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VIETNAM'S “ALLEDGED” RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE PERSECUTED MONTAGNARD CHRISTIANS:
INCLUDING THE INFAMOUS CHURCH BURNING AT PLEI LAO
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BACKGROUND: Recently the Vietnamese government presented
several “alleged” religious leaders to US religious representatives and touted
them as legitimate representatives of the Montagnard Degar people. Currently
the United States and Vietnam are negotiating religious agreements as Vietnam
seeks trade and political ties with the US . Vietnamese authorities are thus
trying to whitewash the ongoing religious persecution in Vietnam . The Vietnamese
News Service published an article titled, “US Christian Group Eyes Vietnam
Religious Picture” referring to a visit by Chris Seiple of the US based
Institute for Global Engagement who is investigating the religious situation
in the tightly controlled central highlands.
The Montagnard Foundation however, identifies two of these “alleged” religious
leaders and hopes that US Religious and Government officials will not be misled
into believing they represent the true situation in Vietnam . The two alleged
religious leaders identified as Siu Pek and Siu Kim are
actually long time government stooges who have participated in numerous arrests
of Christian Montagnards and incidents of religious persecution, including
torture and killings of Christian Montagnards. Siu Pek in
fact participated in the infamous Plei Lao Church burning by Vietnamese police
in 2001.
CHURCH BURNING IN PLEI LAO:
The photo here was smuggled out of Vietnam
by Montagnard refugees and depicts a Montagnard Christian arrested (and later
beaten) by Vietnamese authorities for opposing the destruction of the church
at Plei Lao. Authorities burned down the village church and the BBC ran a
story “Fury at Vietnam Church Destruction” on 28 March 2001. The
US State Department reported 1- 5 Christians killed at this incident. The
Montagnard Foundation identifies“Siu Pek”
a religious
leader currently touted by the Vietnamese government as one of the criminals
who led police to this village in order to persecute the Christians there.
THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION RESPECTFULLY CALLS
ON THE US GOVERNMENT TO CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZE
VIETNAMESE PROPAGANDA IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE
VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT.
