Hanoi (AsiaNews) - "I must say goodbye to you, because I could be arrested", and "if they put me in jail, pray for me, but don't believe the statements they attribute to me": the bishop of Thai Binh, Francis Nguyen Van Sang, made these two dramatic statements to his faithful yesterday, telling them that he has committed all of the "sins" for which the other Catholics are being arrested - praying in unauthorized places, releasing news about the prayer vigils on the internet - and warning them that if he is imprisoned, statements could be attributed to him, but they should not believe them.

The latest news speaks of arrests in the parish of Thai Ha, in Hanoi. Meanwhile, the campaign of defamation continues against Catholics on the part of the state media, together with the campaign of intimidation on the part of the authorities. Police made the first arrests yesterday. Fr Matthew Vu Khoi Phung, superior of the monastery demanding the restitution of the land illegally taken by the Hanoi authorities, denounces the arrest of seven parishioners taking part in the prayer vigil. He says that today, he was also "summoned" by the police.

In the newspaper New Hanoi, prosecutor Vuong Trong The affirms that there is sufficient proof to conclude that the protests in Thai Ha constitute "organized crime". The newspaper goes farther, affirming that the demonstrations - which are absolutely peaceful - have been organized by "forces hostile" to the communist government. Other newspapers go so far as to speak of the "astonishment" and "frustration" over the fact that the government is not taking "all of the measures necessary to reestablish public order".

In spite of this, the prayer vigils (in the photo) continue. Those taking part in them, says the bishop of Lang Son, Joseph Dang Duc Ngan, who came together with many other bishops to express "communion" with the Catholics of Thai Ha, "are not agitators, nor even antisocial persons who disturb public order". "Our presence here", he added, "means that we are overcoming our fear and the suspicion of others, in order to declare to society, with one voice, that we hold great values and a great dream of fairness, justice, and peace".