Background: The indigenous Montagnards (Degar) Peoples have suffered decades of persecution by the communist government of Vietnam, namely; confiscation of their ancestral lands, religious repression, torture, killings and unjust imprisonment. Organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the US State Department have all expressed their concern over treatment of Montagnard Christians who have received harsh prison sentences of up to thirteen years since 2001 for their Christian religious activities, participation in peaceful protests, or for attempting to flee to Cambodia. There is an estimate 200 Montagnards in Vietnamese Communist prisons that we currently know of and hundreds more unaccounted for. 

Torture and Mistreatment: According to the reports we have received from inside the prisons, all of the Montagnard Degar prisoners have undergone severe torture by beatings, kicking or electric shock torture. The food of these prisoners, (primarily small handfuls of rice), are deliberately and routinely mixed with sand and salt. The government of Vietnam continues to torture these Degar prisoners not because they want to get the information from them but because the Montagnard Degars have refused to renounce Christianity, previously protested against the government or served with US Armed Forces during the Vietnam War.

On 18 June 2005 these 75 Degar Montagnard prisoners were secretly transferred from the prison facility in Buonmathuot, Daklak Province to the prison facility located in Ba Sao commune, Kim Bang District, in Nam Ha Province in the North Vietnam. It is unknown exactly why but it is believed they will be kept isolated from their families here and can also be interrogated and punished more severely there.

1. Y-Yao Buon Krong, from the village of Buon Mrong , district of Ea Kar, Daklak Province
   
2. Y-Rong Hdok, from the village of Buon Kla , district of Krong Buk, Daklak Province
   
3. Y-Thim Eban, from the village of Buon Ko Tam , Buonmathuot City , Daklal Province
   
4. Y-Tim Eban, from the village of Buon Dha Prong , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
   
5. Y-He  Eban, from the village of Buon Kdun , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
   
6. Y-Bri Enuol, from the village of Buon Dha Ea Bong , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
   
7. Y-Mao Nie, from the village of Buon Dha Prong , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
   
8. Y-Tlup Adrong, from the village of Buon Kmrong Prong , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
   
9. Ksor Sun, from the village of Buon Jung Cu Vi , district of Krong Pac, Daklak Province
   
10. H'No Buon Ya (woman), from the village of Buon Kli , district of Krong Pac, Daklak Province
    
11. Y-Thio Eban, from the village of Buon ju, Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
    
12. Y-teo eban, from the village of Buon Ju , Buonmathuot City , Daklak Province
    
13. Y-Jim Eban, from the village of Buon Ju , Buonmthuot City , Daklak Province
    
14. Y-Rit Nie, from the village of Buon poc, district ot Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
15. Y-Den, from the village of Buon tong ju, district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
16. Y-Dec Nie, from the village of Buon Tong ju, district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
17. Y-Son Nie, from the village of Buon Kniet , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
18. Y-Phon Buon to, from the village of Buon Kniet , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
19. Y-Djieu Buon Ya, from the village of Buon trap, district of Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
20. Y-Thai, from the village of Buon Trap , district of Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
21. Y-Ngunh Knul, from the village of Buon Ecam , district of krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
22. Y-Tum, from the village of Buon Mblot , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
23. Y-Thuan  Nie, form the village of Buon Kwang , district of Krong Buk, Daklak Province
    
24. Y-Tem Eban, from the village of Buon Mrong , district of Ea Kar, Daklak Province
    
25. Y-Nai mlo, from the village of Buon De , district of Krong buk, Daklak Province
    
26. Y-Mer, from the village of Buon Enao , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
27. Y-Ben Nie, from the village of Buon Enao , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
28. Y-Thing Nie, from the village of Buon Ko Mleo , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
29. Y-Kuo Buon Ya, from the village of Buon Ko Mleo , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
30. Y-Bec, from the village of Buon Knir , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
31. Y-Ghak Knul, (his living place unknown)
    
32. Y-Suan, (his living place unknown)
    
33. Y-Soan Nie, (his living place unknown)
    
34. Y-Hai, (his living place unknown)
    
35. Y-Bri Ksor, (his living place unknown)
    
36. Y-Thieu Buon Krong, (his living place unknown)
    
37. Y-Jieu Buon krong, (his living place unknown)
    
38. Y-Puk Eban, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
39. Y-Niem Eban, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
40. Y-Duk  Eban, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
41. Y-Buot  Buon krong, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
42. Y-Net Buon ya, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
43. Y-Un Prieng, from the village of Buon Nui , district of Cu Jut, Dak Nong Province
    
44. Y-Ser Mlo, from the village of Buon Pu , district of Krong Pac,  Daklak Province
    
45. Y-Niet Eban, from the village of Buon Puk Prong , district of Krong Ana, Dallak Province
    
46. Y-Khanh Nie, from the village (unknown), district of Ea Hleo, Daklak Province
    
47. Y-Hung Nie, from the village of Buon Tara Puor , district of Krong Pac Daklak Province
    
48. Y-Hung Mlo, from the village of Buon Ko Tam , city of Buonmathuot ,  Daklak Province
    
49. Y-Jon Kbuor, from the village of Buon Kdun , city of Buonmathuot ,  Daklak Province
    
50. Y-Tum Mlo, from the village of Buon Dlie Ya , district of Krong Hnang,  Daklak Province
    
51. Y- Lec, from the village of Buon Ea Knir , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
52. Y-Djua, from the village of Buon Ea Knir , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
53. Y-Tam Nie, from the village Buon Ebung, district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
54. Y- Het Nai, from the village of Buon Ea Tieu , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
55. Y-Tim Eban, from the village of Buon Dha Prong , city of Buonmathuot , Daklak Province
    
56. Y-Klong Nie, from the village of Buon Drai , district of Ea Hleo, Daklak Province
    
57. Y-Kro Nie, from the village of Buon Dung , district of Ea Hleo, Daklak Province
    
58. Y-San R'mah, from the village of Buon Sam , district of Ea Hleo, Daklak Province
    
59. Y-Bro, from the village of Buon Dlie Ya , district of Krong Hnang, Daklak Province
    
60. Y-Boh, from the village of Buon Dlie Ya , district of Krong Hnang, Daklak Province
    
61. Y-Sum, from the village of Buon Dlie Ya , district of Krong Hnang, Daklak Province
    
62. Y-Nai Mlo, from the village of Buon De , district of Krong Buk,  Daklak Province
    
63. Y-Thomas Nie, from the village of Buon Jun, city of Buonmathuot ,  Daklak Province
    
64. Y-Non Buon Ya, from the village of Buon Jun, city of Buonmathuot ,  Daklak Province
    
65. Y-No Buon Ya, from the village of Buon Wing , district of Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
66. Y-Tuan Nie, from the village of Buon Kbu , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
67. Y-Hwuen Knul, from the village of Buon Kbu , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
68. Y-Thuen Hmok, from the village of Buon Kbu , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
69. Y-Ben, from the village of Buon Poc , district of Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
70. Y-Bhong Eban, from the village of Buon Poc , district of Cu Mgar, Daklak Province
    
71. H'On Nie, from the village of Buon Mrong , district of Ea Kar, Daklak Province
    
72. Y-Lia Mlo, from the village of Buon Mrong , district of Ea Kar, Daklak Province
    
73. Y-Nging Mlo, from the village of Buon Mrong , district of Ea Kar, Daklak Province
    
74. Y-Khuin Ayun, from the village of Buon Pu , district of Krong Ana, Daklak Province
    
75. Y-Bling Enuol, (his living place unknown)
     

THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION CALLS ON:

• The United States Government and the European Union to insist these 64 political prisoners and all other Montagnard Degar Prisoners are fully accounted for and released from Vietnamese Prisons before Vietnam be granted entry into the World Trade Organization.
   
  
• That the United States Government, the European Union, the United Nations, and all other peaceful nations insist Vietnam abide by the 2002 Concluding Observations of the UN Human Rights Committee regarding the “serious violations” facing the Montagnard peoples (UN doc: CCPR/C/SR.2031) and allow human rights monitors access to the central highlands as a precondition to Vietnam gaining entry into the World Trade Organization.