To their shocking surprise, the poor parishioners of Bau Sen whose statue of Our Lady was knockdown two months ago by government forces, find themselves victimized over again when being asked to pay for the demolition expense by the same authority who carried out the demolition.

Bulldozers to demolish the statue of Our Laday at Bau Sen, Vinh

Poilce armed with dogs and batons at the scene

Parishioners look on in despair

“Pay 276,485,732 VND or face law suit and have your asset confiscated,” Phan Cong Thanh, on behalf of People’s Committee of Bo Trach, Quang Binh told Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Huu in the official correspondence No 08 CV/UBND.

In the letter dated Jan 11, sent to Fr. Peter Nguyen, pastor of Bau Sen parish in the diocese of Vinh, the People's Committee in its absurdity asked the priest to pay back to the local government all expenses they had spent to dismantle the Holy Mother of La Vang statue on the parish cemetery on Nov 5, 2009.

The total amount the local authorities are asking for is about $15,000 US which shows the extended deadline of one month from Jan 7, 2010. Should the amount not be paid in full to the account of the Bo Trach District's Office of Finance and Planning by the said deadline, they will confiscate any asset with values amounted to the demanded figure and Fr. Peter Nguyen will be subjected to a law suit in the Civil/ Administrative Court for collection.

"Should Mr. Nguyen Van Huu purposely miss the deadline without compliance, the District People's Committee will instruct all the branches in charge to proceed with confiscation of all assets with equivalent value to the cost to dismantle the statue according to the current law," the letter threatened.

The said statue of the Holy Mother of La Vang, subject of the demand for compensation was placed by parishioners in April 2008 on a boulder in the parish cemetery across the road from Bau Sen Church.

On Sept. 21, 2008 the People's Committee issued Decision # 3150 QĐ – CC to coerce the parish of Bau Sen to remove the statue within 5 days from the date of Decision's issuance.

The infamous decision shocked the Catholic community throughout the region since the statue had been placed on a religious premise. A wave of protests had taken placed which somewhat helped to deter the government's action to a lesser degree until typhoon Ketsana put a stop to the effort.

But when the storm was over, the government again mobilized heavy equipments and bulldozers, along with a small army of armed policemen to resume their removal task.

On his way to the diocesan annual retreat on Nov. 5, Fr. Peter Nguyen, was taken into police custody for several hours while officials removed the statue. Hundreds of police equipped with weapons, batons, tear gas, and dogs were deployed in an effort to squelch local opposition to the move.

With all the turmoil caused by puzzling, unpredictable and absurd actions of the government in Bau Sen, Bo Trach district, one must wonder if the same bill will be sent to the archdiocese of Hanoi, charging the clergy and Thai Ha parishioners for the demolition and chaos the government caused at the Hanoi Nunciature and at the Redemptorist Monastery in September 2008 when they sent in bulldozers and equipments, tearing down buildings to make room for public parks?