Nguyen Van Duc
Nguyễn Huyền Đức
Current Status: At risk
Date of Birth: 1972
Gender: M
Religion: Christian (Catholic)
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: Religious leader
Activist Focus:
- Religious freedom
Details
Background
Nguyen Van Duc was born and raised in Nghi Loc, Nghe An. He entered Thien An monastery in 1993. In 2007, he went abroad to study in France. In 2014, he was made head of Thien An Monastery.
History of ActivismThe 107-acre piece of land that belongs to Thien An Monastery has been a target of government land grab for decades. Local authorities have been confiscating parts of it to build tourist resorts. Ever since Fr Duc became its leader, the pressure has only increased, and he’s been subjected to multiple smear campaigns, as well as physical threats.
2020: denied re-entry into Vietnam after alleged poisoning and car attack
Father Anthony Nguyen Huyen Duc, head of Thien An Monastery in Hue, still has not been allowed to return to Vietnam from Germany where he’d gone to have medical treatment. In a letter to his superior, Father Anthony said his illness started after he was given some tea at the police station in Vietnam, which caused him great pains in his teeth and bones and caused his hair to start falling out. He believes that he was poisoned. The local government has been trying for decades to take over the land where the monastery currently sits.
Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:06