christians.
King says the Marxist Vietnamese government goes after anyone who is too effective as a Christian.
"They're going to do all kinds of things, and if you still won't listen, then they're going to put you in prison and torture you," he relays.
While stories like this may cause fear among those who fail to understand what Christianity is, he does not think it should surprise believers.
"Jesus said we're going to be attacked; we're going to be hated. It's a sign that you're doing the right thing," says King. "But in the end, I think stories like this – the stories of the martyrs and those who will pay any price – they encourage us. They should put a fire in the belly to say, 'My gosh, that's what Christianity … should look like.'"
ICC submits that this case of the missing Christian prisoners speaks to a larger problem within the legal framework for the nation's minorities and prompts concerns of the detained Christ followers in the Southeast Asian country.
