by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Recent accusations by Vietnamese government authorities that Christians are responsible for spreading COVID-19 in the country may have caused long-lasting damage to Vietnam’s Evangelical community, Morning Star News.
Accusations against the Revival Ekklesia Mission evangelical church (REM) in Vietnam began to be disseminated through state media and government agencies after two Christian REM members tested positive for COVID-19 on May 26 this year, MSN reports. A total of eight REM Christians ultimately became infected with COVID-19, and all recovered.
Vietnam currently ranks as the 10th best country for battling COVID-19, with fewer than 10,000 cases until now, MSN reports. However, Vietnam has seen a surge in the infection rate, in what has been described as a severe setback for the country.
According to Morning Star News, the Vietnamese government may be seeking to use the pandemic as an excuse to suppress evangelical Christianity in the country. “[Vietnam’s] frustrated authorities seem to have found a scapegoat in the REM church outbreak,” MSN said.
“State media, social media and the public engaged in what evangelicals have described and experienced as anger, hate, cursing, insults, slander, innuendo and lies,” MSN reports. “The greater evangelical community in Vietnam and abroad is supporting and helping the beleaguered REM congregation and trying to counter the disinformation campaign against evangelicals,” MSN added.