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REPORT ON THE (MONTAGNARD) DEGAR PEOPLE WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THE PEACEFUL EASTER DEMONSTRATION IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF
VIETNAM ON APRIL 10, 2004
OVER 100,000 PARTICIPANTS AND HUNDREDS OF CASUALTIES INFLICTED IN
THE CRACKDOWN BY VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES
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On 10 April 2004 over 100,000 of our people staged peaceful prayer services in
Vietnam’s Central Highlands demanding an end to religious persecution and an end
to the confiscation of our ancestral lands. The demonstration was also
specifically calling for urgent international intervention to stop the constant
arrests, electric shock torture, beatings, imprisonment and killings of our
people and namely that international monitors be granted access to the region as
recommended by the UN Human Rights Commission of 2002. The last three years has
seen constant military operations and police repression by Vietnamese
authorities that our people inside Vietnam state they can no longer endure.
This report documents the numbers of participants and summary of the methods use
by the Vietnamese government to suppress the peaceful demonstration. We
emphasize that in no manner whatsoever were these demonstrations conducted other
than using peaceful methods involving Christian and Gandhian principals of
non-violence.
THE (MONTAGNARD) DEGAR PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE DEMONSTRATION IN GIA
LAI PROVINCE
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From the commune of
A-Dok, district of Dak Doa Province of Gia Lai there were 4,000 Degar villagers
who participated the peaceful demonstration. Many of them suffered from beatings
by Vietnamese security forces.
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From the commune of
Go-Lar, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai there were 5,000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. Many of them suffered
from beatings by Vietnamese security forces.
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From the commune of
Ia Pet, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai there were 2,000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. Many of them suffered
from beatings by Vietnamese security forces.
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From the commune of
Ia Der, district of Ia Grai, province of Gia Lai there were 200 Degar villagers
who participated the peaceful demonstration. Many of them suffered from beatings
by Vietnamese security forces.
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From the commune of
Ia Tiem, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai there were 6000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators were
severely beaten by soldiers mixed with police and Vietnamese civilians and then
they were sprayed with some kind of chemical that destroyed their clothes (which
make them become naked). Many of them were seriously injured.
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From the commune of
Bo Ngong, district of Cu Se, province of Gia Lai there were 3,000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators were
severely beaten by soldiers mixed with police and Vietnamese civilians and were
also sprayed with some kind of chemical that destroyed their clothes (which make
them become naked). Many of them also were reported seriously hurt.
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From the commune of
Ia Bang, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai there were 4,000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators were
severely beaten by soldiers mixed with police and Vietnamese civilians and then
sprayed with tear gas. Many of them were seriously hurt.
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From the commune of
Ha Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai there were 1,000 Degar
villagers who participated the peaceful demonstration. The Vietnamese
paramilitary police open fire at them with firearms and killed at least one of
our people. His name is Ksor Hnun (age 18) from the village of Plei Ring,
commune of H Bau, district of Dak Doa, province of Gia Lai and TRP # 159. Not
all of the demonstrators above went to the city of Pleiku for the demonstration
but instead they demonstrated at their communal villages.
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The participants
from the district of Ayun Pa, province of Gia Lai is 6,849.
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The participants
from the district of Krong Pa, province of Gia Lai is 7,000.
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The participants
from the district of Song Huynh, province of Gia Lai is 6,000.
The total participants for Gia Lai province is 44,049 participants
THE (MONTAGNARD) DEGAR PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE DEMONSTRATION IN THE
PROVINCE OF DAKLAK.
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DISTRICT OF BUONMATHUOT
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From the village of Buon Kdun 562
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dung 145
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dha Prong 1,227
participants
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From the village of Buon Ko Mleo 780
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Bong 550
participants.
Sub total: 2,964 participants
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DISTRICT OF BUON DON
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From the village of Buon Ea Mdhar 847
participants.
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From the village of Buon Drec 365
participants.
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From the village of Buon Don 368 participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Mar 443
participants.
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From the village of Buon Tri 600 participants.
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From the village of Buon Jong Lan 256
participants.
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From the village of Buon Drang Pok 252
participants.
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From the village of Buon Nieng 1,420
participants.
Sub total: 4,551 participants
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DISTRICT OF KRONG ANA
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From the village of Buon Ea Khit 3,900
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ko Emong 1,780
participants.
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From the village of Buon Hma 291 participants.
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From the village of Buon Ko 392 participants.
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From the village of Buon Cuoi 400
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ebung 995
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dham 471
participants.
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From the village of Buon Kbu 8000
participants.
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From the village of Buon Knir700 participants.
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From the village of Buon Ega 748 participants.
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From the village of Buon Kniet 800
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Tieu 1,567
participants.
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From the village of Buon Mblot 700
participants.
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From the village of Buon Krang 620
participants.
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From the village of Buon Rung 233
participants.
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From the village of Buon Trap 860
participants.
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From the village of Buon Cuah 363
participants.
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From the village of Buon Nac 230 participants.
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From the village of Buon Krue 250
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dur Knam 2,275
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Krong 183
participants.
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From the village of Buon Kman 1,960
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ecam 1000
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Kao 744
participants.
Sub total: 29,229 participants
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DISTRICT OF CU MGAR
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From the village of Buon Sut Mdrang 949
participants.
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From the village of Buon Sut Mdung 779
participants.
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From the village of Buon Sut Hluot 500
participants.
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From the village of Buon Lang 1,200
participants.
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From the village of Buon Cuor Hdang A&B 2,912
Participants.
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From the village of Buon Krua 650
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dhung 158
participants.
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From the village of Buon Drang 180
participants.
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From the village of Buon Trap 1,200
participants.
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From the village of Buon Jok 800 participants.
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From the village of Buon Ya Wuam 900
participants.
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From the village of Buon Wing 1,800
participants.
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From the village of Ea Doh 200 participants.
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From the village of Buon Mlang 1000
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea K’Kieng 200
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dreai Si 120
participants.
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From the village of Buon Tong 100
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Sang 1000
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dhung 1,250
participants.
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From the village of Buon Huk Kna 2000
participants.
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From the village of Buon Poc 3,950
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Sut 1,204
participants.
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From the village of Buon Emap A&B 3,764
participants.
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From the village of Buon Nie Ea Sah 2,030
participants.
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From the village of Buon Tu 686 participants.
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From the village of Buon Knia 560
participants.
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From the village of Buon Drao 1,800
participants.
Sub total: 31,892 participants
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DISTRICT OF CU JUT
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From the village of Buon Tuor 547
participants.
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From the village of Buon Nui 850 participants.
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From the village of Buon U 1,400 participants.
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From the village of Buon Buor 550
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Po 360
participants.
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From the village of Buon Kana 100
participants.
Sub total: 3,807 participants
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DISTRICT OF KRONG PAC
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From the village of Buon Kreh A&B 1,174
participants.
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From the village of Buon Pu 820 participants.
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From the village of Buon Kan A 597
participants.
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From the village of Buon Ea Naih 527
participants.
Sub total: 3,118 participants
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DISTRICT OF KRONG KNO
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From the village of Buon Kruoi 123
participants.
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From the village of Buon Leng Yok 353
participants.
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From the village of Buon Al 500 participants.
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From the village of Buon Nam Nong 41
participants.
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From the village of Buon Kap 500 participants.
Sub total: 1,517 participants
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DISTRICT OF LAK THIEN
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From the village of Buon Biap 1,083
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dong Bak 740
participants.
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From the village of Buon Yok Don 670
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dong Gul 181
participants.
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From the village of Buon Dong Yang 586
participants.
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From the village of Buon Nam Pa 309
participants.
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From the village of Buon Bhok 659
participants.
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From the village of BuonCuor 520 participants.
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From the village of Buon Pak 822 participants.
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From the village of Buon Nrung 593
participants.
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From the village of Buon Plao Sieng 869
participations
Sub total: 7,032 participants
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DISTRICT OF DAK MIL
Sub total: 3,500 participants
GRAND TOTAL : 131,659 PARTICIPANTS
COMMENTARY: The participants listed above however, are
only the people who had openly committed themselves to take the consequences of
the demonstration. Many of those who participated were afraid of being targeted
by the authorities and it is reported to us that there was more people in the
villages who did not commit themselves openly but if fact participated in the
demonstration. Villages in the other districts such as district of Buon Ea Sup,
district of Krong Buk, district of Ea Hleo, district of Krong Hnang, district of
Ea Kar, district of Mdrak, and district of Krong Bong had most of their
populations participating in the peaceful demonstration. In addition, we do not
have the exact numbers of Degars who participated in the demonstration in Phuoc
Long and Lam Dong Province because we lost communication with them. Therefore,
we estimate the total participants in this Easter Peaceful Demonstration to be
approximately 200,000 Christian Montagnards. Our people did not suffer as many
casualties in GiaLai province as they did in Dak Lak province because they did
not have a chance to actually enter the province capital city of Pleiku. They
were stopped at the communal villages by police and soldiers. However, reports
from Daklak province indicate many thousands of our people entered the province
capital city of Daklak province and it is here where many assaults upon our
people occurred.
It is estimated 400 were killed
Many of our old people, women, children and some pregnant women
were killed on the street of Pham Chu Trinh and the street of Tran Thi Don in
the city of Buonmathuot. One of our women with the group that was attacked by
the Vietnamese soldiers, police and Vietnamese civilians, reported to us that
she saw many of our people killed. She gave us as an estimate that approximately
400 Degar Montagnards were killed on April 10. One of the Degar students from
the nearby boarding school saw the soldiers picking up dead bodies on the street
of Tran Thi Don and loading them onto trucks. He could not give precise numbers
but said there were many perhaps dozens.
SUMMARY OF THE METHODS USED BY THE VIETNAMESE POLICE AND
MILITARY TO SUPPRESS THE DEMONSTRATION:
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The Vietnamese government’s soldiers and
police shot with firearms our unarmed, peaceful and non-violent demonstrators.
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The Vietnamese government’s soldiers and
police (unprovoked) used chemical sprays on our people.
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The Vietnamese police dressed up as civilians
to encourage and lead the Vietnamese civilians to attack and kill our
demonstrators with sticks, knives and rocks.
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The Vietnamese police also released from
prison Vietnamese criminals and gave them machetes in order to cut off the heads
of some of our demonstrators. After they had done this they took the prisoners
back to their prison cells.
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The Vietnamese police and soldiers allowed
civilians to go into our villages and destroy our houses and attack our
defenseless women and children. After they killed many villagers the civilians
threw some of the bodies in the rivers and village wells.
CONCLUDING
REMARKS: All
of the information above, we received directly from the Central Highlands by
talking with our contacts inside the Central Highlands. Some of these contacts
are relatives of our people who reside in the United States. Unless urgent
action is taken we fear there will be more bloodshed against our people as well
as a looming humanitarian crisis occurring in the border of Cambodia as it is
now reported that hundreds if not thousands of our people are being hunted down
on the Cambodian border by Vietnamese police who are trying to prevent them from
escaping as refuges.
The depth of repression against Christians and activists in
Vietnam can be seen in the eyes of a 5-year boy who escaped Vietnam two years
ago. He was forced to watch his father being tortured by Vietnamese authorities
because his father was a Christian who tried fleeing Vietnam. This 5-year old
boy was then dumped in the jungles to die by Vietnamese authorities. He survived
by a miracle. His name is Huu and while he is safe now in the United States with
us, his father is still in Nam Ha Prison in Vietnam. The sad story of his family
and picture can be read at
www.montagnard-foundation.org and concerned organizations can contact us to
interview his family if desired.
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