RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AGAINST CHRISTIAN MONTAGNARDS
REPORT FROM CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

According to a reliable source of information from the Central Highlands, beginning from the 15 of December, the Vietnamese Cong An (security forces) will arrest all of the Degar Christians who they believe supporting the Montagnard Foundation, Inc.( MFI).

The reason claimed by the Vietnamese authorities for this ongoing repression against Christian Montagnards would be that they would belong to the 4th armed forces of Fulro organization and that they are fighting for their independence.

The Montagnard Foundation has no relationship with the Furlo organization, which by the way, has been publicly disbanded at the beginning of the 90s.

Furthermore, the MFI is a fully nonviolent and peaceful organization, which never mentions the separation from Vietnam and the creation of an independent State as one of its goals.

The MFI main objective is to call on the Vietnamese Government and all the competent international institutions, starting from the United Nations, for the respect of international laws and human rights which are binding also to Vietnam, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights..

As a result of this decision taken by the Vietnamese Government, the Cong An forces could not wait until the 15th of December so they went ahead and started earlier.

On December 12, 2002 at 5:00 AM, the Cong An from the district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai arrested three of our Christians brothers from the village of Plei K’jeng whose names are as followed:

1- Nong, born in 1955
2- Kon, born in 1970
3- Rim, born in 1981

All of these Christian brothers of ours are now being tortured by severe beating, electric shock and imprisoned at Dak Doa district prison facility.

In the mountain of Cu Tola area, commune of Ia Tiem, district of Cu Se, province of Gia Lai, the Vietnamese government has brought in hundreds of armed troops to look for Degar Christians who they believe are hiding.

On December 8, 2002, at the village of Buon Drai in Daklak province, Cong An summoned all who they believe to be preachers or members of Degar Christian committee to stand in front of their villagers and forced them to denounce Christ. They also confiscated all the Bibles and Hymns books.

On December 9, 2002, the Vietnamese government publicly warned Degar villagers in the villages of Buon Ho, Buon Krak, Buon Phiao, Buon Kuh and Buon Kli, district of Krong Buk, province of Daklak, not to celebrate the coming Christmas. Whoever disobeys the order will suffer the consequences of the arrest and imprisonment with a fine of 100,000 VND (equal to $10 USD) or even execution.

On December 15, 2002, the government did the same warning to the villagers of Buon Cuor Knia, Buon Don, Buon Drec, Buon Tul, Buon Jonglan, Buon Drang Phok district of Buon Don and Buon Buor district of Cu Jut in the province of Daklak.

On the same date, the government warned the villagers of Buon Jun Yuh, district of Dak Mil, province of Daklak that they cannot get together from 3 persons up or they will suffer the consequences of arrest and imprisonment with fine of 100,000 VND or being executed for disobedience.

At the present time, all the Degar villages have been watched and guarded by Cong An and soldiers.

The Cong An forces have summoned and warned the wives of Degar refugees who are now living in the US not to celebrate the coming Christmas. The Cong An have also threatened them not to support their husbands and that they must divorce their husband or they will suffer the consequences of arrest and imprisonment with fine of 100,000 VND. Their names are as followed:

1- H’Luc Ayun, she is Y-Brot Hmok’s wife.
2- H’Loi Buon Krong, she is Y-Hin Nie’s wife.
3- H’Raih Nie, she is Y-Tri Buon Krong’s wife.
4- H’Duat Adrong, she is Y-Kuot Enuol’s wife.
5- H’Mit Hmok, she is Y-Dhieng Buon Krong’s wife.
6- H’Pun Mlo, she is Y-Rit Hdok’s wife.
7- H’Mri Buon Krong, she is Y-Khim Nie’s wife.

More information about the ongoing repression is coming and updated reports will be distributed.

For more information, see http://hrw.org/reports/2002/vietnam/