The Vietnamese government and many Vietnamese people continue to torment Degar Christians. Not only do they beat up and murder our people in public, but they also abduct Degar Christians, taking them from their villages in order to kill them in secret. This is what happened to our Christian brother, Mup.

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. 

Therefore, Mup knew the intentions of the Vietnamese and was afraid to answer the summons. On the day of his murder, Mup left his village to attend the funeral of a relative in the village of Ploi Bla.  Upon returning to his village that evening, Mup was approached by Vietnamese officials. Degar villagers witnessed the officials talking to him. This was the last time anyone saw him alive. In the morning, his corpse was found about 100 meters from the village gate.  The villagers who found his body carried him back to his home.   Did the Vietnamese murder Mup because he did not answer their summons? Do they regularly murder everyone who fails to answer the summons?  No! Of course not! Besides, it is more than likely that they intended to murder him during the interrogation for which he was summoned in the first place. This murder is the result of nothing more than sheer hatred by Vietnamese security police and soldiers towards our people. It seems as if they want revenge against the Degar people because our people sided with the Americans during the Vietnam War. 

THE GOVERNMENT AND MANY VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN VIETNAM HATE THE DEGAR PEOPLE BECAUSE WE FOUGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE US ARMED FORCES – WHO PROMISED TO FREE US FROM OUR VIETNAMESE OPPRESSORS. THEY ALSO HATE US BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE CHRISTIANS, A RELIGION THAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE AMERICAN. DURING THE WAR, THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS BELIEVED THAT ALL DEGAR CHRISTIANS WERE SECRET AGENTS OF UNITED STATES CIA. THEREFORE, COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF OUR CHRISTIANS BROTHERS AND SISTERS WERE KILLED DURING THE WAR. THIS PERCEPTION CONTINUES TODAY.

Article 71 of Vietnam’s constitution makes the government appear to be one of the most fair in the world, but this law is nothing more than a lie.  This law only covers up the evil actions of the government by misleading the international community.  Since 2001, over 50 Degar Christians have been brutally murdered by the Vietnamese security police without a fair trial or even a formal death sentence by Vietnam’s court of law.  They just kill our people any time they want to, like we are just animals for them to slaughter even for fun.

When our people fled to Cambodia, hoping to escape being murdered by the Vietnamese, the UNHCR sent them back to Vietnam, straight back into the hands of their murderers.  This is the highest and most respected organization in the world when it comes to the protection of human life, but this organization sent our people (who came to them for protection) back to the Vietnamese, the very government who was trying to exterminate them.  IF THE UNHCR SIDES WITH OUR MURDERERS, WHERE CAN WE GO FOR PROTECTION NOW?Article 71: The citizen shall enjoy inviolability of the person and the protection of the law with regard to his life, health, honor and dignity.
No one can be arrested in the absence of a ruling by the People's Court, a ruling or sanction of the People's Office of Supervision and Control except in case of flagrant offenses. Taking a person into, or holding him in, custody must be done with full observance of the law.
It is strictly forbidden to use all forms of harassment and coercion, torture, violation of his honor and dignity, against a citizen. The news of Mup’s death is very disturbing to the Degar people and the Montagnard Foundation.  How will our people legally protect themselves when the Vietnamese security forces (who utterly hate our people) assume the authority of judge, jury, and executioner?  Who do we turn to when the people who are supposed to protect us are the ones who are killing us?  Mup was not wanted for any criminal charges, but only for his religious convictions. Still, he was murdered by the Vietnamese security officials. The actions of these security forces are never questioned and they continue to serve as security officers.   So how do we stop these human rights violations?  We strongly believe this will continue to happen if the United Nations and those who profess to be supporters of human rights continue to ignore our cries for help.  Human life should be valued as the most precious of all commodities and we as a world should fight to preserve it as God has called us to do. 

 Please pray for Mup’s family.