Persecution in Vietnam: Christians face imprisonment and possibility of being poisoned in jail

Vietnam puts behind bars Christian leaders and sometimes punishes an errant prisoner by food poisoning, said an Evangelical leader.

According to Christian Aid Mission, the Southeast Asian country's 2013 religion law prohibits its people from any forms of "manipulation of freedom of belief and religion" that are perceived to "undermine national unity."

The communist country also tries to control its people's religion by forcing house churches to consolidate with its state-backed church and to conduct services only in a designated premise that could only hold up to 500 members.

"The government wants to combine them to limit their growth and have more control," revealed a Christian leader identified as Su in an interview with the non-profit organization.

He added that pastors are forced to sign in agreement to avoid being physically assaulted or sent to prison.

Su himself spent seven years and two months of his life behind bars from 1975 to 1985 that's marred with torture and near execution. He said he got arrested because he associated with foreign missionaries whom authorities suspected to be working undercover for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

He shared that authorities treat and label Christian prisoners not as religious detainees but as political convicts and send them to labor camps. Su described the first five months in prison as confinement to a small room with no windows, continuous torture, and intense interrogation.

"They're very smart — they know that they will lose if they try to tell you to deny Christianity," said Su. "They will never win. So the purpose of putting the Christians in prison is they want to know what organization they work with, so they can arrest more people."

He added that errant detainees also get fatally punished.

"If you do not strictly follow the rules, they can put poison in your food," said Su. "So you take a little bit, and if you feel something or want to vomit, you stop eating. A few people have died."

Su still leads a ministry team where he directs the discipleship and training on evangelism and leadership for underground Christians in the country. He said his ministry aims to reach villages and unreached tribes to spread the gospel of Christ.