11 MORE MONTAGNARD DEGAR CHRISTIANS ARRESTED AND TORTURED: VIETNAM’S RACIST POLICIES CREATE ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR

BACKGROUND: The indigenous Montagnard Degar Peoples have suffered decades of persecution by the Vietnamese communist government, namely; confiscation of their ancestral lands, Christian religious repression, torture, killings and imprisonment. In June 2006 the US State Department has continued to maintain Vietnam on the “watch list” of countries that are the worst violators of religious freedom. To date over 350 Degar prisoners remain in Vietnamese prisons for charges involving standing up for their human rights, for spreading Christianity or for fleeing to Cambodia. Vietnamese soldiers continue with a campaign of repression and specifically to hunt down and arrest Montagnard Degars who refuse to follow the recognized government Church . The information below was received direct from the Central Highlands .

 

ARRESTED AND TORTURED

On June 1, 2006 the police from the district of Cu Se arrested, tortured and imprisoned the five Montagnard Degar Christian Brothers below who are all from Cu Se District, Gialai Province . At the present time these Degars are imprisoned at the prison facility in Cu Se district.

1. Siu Kin age 26, from Ploi Tai Per village, Ia Ko commune.
2. Siu Gra age 46, from Ploi Tai Glai village, Ia Greng commune.
3. Rahlan Klan age 27, from Ploi Tung Mo “B” village, Ia Greng commune.
4. Rcom Dul age 34, from Ploi Lop village, Ia Ale commune.
5. Rcom Yen age 45, from Ploi Ken Hmek village, Ia Ale commune.

On May 29, 2006 Vietnamese security forces from Cu Se district surrounded the village of Ploi Tung Mo and randomly arrested another five Degar Christians from Cu Se District, Gialai Province . Witnesses at the scene reported to the Montagnard Foundation that Vietnamese police tortured them by beating, kicking and punching them. The families of the victims are extremely distressed as it is common knowledge amongst the Montagnard population that Montagnard Degar people are tortured severely in prison. At the present time these Degars are imprisoned at the prison facility in Cu Se district.

6. Rmah Ca , age 34, from Ploi Tao Ko village, Ia Hru commune.
7. Rmah Hlin , age 43, from Ploi Tung Mo village, Ia Greng commune.
8. Rmah Dem , age 26, from Ploi Kinh Te village, Ia Greng commune.
9. Ksor But , age 44, from Ploi Dao village, Ia Greng commune.
10. Kpa Blot , age 41, from Ploi Tung Mo village, Ia Greng commune.

On May 30, 2006 the police from Cu Se district arrested a Montagnard Degar Christian Kpuih Thu , at his house in the village of Ploi Tao Or. Witnesses to the arrest reported to the Montagnard Foundation that they saw the Vietnamese police mercilessly torture him by beating, kicking and punching him. His family is extremely distressed as it is common knowledge that Montagnard Degar people are severely tortured by the police inside prison. At the present time he is imprisoned at the prison facility in Cu Se District. His details are below:

11. Kpuih Thu , age 27, from Ploi Tao Or village, Xa Hru commune.

 

WITNESSES DESCRIBE TORTURE AND ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR  

Witnesses to these arrests and beatings were reported to the Montagnard Foundation and we ask how can UNHCR seriously believe that the Vietnamese government will not also treat the Degar refugees (those forcibly returned to Vietnam from Cambodia ) in the same manner? The Montagnard Foundation also reports that these racist violations committed by Vietnamese authorities are deepening the environment of fear throughout the entire Montagnard population in the Central Highlands.

 

THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION CALLS ON:

• Concerned Embassies in Vietnam and the international community to urgently request Vietnamese authorities to release these 11 prisoners and ensure they receive adequately medical care.
  


• Concerned Embassies in Vietnam and the international community to urgently pressure Vietnam to release all of the estimated 350 Degar Prisoners of conscience from Vietnamese prisons namely the prisoners identified in the Human Rights Watch report of 11 June 2006 . See website: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/14/vietna13542.htm
  


• Concerned Embassies in Vietnam and the international community to continually pursue a permanent humanitarian presence in the Central Highlands to monitor human rights there by UN, international agencies and international NGOs.
  


• The United States Congress to insist that Human Rights are directly linked to the granting of Permanent Normal Trade Relations status with Vietnam.