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Mekong Forb, Bangkok (2026)

Mekong Forb (MeFoRB)) is a grassroots organization working to advance freedom of religion or belief and to protect victims of persecution for exercising their right to faith or belief across the Mekong region.

11/02/2026

⬇️ 🇻🇳 Behind Closed Doors

Across parts of the world, religious minorities continue to face pressure that pushes their faith out of public view. For some Protestant communities who have fled such conditions, exile has not brought the freedom they hoped for.

Their worship begins not with a hymn - but with a door.

Before prayer starts, someone checks the hallway. Someone lowers their voice. Someone turns the handle and makes sure it is fully shut. Only then do they gather.

Services take place in private homes or rented rooms. There are no signs, no public notices. People arrive separately to avoid drawing attention. The door becomes more than wood and metal; it becomes a shield.

Hymns are sung softly. Sermons are delivered in restrained tones. Laughter is kept brief. Even moments of joy are measured. The closed door is a quiet reminder that their safety feels fragile.

Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion - including the freedom to manifest religion or belief, individually or in community with others, in public or in private, through worship, observance, practice, and teaching. This right protects not only belief, but its visible and communal expression.

When a community must close a door before it can open a Bible, something is wrong.
When voices must be lowered before a hymn can rise, freedom is incomplete.

A right that survives only behind closed doors is not fully secure. Religious freedom is not meant to live in whispers.

Until the door no longer needs to be locked for prayer to begin, the promise of Article 18 remains unfinished.

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Sau Cánh Cửa Đóng Kín

Tại nhiều nơi trên thế giới, các cộng đồng tôn giáo thiểu số vẫn phải đối diện với áp lực khiến đức tin của họ bị đẩy ra khỏi không gian công khai. Với một số cộng đồng Tin Lành đã rời quê hương vì lý do đó, cuộc sống lưu vong chưa mang lại sự an tâm trọn vẹn.

Buổi thờ phượng của họ bắt đầu không phải bằng bài thánh ca - mà bằng một cánh cửa.

Trước khi cầu nguyện, có người kiểm tra hành lang. Có người hạ thấp giọng nói. Có người xoay tay nắm cửa và chắc chắn rằng nó đã được đóng kín. Chỉ khi ấy, họ mới thực sự bắt đầu.

Các buổi nhóm diễn ra trong nhà riêng hoặc không gian thuê tạm. Không bảng hiệu. Không thông báo rộng rãi. Người tham dự đến rải rác để tránh gây chú ý. Cánh cửa không chỉ là vật dụng - nó trở thành tấm lá chắn.

Những bài thánh ca được hát nhỏ. Lời giảng được giữ ở âm lượng vừa đủ. Ngay cả niềm vui cũng phải tiết chế. Cánh cửa đóng kín là lời nhắc âm thầm rằng sự an toàn của họ vẫn mong manh.

Điều 18 của Công ước Quốc tế về các Quyền Dân sự và Chính trị (ICCPR) bảo đảm quyền tự do tư tưởng, lương tâm và tôn giáo, bao gồm quyền bày tỏ niềm tin cá nhân hoặc cùng cộng đồng, công khai hoặc riêng tư, thông qua việc thờ phượng, thực hành và giảng dạy. Quyền này không chỉ bảo vệ niềm tin trong lòng, mà còn bảo vệ sự thể hiện công khai và tập thể của đức tin.

Khi một cộng đồng phải đóng cửa trước khi mở Kinh Thánh, điều đó cho thấy có điều gì đó chưa đúng.
Khi tiếng hát phải hạ thấp trước khi cất lên, tự do ấy vẫn còn dang dở.

Một quyền chỉ tồn tại sau cánh cửa khép kín thì chưa thể gọi là được bảo đảm trọn vẹn. Tự do tôn giáo không sinh ra để sống trong thì thầm.

Chừng nào cánh cửa vẫn còn phải đóng lại để buổi cầu nguyện có thể bắt đầu, thì lời hứa của Điều 18 vẫn chưa được hoàn tất.

02/02/2026

Mekong Region
Date: February 2, 2026
From: Mekong Region
To: IRF Summit
Washington, DC, United States

OPEN LETTER TO THE IRF SUMMIT 2026

Dear Organizers and Delegates,

We write from the Mekong region as those not physically present at the IRF Summit, yet deeply connected to the lived realities of faith communities facing vulnerability, surveillance, and persecution.

On behalf of Southeast Asian Grassroots Alliance (SAGA), we extend our solidarity with religious communities, human rights defenders, and advocates working to preserve and expand freedom of religion or belief - especially for those who are unable to speak out, cannot be physically present, or are systematically excluded from international forums. These are communities whose voices are constrained by fear, legal and administrative barriers, or by power structures that determine who is invited, who is heard, and who is left behind. For them, symbolic presence in spaces such as the IRF Summit is not merely a matter of representation; it is a measure of the inclusivity, integrity, and genuine substance of global efforts to defend freedom of religion or belief.

In the Mekong region, religion is not merely a matter of personal faith; it underpins community identity, Indigenous culture, and collective survival. Restrictions on religious life - often justified in the name of security, order, or stability - produce consequences that extend far beyond legal frameworks, eroding social trust, weakening communities, and undermining human dignity.

We wish to underscore a growing regional concern: the political instrumentalization of religion. This practice is not limited to state actors alone; it can also emerge within advocacy narratives and organizational practices operating under the banner of religious freedom. When faith is instrumentalized, the boundary between human rights protection and power interests becomes dangerously blurred, placing already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.

These concerns are sharpened by recent developments in Vietnam, where the prosecution and pretrial detention order involving Nguyễn Đình Thắng, President of BPSOS, has generated significant unease across the Mekong region and beyond. For many years, BPSOS has played an important role in supporting vulnerable religious communities, refugees, and victims of faith-based persecution. Legal actions targeting an individual so closely associated with this field inevitably raise serious questions about civic space, the independence of religious freedom advocacy, and the potential politicization of legal frameworks.

Although absent from Washington, we believe that moral responsibility does not hinge on physical presence, but on principled consistency, honest dialogue, and the courage to confront uncomfortable realities.

We urge the IRF Summit to remain a forum where affected communities are centered, where freedom of religion or belief is not reduced to a geopolitical instrument, and where human dignity is upheld above short-term interests.
Respectfully,

Pastor Daniel,
Co-founder, President
Southeast Asian Grassroots Alliance (SAGA)

Contact: [email protected]

________

ANNEX OF CONCERN
Regarding the Case of Dr. Nguyễn Đình Thắng, President of BPSOS
This Annex is submitted to provide contextual clarification and to formally register concern relevant to the objectives of the International Religious Freedom Summit.
Dr. Nguyễn Đình Thắng is widely recognized within regional and international civil society networks for his long-standing engagement on issues related to freedom of religion or belief, refugee protection, and support for vulnerable religious communities, particularly within Vietnam and the broader Mekong region.
The recent initiation of criminal proceedings and the issuance of a pretrial detention order against Mr. Thắng have raised serious concerns among regional civil society actors. While respecting the principle of legal process, the case has been widely perceived as having implications that extend beyond an individual matter, touching directly on:
the shrinking civic space for religious freedom advocacy in the region;

the independence and safety of civil society actors working on freedom of religion or belief;

and the risk of legal frameworks being interpreted or applied in a politicized manner when religious freedom work intersects with sensitive state interests.
Given BPSOS’s established role in supporting communities affected by religious persecution, developments involving its leadership inevitably resonate far beyond national borders and contribute to a broader climate of uncertainty and apprehension across the Mekong region.
We submit this Annex in the spirit of transparency and principled concern, and we respectfully urge participants of the IRF Summit to consider the wider regional implications when discussing freedom of religion or belief, civic space, and the protection of those who work to defend these rights.

31/01/2026

Information Noted
⬇️ 🇻🇳
Mekong FoRB takes note of the initiation of criminal proceedings by Vietnamese authorities against Nguyễn Đình Thắng, President of BPSOS, an organization engaged in activities related to freedom of religion or belief and associated with the SEAFORB.

According to official announcements, the charges relate to terrorism. No assessment is made regarding the substance of the allegations, which remain subject to judicial determination. It is noted that the proceedings were initiated shortly prior to the IRF Summit, for which Dr. Thắng was listed as a member of the organizing committee.

The case draws attention to two concurrent considerations: the potential implications for the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam and the Mekong region; and broader concerns regarding the interaction between religion, political objectives, and security, including the possible instrumentalization of religion by both civil society actors and states.

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🇻🇳

Mekong FoRB ghi nhận việc cơ quan chức năng Việt Nam tiến hành khởi tố Nguyễn Đình Thắng, Chủ tịch BPSOS, một tổ chức có các hoạt động liên quan đến tự do tôn giáo hoặc tín ngưỡng và liên kết với mạng lưới SEAFORB.

Theo các thông báo chính thức, các cáo buộc được nêu liên quan đến khủng bố. Mekong FoRB không đưa ra đánh giá về nội dung các cáo buộc này, vốn thuộc thẩm quyền xem xét của tiến trình tư pháp. Cũng cần lưu ý rằng việc khởi tố diễn ra ngay trước thềm Hội nghị IRF Summit, nơi ông Thắng được ghi nhận là thành viên ban tổ chức.

Vụ việc làm nổi bật hai khía cạnh song song cần được quan tâm: những tác động tiềm tàng đối với việc thụ hưởng quyền tự do tôn giáo hoặc tín ngưỡng tại Việt Nam và khu vực Mekong; đồng thời là các vấn đề rộng hơn liên quan đến mối tương tác giữa tôn giáo, mục tiêu chính trị và an ninh, bao gồm khả năng tôn giáo bị công cụ hóa bởi cả các chủ thể xã hội dân sự và các nhà nước.
📷fb Nguyen Dinh Thang

11/01/2026

Laos: Christian Families Arrested, Starved, and Forced from Their Homes for Peaceful Worship

Salavan Province, Laos — October 2025

Christian families in southern Laos have been subjected to arrest, food deprivation, and forced displacement after holding a peaceful house worship service, raising serious concerns about violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in the country.

The incident took place on 12 October 2025 in Thomli Thong village, Tha Oiy District, Salavan Province, where 18 Christian believers from three families were gathered for their regular weekly worship. According to documented testimony and photographic evidence, local village authorities and armed forces raided the gathering and detained all participants without warrants or formal charges .

The worship service, led by a local Christian group leader, was conducted in a private home and posed no threat to public order. However, villagers report that the gathering was treated as an illegal act, reflecting the highly restrictive environment faced by religious minorities in rural areas of Laos.

Village Blockade and Aid Confiscation

Following the arrests, security forces reportedly sealed off the entire village, preventing residents from entering or leaving. The blockade extended beyond the detained families and affected the wider community, effectively placing the village under collective punishment.

When local Christian networks attempted to provide food and essential supplies to the affected families, police and military personnel confiscated all aid. Authorities returned only minimal daily rations, described by witnesses as barely sufficient for survival.

Human rights observers note that the intentional restriction of food as punishment may constitute inhuman and degrading treatment, prohibited under international human rights law.

Forced Displacement into Forest Areas

In the weeks that followed, Christian families were forced to leave their homes entirely. Without written orders, compensation, or alternative housing arrangements, they were driven into forest areas approximately five kilometers from their village, where they now live in makeshift shelters.

Photographic evidence shows families — including women and children — living without adequate shelter, sanitation, or reliable access to food and healthcare. Local authorities are also accused of confiscating homes, land, and personal belongings, stripping families of their livelihoods and means of survival .

No clear legal basis for the displacement has been presented, and affected families report being warned not to return to their village unless they renounce their Christian faith.

Absence of Justice and Accountability

Despite the gravity of the abuses, no investigation has been launched, and no officials have been held accountable. Victims report that no government authority has intervened to restore their rights, provide assistance, or offer legal remedies.

“This case reflects a broader pattern of repression against religious minorities in Laos,” said a regional rights advocate familiar with the situation. “Local officials often act with impunity, particularly in remote areas where international monitoring is limited.”

Violations of International Law

Laos is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of religion, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and the right to adequate food and housing. The actions documented in Salavan Province appear to violate multiple provisions of the ICCPR, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 18 of both instruments protects the right to manifest religion or belief in worship, teaching, and practice — including in private homes. Forced displacement, confiscation of property, and denial of food further raise concerns under international standards.

Calls for International Attention

Human rights organizations are calling on the Lao government to immediately halt all acts of religious persecution, allow displaced families to return safely to their homes, and restore confiscated property. They also urge independent investigations, accountability for those responsible, and access for UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

As global attention increasingly focuses on protecting religious freedom, the case of Thomli Thong village underscores how peaceful worship remains criminalized in parts of Southeast Asia, often far from international scrutiny.

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