Christianity started spreading among the Hmong in the highlands of northwest and central Vietnam in the late 1980s, through a Hmong-language Christian radio programme broadcast from Manila. This has led to a remarkable religious transformation in the past three decades.
Among the 1million Hmong there are now an estimated 400,000 Christians, and the social, economic, and political impacts of religious change – from persecution and migration to lifestyle changes and new gender relations – are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Propaganda and restrictions
The Vietnamese Government, headed by President Trần Đại Quang has reacted by publishing anti-Christian propaganda and maintaining restrictive policies, making it almost impossible for churches to register.