MONTAGNARD DEGAR CHRISTIAN DIES IN INTERROGATION ROOM ON 13 JULY 2006 AFTER QUESTIONING AND TORTURE ABOUT HOUSE CHURCH ACTIVITIES

BACKGROUND: The indigenous Montagnard Degar Peoples have suffered decades of persecution by the government of Vietnam , namely; confiscation of their ancestral lands, Christian religious repression, torture, killings and imprisonment. In July 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 merely standing up for human rights, for spreading Christianity or for fleeing to Cambodia . In July 2006 repression is continuing as Vietnamese police and security forces step up arrests, torture and even killings of Montagnards.

 

DEGAR MONTAGNARD KILLED IN CUSTODY ON 13 JULY 2006 :

A Montagnard Degar Christian named Y Ngo Adrong (left) age 49 from Dak Lak Province was tortured to death in the police interrogation room at Ea H'Leo District, Dak Lak Province. Details of his death are: Y Ngo Adrong was summoned by police to attend the police station at Ea Hleo district on 13 July 2006 for interrogation about his Christian house church activities. He attended the police station at 7:30 am on this date of 13 July 2006 . At (approx) 11am the police from Ea Hleo district went to Y Ngo Adrong's village of Buon Le and told his family that he had hung himself at the police station. On 14 July 2006 his body was transferred to the morgue, where one of his relatives brought his body to the village of Buon Blec , the village of his birth.

 

POLICE PREVENTED RELATIVES FROM INSPECTING THE BODY AND KEPT FUNERAL UNDER SURVEILLANCE:

Dozens of police surrounded the village, preventing nearby villagers from attending the funeral. The police also prevented his family from inspecting his body and refused to allow his family to remove his clothing. Family members wanted to see his wounds but police refused to permit relatives to get near the body and kept close watch over the funeral. The police gave his family 15 million Vietnamese dong in compensation and admitted they were wrong in causing his death. The police refused however, to provide details of what happened in the interrogation room. The family, wife and children of Y Ngo Adrong however, suffer great emotional pain. Y Ngo Adrong was born in 1957 at Buon Blec village, but at the time of his arrest was living in his wife's village of Buon Le .

 

THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION CALLS ON:

• Concerned Embassies in Vietnam and international community to urgently investigate details of Y Ngo Adrong's death and impress upon Vietnam to bring to justice those responsible.
  


• Concerned Embassies in Vietnam and international community to urgently demand Vietnam to release all 350 Degar Prisoners of conscience identified in the Human Rights Watch report of 14 June 2006 before more of them die. For a list of prisoners see website: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/14/vietna13542.htm
  


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


• The United States Congress to insist that human rights conditions are directly linked to the United States granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations status to Vietnam.