Nguyen Van An

Nguyen Van An is a dedicated religious freedom activist whose journey began following a violent incident involving his parish in Ke Gai, Hung Tay commune, Nghe An province, in 2017.

On December 17, 2017, in Ke Gai, 50 to 60 people, mostly women, were irrigating fields on land donated for a new church project. Amid a land dispute between the local Catholic parish and the authorities, the Nghe An government deployed over 100 mobile police officers-- an elite police force used in instances of riots-- and Red Flag Association members to address the situation. The police attacked, harassing and beating the parishioners, severely injuring a man who required hospitalization, and harming over 30 others. The violence ceased only after the arrival of additional parishioners from nearby areas.

Nguyen Van An served as an official witness to the events of the attack by signing documents submitted by the parishoners and government officials detailing the events. An also reported the 2017 incident to the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief in February 2018. For his efforts to document the incident, An began to face persecution, including receiving four police summons for questioning. 

On September 26, 2018, authorities issued an arrest warrant for the offense of "Illegal arrest, detention, or imprisonment of a person" under Article 157 of the 2015 Criminal Code. This information remains available and updated on the Ministry of Public Security website. An's family, including his wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, faced ongoing police harassment, including frequent summonses, regular visits inquiring about his whereabouts, and threats to pressure them to convince An to appear for interrogations. As a result, An fled to Thailand on May 17, 2018, to escape arrest, with his family following the next year. His case then was featured in a 2019 UN reprisal report.

In an interview with Project88 in June 2025, Nguyen Van An’s wife shared that since 2018, An and his family have faced significant hardships, living in constant fear of reprisals from Vietnamese authorities. Thailand’s non-signatory status to the 1951 Refugee Convention prevents refugees like An from legally working, leading to frequent document checks and heightened vulnerability to detentions.

Despite these challenges, An has remained a steadfast advocate for religious and human rights. Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that he has dedicated his time to training other activists and contributing to reports on human rights violations in Vietnam, particularly those concerning religious freedom. Additionally, he has supported the management of the Refugee Community Medicine Cabinet of the Refugee Assistance Foundation and raised funds to organize annual Christmas and Mid-Autumn Festival events for refugee children in Thailand.

Resources:

Personal communications and information provided by the family of Nguyen Van An in June 2025.

Facebook account of “Tương Trợ Tị Nạn - Refugee Assistance Foundation”. 

Refugee Assistance Foundation's Post. 

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General. Human Rights Council, 42nd session, 9–27 September 2019. Archived version.

Chuyện gì đã xảy ra ở Giáo xứ Kẻ Gai? BBC News Tiếng Việt, December 18, 2017. Archived version. 

Chính quyền nói linh mục kích động vụ xô xát tại Giáo xứ Kẻ Gai. RFA, December 18, 2017. Archived version. 

Nguyễn Văn Ân. Cổng Thông tin Truy nã, Văn phòng Cơ quan Cảnh sát Điều tra thuộc Bộ Công An, June 11, 2025.