The long journey to freedom and safety

The term refugee is often associated with conflict and war, but the definition most commonly used in international law covers a much broader range of reasons for leaving ones country. The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as a person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return there or seek its protection because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular group, or political opinion. This includes people fleeing religious persecution, but for many, getting out of the country is the beginning of another difficult journey.

Dominic’s story

In April 2013, CSW documented violations against Vietnamese Catholics which included beatings, destruction of property, and damage to sacred statues and gravestones. Christians who actively pursue justice and peace are often targeted in such attacks. In an interview with CSW, Dominic, a Vietnamese Catholic, described being chased and harassed by police after getting involved with prayer vigils for peace and justice, pro-life prayer and advice groups, and Catholic organisations working with the urban poor and remote hill tribes:

“In 2009, the government officials began to persecute me for this. They looked for me everywhere and many times Vietnamese police would chase me on motorbikes and try to kick me over. I had to move to many different places [...] But they did not stop chasing me. In 2009 I ended up on a list which I meant I could not get a job […] I could not stay in Vietnam because they were always looking for me and wanted to kill me.”

He fled to Laos in November 2010, but was followed there by Vietnamese police working with the Laotian authorities. When they found him, he was working with some nuns taking care of disabled children. At 6.30 one morning, four people believed to be working for the Vietnamese authorities found Dominic praying alone: “They humiliated me, insulted me, and threatened to kill me; they said they would find me, either in Vietnam or in Laos”. Finally, they fired a taser gun at his head, causing him to lose consciousness.

Later, he managed to reach Thailand, where he is seeking asylum with the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok. His life as an asylum seeker is very unstable. He wants to work, but instead must depend on his church for shelter and support while he goes through the long, complex process of applying for refugee status. 

Seeking asylum in Asia 

Some asylum seekers find themselves in countries that don’t accept them as refugees. China has been the subject of international criticism for forcibly repatriating North Koreans at risk of being imprisoned, tortured and even executed for leaving without permission. North Koreans who have converted to Christianity or had contact with missionaries in China are one of the groups singled out for especially harsh treatment.

Even in countries that do accept refugees, however, asylum seekers face long periods of uncertainty and possible rejection. Many have difficulty proving they have been persecuted in their country of origin, or have grounds to fear that they would be in future. Also, in the case of countries like Vietnam, where the treatment of religious minorities varies widely between different localities, UNHCR staff have difficulty collecting enough contextual information to verify the claim.

A world without religious refugees

Dominic is clear about what he wants for Vietnam: “We want democracy. We want real freedom of religious beliefs. We want freedom of communication on the internet. We want the release all prisoners of conscience and bloggers.” In addition, Vietnam should set a date for the delayed visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in 2014. Cases of violations against religious minorities should be thoroughly investigated; perpetrators should be prosecuted and victims compensated where appropriate.

Allowing victims of religious freedom violations to seek asylum in another country is not a solution to inadequate protection of human rights; at the heart of the problem is the need for these violations to be addressed by the state, and for measures to be introduced and implemented domestically. Only then will no-one be forced to flee because of their faith.