Community At Risk: Christian Hmong community in Dien Bien province

As a marginalized community with practically no representation in the local government, the Christian Hmong people in Dien Bien Province often practice their right to freedom of expression and civil disobedience to voice their concerns. However, most leaders of these movements have been targeted by the government, with charges including “undermining national unity policy” and even “subversion.”

A Hmong indigenous branch of Christianity called “Giê Sùa” (a way of referring to Jesus Christ) spread and gained traction in Dien Bien Province at the beginning of 2015. After this development, the government accused the group of separatism, saying that they had the intention to create the Democratic Republic of Hmong. In 2019, the local authorities carried out an extensive crackdown, resulting in the trials against 14 members of the group, with severe prison sentences given.