DEGAR REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN FORCEFULLY REPATRIATED BY UNHCR BACK TO VIETNAM AND ARE NOW IN PRISON AND TORTURED BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT
We have reports of mistreatment of several Degar refugees that have been forcefully repatriated back to Vietnam. Vietnam again has broken their promise to allow the safe return of the repatriated refugees. Many have been arrested and tortured, and are still in prison today. It is obvious to us that UNHCR is working hand in hand with the Vietnamese government. Their lack of oversight is destroying many Degar lives and we fear that this will continue to happen unless the United Nations take drastic measures.
The UNHCR has reported much successful repatriation without any problems. They therefore believe that the Montagnard Foundation is making false claims as to the mistreatment of these Degar refugees. But we would like to respond by saying that the Vietnamese government is targeting these individuals for their attempts to flee the country. The Vietnam government will never foolishly charge and imprison these Degar refugees for fleeing. ..
THE LATEST MASS MIGRATION OF VIETNAMESE PEOPLE FROM NORTH INTO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
It has been 33 years since the communist Vietnamese invaded the Central Highlands in 1975. The Vietnamese government still moves its people from the North into Degars’ good farmlands and water sources while at the same time pushing our people away by force. There is absolutely nothing the Degar people can do to resist. Without any means to support their families, this eventually pushed many of them into poverty. We believe that THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN USING STARVATION AS A WEAPON TO EXTERMINATE THE INDIGENOUS DEGAR PEOPLE’S RACE under the watchful eye of the world..
On the 26th day of August in 2008, our Christian brother, Mup, age 47, was found beaten to death 100 meters from the entrance to his village. Mup is a preacher in his village of Ploi Rong Khong, district of Dak Doa in the province of Gia Lai. This is what happened: Mup had been summoned by the Vietnamese security police three times to come to their headquarters in order to interrogate him regarding his religious activities, but because Mup had heard many reports of brutality by the Vietnamese officials against Degar Christians, he was afraid and decided not to show up for this summons. Many Christians have been beaten, tortured, imprisoned, poisoned and ultimately murdered.
VIETNAM CONTINUES TO REPRESS INDEPENDENT CHURCHES AS POLICE ARREST 22 DEGAR CHRISTIANS IN JULY/AUGUST 2008
THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION HAS RECEIVED AND RECONFIRMED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ONGOING REPRESSION OF THE INDEPENDENT DEGAR CHRISTIAN CHURCHES (COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS “CHRISTIAN HOUSE CHURCHES”) BY THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT.
... It is evident that the Vietnam government does not tolerate any forms of religious practice other than those sanctioned by the government and under their control. In true spirit of communist control the Vietnamese government has further trained over 21,000 religious workers to infiltrate, monitor and repress religious freedom, see “Religious Freedom Lost on Vietnam” http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=6B36AFC6-CFB6-4B60-9DF2-28D53B42A37F. Those who practice unsanctioned faiths face consequences including but not limited to imprisonment, harassment, and severe beatings. Public gatherings for worship is prohibited and government officials and security forces enforce controls on worshipping in their own homes, making it illegal to pray in another person’s house. Villagers, neighbors and friends caught praying in other people’s homes are deemed violating religious laws are imprisoned or worse....
On the 30th day of July 2008, 4 Degar individuals who are members of the Degar church were arrested by Vietnamese security forces from the commune of Dak Doa on false pretenses. They were accused of organizing a rebellion against the Vietnamese government. The individuals vehemently denied these accusations and stated that they were only exercising their right as citizens of Vietnam to freedom of religion. They were subsequently arrested without any due process.
The Vietnamese security police murdered a Degar Christian by putting a rope around his neck, tying it to their jeep and dragging him around until he died.
On 25 August 2008 Mr. Kok Ksor, President of the Montagnard Foundation addressed the Sub Committee on Human Rights at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC)
ww.persecution.org, has just become informed that on April 24 of this year, another Vietnamese
Christian, Siu Lul (a Montagnard), succumbed to the effects of food and water deprivation and
torture in a Vietnamese prison.
Montagnard Foundation President Kok Ksor states: “Today in Vietnam over
200 Montagnard, Degar people, are unjustly rotting in Vietnamese prisons. Their alleged crimes are
refusing to renounce Christianity, fleeing to Cambodia or participating in peaceful demonstrations.
A Little Bit of Vietnam History
Bảo Đại
Last Emperor of Vietnam
