Montagnard Foundation Media Release: March 2002         

VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA OPENLY DEFY THE UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR) AND FORCIBLY RETURN MONTAGNARDS: URGENT HELP NEEDED TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING TORTURED LIKE THE OTHERS. MARCH 2002

On March 2, 2002 the Cambodian police arrested and forced 63 Christian Montagnards (Degar people) back to Vietnam where they face persecution and martial law.  "At this time, no one knows their whereabouts and what has happened to them.  According to our experiences, we know what the Vietnamese government would have done to them.  Therefore, it really makes us as well as their relatives worry for their condition.

As we all know that the Vietnamese government repeatedly saying our people who run to Cambodia for their lives are "illegal migrations" not refugees.  We would like to remind the viewers that on January 25, 2002, the people's court of Cu Se district of Central Highlands sentenced, Siu Beng and Siu Be, resident of Ia Hru commune, Hnoch and Kpa Hling, resident of Ia Bang commune of Cu Se district ranging from three to six and a half years to prison with the charge of "organizing illegal migration" right after the agreement of UNHCR, Cambodia and Vietnam for voluntary repatriation of Montagnard refugees in Cambodia.

Earlier the same day, at 8:30 AM another 61 Montagnards were "voluntarily repatriated" from Ratanakiri UNHCR site, in a bilateral action by Cambodia and Vietnam, with no UNHCR participation.  These were part of the original group of 109 who have wanted to repatriate for some time now.  The trucks arranged by the Cambodian authorities did not technically enter the site.  A Cambodian Capt. Phen reportedly accompanied the 61 Montagnards who wanted to repatriate walked off of the site and forced them to get on the trucks to Vietnam.  These refugees are also considered by the Vietnamese government as "illegal migrations".

In February 2001 the Vietnamese communist authorities began a military crackdown against the Montagnard (Degar) People because we peacefully demonstrated against the government's polices that are destroying our race of people, confiscating our ancestor's land, persecuting us for being Christians and eliminating our indigenous culture. Ever since our Christian people have been fleeing the constant persecutions the Vietnamese military are forcing our people to endure. Right now there are thousands of soldiers occupying our villages and preventing our people from attending their crops. Our people are starving and our children suffer malnutrition. Our people are tortured with electric prods and many are arrested - never to be seen again. Our people are beaten by soldiers and security forces. Currently, over 1000 have escaped to the UN refugee camps in Cambodia. These men, women and children face a very uncertain future...

The Vietnamese government has been offering bounties to the Cambodian police to arrest our people. The Cambodian government has sold our people back to Vietnam. Now the Cambodian police are openly defying the UN and sending these indigenous Christian highland peoples back to a regime that persecutes them.

On February 22, 2002, around 500 Vietnamese troops were joined by hundreds of Cambodian troops surrounded the Montagnard refugees' camp at Mondulkiri province of Cambodia at around 9:00 AM.  The Cambodian authorities allowed the Vietnamese delegation to get inside the camp and Y-Luen Nie Kdam, a Montagnard, who is deputy of province chief of Daklak province, spoke to the refugees to convince them to go back to Vietnam.  Because of the resistance from the refugees, Y-Luen fainted and fell down.  The Vietnamese and Cambodian troops prompted and beat up our refugees with electric batons and sticks.  During this incident, nine of our refugees, Ha Mieng, Y-Hung Nie, Y-Kroan, Y-Khuel, Y-Jonh, N'Hu Rang, Y-Djuan, Y-Mplum and Y-Ngin, were seriously hurt because of being beaten by sticks and the other six of our refugees, Y-Nguan Nie, Y-Win Eban, Y-Kin, N'Guh, Y-No and Y-Set, were seriously hurt because of being beaten by electric batons.  These inhuman actions happened right in the presence of UNHCR Representatives and how much more they will do to our people in the absence of the representatives of UNHCR and hmanitarian NGO.

A BRUTAL REMINDER - WHAT HAPPENED TO OTHERS RETURNED TO VIETNAM?

PUBLICLY BEATEN

In July 2001 these 19 Montagnards were placed in underground prison cells at night. During the day they were publicly beaten. The Vietnamese security forces tortured them in  front of other villagers and told the Degar/Montagnard villagers "this is what happens to people who flee Vietnam". Further the Vietnamese authorities repeatedly stated "Let your Jesus free you" and "Why doesn't your god help you?."

1. Dieu Mblen, from hamlet of Buon Bu Dang, in Daklak province
2. Dieu Mol, from hamlet of Buon Bu Dang, in Daklak province
3. Dieu Don, from hamlet of Buon Bu Dang, in Daklak province
4. Dieu Mao, from hamlet of Buon Bu Ruah, in Daklak province
5. Dieu Men, from hamlet of Buon Bu Ruah, in Daklak province
6. Dieu Breo, from hamlet of Buon Bu Ruah, in Daklak province
7. Dieu Dong, from hamlet of Buon Bu Ruah, in Daklak province
8. Dieu H’Nel, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province
9. Dieu Bel, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province
10. Dieu Mling, from hamlet of Buon Leng Loih, in Daklak province
11. Dieu Ben, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province
12. Dieu Men, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province
13. Dieu Min, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province
14. Dieu Kual, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do (2), in Daklak province
15. Dieu Mbeo, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do (2), in Daklak province
16. Dieu Mbot, from hamlet of Buon Dak Mreh, in Daklak province
17. Dieu Tuan, from hamlet of Buon Dak Mreh, in Daklak province
18. Dieu Sol, from hamlet of Buon Bu Dong, in Daklak province
19. Dieu Thien, from hamlet of Buon Bu Do, in Daklak province

In May 2001, Vietnamese government released some Degar women who had been imprisoned at the old radio station prison in Buon Ma Thuot. The Vietnamese authorities repeatedly sprayed their eyes with chemicals under torture until they became blind.  

	H’Ngui Enuol, hamlet of Buon Dha Ea Bong, Daklak
	H’Nuen Enuol, hamlet of Buon Dha Ea Bong, Daklak
	H’Mui Eban, hamlet of Buon Dha Ea Bong, Daklak

These are just some of the many examples of what the Vietnamese government does to our people. 

And now Vietnam has broken its promises and denied the UNHCR access to the first 15 Montagnards forcibly returned.  How can anyone now trust Vietnam?  What has happened to the 15 Montagnards?  Are they alive?

Therefore, the Montagnard Foundation makes this urgent plea: that the remaining 1000 Montagnard refugees cannot be allowed to return as Vietnam will torture them or worse.  Please note that Vietnam has already forced their relatives to sign an agreement to allow the Vietnamese authorities to kill them when they are arrested.

UNLESS THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM FACING OUR PEOPLE IN VIETNAM IS ADDRESSED (NAMELY CONFISCATION OF OUR ANCESTRAL LANDS, RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, GENOCIDE BY VIETNAM) THERE WILL ONLY BE MORE AND MORE REFUGEES FLEEING TO CAMBODIA.