SLOW DEATH FOR DEGAR MONTAGNARD PRISONERS: METHOD: BEATINGS CAUSING INTERNAL ORGAN DAMAGE

BACKGROUND: The indigenous Degar Peoples (known under the French colonial term “Montagnard”) have suffered decades of persecution by the Vietnamese communist government, namely; confiscation of their ancestral lands, Christian religious repression, torture, killings and imprisonment. To date over 350 Degar prisoners remain in Vietnamese prisons for standing up for their human rights, for spreading Christianity or for fleeing to Cambodia. These prisoners continue to suffer abuses and are subjected to torture, including electric shock treatment, beatings as well as being withheld food and medical care. Degar prisoners are also subjected to severe beatings and many have been specifically beaten on their bodies repeatedly in order to deliberately cause them to die slow deaths. A number of prisoners have already died and authorities have attempted to keep their deaths secret.

 

 

Hung Upside down and Electric shock tortured – beaten repeatedly on his body to damage his internal organs:

1- Lat was born in 1964, from the village of Ploi Na-Prong, commune of Cu-A, district of Thanh Pho Ploi Ku, province of Gialai. The Vietnamese security force (cong an) arrested him on July 15, 2002 at around 12 noon for possessing a cell-phone and accused him of sending information to the Montagnard Foundation. The security police took him to the police station (Don # 3). There, the police tied him up and hung him upside down and tortured him by beating him with batons and their fists, kicking him with their military boots, and shocking him with electricity until blood came out of his mouth, eyes, and ears and he completely passed out. After the beating, they sent Lat to the prison facility T-20 for imprisonment. On November 20, 2003 Lat was tried at the local court in the province of Gialai and he was sentenced 7 years to prison. The trumped up charges were: 1. That Lat wanted to overthrow the government of Hanoi and that he wanted to be the province chief of Gialai province
Lat is now imprisoned at the prison facility Trai Ba Sao, in the province of Ha Nam. According to Lat’s family, who reported to us after visiting him on January 9, 2007, Lat has been suffering from internally damaged organs because of the severe torture he has received at the hands of the security police. Lat also reported the police repeatedly beat his body in attempts to damage his internal organs. At the present time, Lat’s wife, as well as others Degar prisoners’ wives, have become sick and have difficulties eating, drinking and sleeping from worry about their imprisoned family members. They keep seeing the disfigurement of their husbands’ face and bodies and believe their husbands will soon die because of the injuries they have sustained and that no medical care has been provided to them.

Not a day goes by without severe Pain – internal organ damage from torture

2- Ksor Rik was born in 1970, from the village of Bong Ngol, commune of An-Phu, district of Thanh Pho Ploi Ku in the province of Gialai. He participated in the peaceful demonstrations of 2001 and the security police arrested him on September 8, 2004. When they arrested him, they tortured him severely by beating, kicking, shocking, and punching him in a calculated way they deliberately aimed at his internal organs and fatal spots in order for him to suffer and die a slow death. At the present time, Ksor Rik is imprisoned at the prison facility Trai Ba Sao. The Vietnamese security forces constantly beat Ksor Rik where he suffered internal damage to his heart, lung, pancreas, and liver. Not a day goes by that Ksor Rik is not in pain. Like every other Degar prisoner wife, Ksor Rik’s wife became sick and cannot eat, drink and sleep because she keeps thinking of her husband. She believes her husband will soon die because of internal pain that he has to endure and there is no medical care that has been provided for him.

3- Ksor Wot was born in 1970, from the village of Ploi Bong Phun, Cu-A commune, Thanh Pho Ploi Ku district, Gialai province. He was arrested and imprisoned on June 14, 2005 for supporting the Montagnard Foundation and participating in the peaceful religious demonstration during in February of 2001. Prior to his arrest, Ksor Wot went into hiding and was captured while hiding out in the Village of Ploi Bong Ngol at the commune of An-Phu. Villagers witnessed the arrest and how the Vietnamese security force severely beat Ksor Wot like he was an animal. Ksor Wot’s family reported that he desperately needs medical attention for internal damage. The damage to his internal organs leaves him crippled at the present time. As of today, Ksor Wot is imprisoned at a prison facility called Trai Ba-Sao in Nam Ha, province of Ha-nam.

Ksor Wot was born in 1970, from the village of Ploi Bong Phun, Cu-A commune, Thanh Pho Ploi Ku district, Gialai province. He was arrested and imprisoned on June 14, 2005 for supporting the Montagnard Foundation and participating in the peaceful religious demonstration during in February of 2001. Prior to his arrest, Ksor Wot went into hiding and was captured while hiding out in the Village of Ploi Bong Ngol at the commune of An-Phu. Villagers witnessed the arrest and how the Vietnamese security force severely beat Ksor Wot like he was an animal. Ksor Wot’s family reported that he desperately needs medical attention for internal damage. The damage to his internal organs leaves him crippled at the present time. As of today, Ksor Wot is imprisoned at a prison facility called Trai Ba-Sao in Nam Ha, province of Ha-nam.

Constant pain and internal injuries due to torture

4. Ksor Poi was born 1962, from the village of Ploi Kueng Grai, commune of Ha Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia-Lai. On February 2, 2001, Ksor Poi joined other Montagnard Christians to protest and ask for the release of their two Christian brothers who were arrested by the Vietnamese security police at that time. On February 6, 2001 at around 2 am, he was arrested and tortured for taking part in this peaceful activity. Ksor Poi stood trial on September 26, 2001 where he was charged with crimes of attempting to overthrow the Hanoi government. As a result, Ksor Poi was sentence to 10 years in jail for crimes he didn’t commit. As of today, he is imprisoned at the prison facility called Trai Ba-Sao in Nam-Ha, province of Ha Nam. In jail, the Vietnamese security forces repeatedly tortured Ksor Poi by beating, kicking and now, according to a report from his family, he suffers from internal complications and daily pain.

Beaten, tortured, crippled on the verge of death

5. Bom (Jona) was born in 1956, from the village of Ploi Kueng Grai, commune of Ha Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia-Lai. Bom was arrested and tortured on February 6, 2001 for participating in the peaceful demonstrations of February 2001. On September 26, 2001 he was tried at a local court in Gialai province and sentenced to 12 years in prison. They charged him with attempting to overthrow the Vietnamese government and trumped up charges of wanting to be province chief of Pleiku province. He is currently imprisoned at the prison facility of Trai Ba-Sao in Nam Ha, province of Ha Nam. In prison, the Vietnamese security forces repeatedly tortured him by beating, kicking, punching and hanging him upside-down until he became unconscious. He can no longer feel or move one of his legs. Bom is in a fragile state mentally and physically. According to his family report, today his body is like a skeleton due to lack of proper nutrition and severe torture.

Electric Shock tortured, face disfigured from torture

6. Ksor Hlun was born in 1968 from the village of Ploi Ring, commune of Ha Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gialai. On April 7, 2004, he was arrested and tortured by security forces who beat, kicked, punched, and shocked him using electric shock – beating him like he was an animal until he passed out several times and then they dragged him around before they finally sent him to prison at T-20 in Pleiku. On January 24, 2005, Ksor Hlun was tried at the communal court of Ha Bau in the district of Dak Doa province of Gialai. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the crimes of:

 

• Participating in the peaceful demonstrations of 2001
• Wanting to establish a Degar country
• Destroying national unity
• Wanting all Vietnamese to leave Central Highlands

Currently he is imprisoned at the prison facility called Trai Ba-Sao in Nam-Ha, province of Ha Nam. In jail, the Vietnamese security force repeatedly tortured Ksor Hlun. According to current reports from his family, he suffers severe pain from internally damaged organs and his face has been horribly disfigured. His wife has had nightmares about the disfigurement of his face and body ever since she went to visit with him in January of 2007.

Crippled from torture and Abuse

7. Ksor Cun was born in 1970 from the village of Ploi Ring, commune of Ha Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gialai. On August 20, 2004, the Security Police (Cong An) arrested, tortured and took him to the prison site T-20 Ploi Ku. While staying in prison, they beat Ksor Cun and on two occasions he passed out. Then on April 24, 2005, they took Ksor Cun to court in Ploi Ku, province of Gia Lai for a trial and he was sentenced 8 years to prison because of his participation in 2001 peaceful demonstrations. He is now imprisoned at the prison facility Trai Ba-Sao in the province of Ha Nam. According to his family, he and many other Degar prisoners at Trai Ba Sao prison facility are now crippled and suffering from damage done to their internal body organs while being tortured by the Vietnamese security police.

 

THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION CALLS ON:

• Concerned Embassies and the international community to urgently investigate details of the treatment of Degar prisoners in Vietnam prison facilities.


• Concerned Embassies and the international community to pursue a permanent humanitarian presence in the Central Highlands by US, UN and international NGOs.
  


• Concerned Embassies and the international community to urgently demand Vietnam release all 350 Degar Prisoners identified in the Human Rights Watch report of 14 June 2006. See: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/14/vietna13542.htm