Ngoc Lan

Vietnam has two million poor families, 11 per cent of the population living with less than 15 dollars a month. The Diocese of Phan Thiết and the Archdiocese of Huế help Catholics and others. “These are gestures of love and compassion, actions that encourage us in life,” Buddhist man says.

Government land policy has increasingly deprived peasants as well as Christian and Buddhist religious groups of their land. Not only is land bought up for paltry sums, but once it is taken away, much of it is left idle, unused. When ordinary Vietnamese protest they are beaten and arrested. Chinese companies and business interests are behind land policy.