MONTAGNARD CHRISTIANS KILLED AND TORTURED: HARSH PRISON TERMS ARE A DEATH SENTENCE

 

“A few years in a Vietnamese prison is often a death sentence for our people. The Vietnamese communist authorities release many just prior to their death where they soon die after having suffered years of harsh conditions and torture.” Kok Ksor, MFI President.

BACKGROUND: The Vietnamese communist government has recently claimed it has improved its human rights practices because they have released a few token religious freedom activists. In reality Vietnam has intensified its abuses of human rights and increased religious repression toward the Montagnard Degar people. Decades of persecution, confiscation of ancestral lands, torture and killings has escalated into a regime of martial law imposed upon the indigenous Montagnard population inside Vietnam’s Central Highlands. In 2005 more soldiers and Cong An security troops have been sent to the Central Highlands to repress and intimidate the population. Human Rights Watch stated in its briefing paper of 10 January 2005 that it has records of 188 Montagnards who have been sentenced to harsh prison terms for practicing Christianity, fleeing to Cambodia or participating in peaceful protests. Below are some examples of the brutality suffered upon by our people.

 

DEGAR MONTAGNARDS WHO DIED SOON AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON

• DIED 26 FEBRUARY 2005: Tuan Rla Yang, age 32 from Buon Dak Ndrung village, district Dak Song, province Dak Nong was arrested on December 25, 2004 and imprisoned in Dak Nong province. He was released on February 20, 2005 but died a few days later on February 26, 2005 after being severely tortured. He was buried on March 3, 2005. He had complained of internal injuries received whilst in custody and his family believes that he may also have been poisoned before being released.
   
• DIED 21 FEBRUARY 2005: Ksor Phuok, age 31 from the village of Plei Ring, commune Habau, district Dak Doa, Gia Lai province. He was arrested on April 7, 2004 and imprisoned at Prison T-20. Ksor Phuok was released on August 11, 2004 but suffered from injuries sustained whilst he was in prison. On January 12, 2005 he became ill and his family took him to Pleiku hospital because blood had been coming from his mouth. The Doctor told his family that he could not save his life because of the severe injuries he received whilst tortured in prison. He died on February 21, 2005.
  

 

TORTURE AND IMPRISONMENT IN “DAI PHAT THANH” PRISON OF CHRISTIANS DURING CHRISTMAS 2004:

On Christmas 2004, Vietnamese officials allowed the Degar Christians in Buonmathuot city to attend church services to celebrate Christmas. All appeared well that day and officials made a video movie to show the world that the Vietnamese government has granted religious freedom to the Degar people. But the next day, the police went back and arrested all of the Degar Christians who had attended Christmas celebrations and imprisoned them at the prison called “Dai Phat Thanh” prison. Among them were some relatives of Kok Ksor, named as follows:

• Bob Ksor
• Senat Ksor
• Y-Bill Nie
• Y-Mun Nie
• Y-Krec Nie.

The police tortured these prisoners specifically because they wanted them to renounce Christ. According to the report from the prisoners to their families, the police tortured them by shocking them with electric current, burning their face and body with cigarette lighters, pulling their finger and toe nails with a pair of pliers and physical beatings. Y – Bill Nie may already be dead as police refuse his family to visit him, and his family believe he has died in custody.

 

DEGAR PRISONERS EXPECTED TO DIE AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM PRISON.

• Dao Bu Bong, DOB unknown, from the village of Buon Dak Ndrung, district Dak Song, province Dak Nong. He was imprisoned on December 25, 2004 at the prison in Dak Nong province and released on February 20, 2005. Since his release he has remained paralyzed. He cannot walk or do anything but just wait for his death.
   
• Can Rla Yang, DOB unknown, from Buon Dak Ndrung village, district Dak Song, province Dak Nong. He was arrested on December 25, 2004 and imprisoned at the prison facility and later released on 20 February 2005 after being tortured. Can Rla Yang has been seriously sick and he is unable to eat and his family believes that he will soon die.

CIVILIANS TARGET MONTAGNARDS

On February 8, 2005, two of our people, Y-Tluor Mlo age 22 and Y-Lap Nie age 20, crossed the bridge of Ea Tam, when Vietnamese civilians stopped them stating “you are the Degar who demonstrated and wanted to overthrow our government”. One of the Vietnamese civilians stabbed Y-Tluor Mlo in his chest and on his neck and he died on the spot. His family picked up his body and buried him on February 11, 2005. The Vietnamese civilians then called the police to arrest Y-Lap Nie and he was taken away to the hospital and then imprisoned at Dai Phat Thanh prison facility in Buonmathuot.

 

DEGAR MONTAGNARDS BELIEVED MURDERED AFTER ARREST: NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN

• Niem, age 20, from Plei Mnu village, commune of Cu A, Pleiku city, Gia Lai province was arrested on April 10, 2004 and his family has been looking for him ever since. They have been unable to find him in any prison and now believe he was murdered by police.
   
• Tem, age 29, from Plei Mnu village, commune of Cu A, Pleiku city, Gia Lai province was arrested on April 11, 2004 and his family has been looking for him ever since. They have been unable to find him in any prison and now believe he was also murdered by police.

 

DEGAR MONTAGNARDS POISONED

On February 28, 2005 a Vietnamese woman, Be, from the village of Thon #2, commune B24, district Ia Grai, Gia Lai province went to the village of Plei Ciom to sell her vegetables. One Degar family of 6 people bought a bunch of vegetables, cooked and ate them. Immediately after all six of them started vomiting and collapsed. Their relatives took all 6 of them to the hospital in Pleiku but the doctor refused to treat them. One of the six, Rahlan H’Ayut age 68, died and the other five were taken back to their village. Their names are:

1. Puih Bich, age 70 from the village of Plei Ciom, commune of Ia To B14, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai. He is the husband of Rahlan H’Ayut.
    
2. R’mah Yi, age 19 from the village of Plei Ciom, commune of Ia To B14, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai. He is the grand son of Rahlan H’Ayut.
    
3. R’mah Ber, age 15 from the village of Plei Ciom, commune of Ia To B14, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai. He is the grand son of Rahlan H’Ayut.
    
4. R’mah H’Be, age 8 from the village of Plei Ciom, commune of Ia To B14, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai. She is the grand daughter of Rahlan H’Ayut.
    
5. R’mah Yin, age 4 from the village of Plei Ciom, commune of Ia To B14, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai. He is the grand son of Rahlan H’Ayut.

 

THE MONTGNARD FOUNDATION REQUESTS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO:

• Investigate these incidents and urge Vietnam to desist from these human rights violations committed against indigenous Montagnard Degar Christians.
   
• Urge Vietnam to release the 188 Montagnard prisoners recorded by Human Rights Watch and account for all “disappeared” Montagnards who have vanished in Vietnam since repression escalated in 2001.
   
• Urge Vietnam to abide by the 2002 Concluding Observations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee regarding the “serious violations” confronting the Montagnard Degar people ((UN doc: CCPR/C/SR.2031) and allow human rights monitors to have unhindered access to the central highlands.