Vietnamese Montagnard Pastor Sentenced to Prison for Undermining National Unity

A court in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province has sentenced Y Nuen Ayun, a 59-year-old Montagnard Protestant pastor, to seven-and-a-half years in prison. Following his incarceration, he will serve four years of supervised probation. The court convicted the pastor under Article 116 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code for "undermining the national unity policy."

State prosecutors alleged that Ayun led unregistered religious activities, recruited members for the Church of Christ Central Highlands, and maintained contact with an overseas activist accused of supporting separatism. Authorities further claimed he collected approximately 7.7 million dong to fund these activities. Defense counsel argued that the prosecution failed to establish any specific criminal acts, while church representatives stated the conviction is an attempt to intimidate believers.

International advocacy groups, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide and International Christian Concern, condemned the ruling. They characterized the charges as vague or fabricated, arguing that the government frequently mislabels the peaceful religious practices of ethnic minorities as separatist threats. The sentencing occurs amid broader international scrutiny, as the European Union recently raised concerns regarding Vietnam’s human rights record and reports of transnational repression.