Curent Update of The Situation In Central Highland

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

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 they were sprayed with tear gas. Many of them were seriously hurt.
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.
The participants from the district of Ayun Pa, province of Gia Lai were 6,849.
The participants from the district of Krong Pa, province of Gia Lai were 7,000.
The participants from the district of Song Huynh, province of Gia Lai were 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 DAK LAK.

DISTRICT OF BUONMATHUOT

From the village of Buon Kdun 562 participants.
From the village of Buon Dung 145 participants.
From the village of Buon Dha Prong 1,227 participants.
From the village of Buon Ko Mleo 780 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Bong 550 participants.

Sub total: 2,964 participants

DISTRICT OF BUON DON

From the village of Buon Ea Mdhar 847 participants.
From the village of Buon Drec 365 participants.
From the village of Buon Don 368 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Mar 443 participants.
From the village of Buon Tri 600 participants.
From the village of Buon Jong Lan 256 participants.
From the village of Buon Drang Pok 252 participants.
From the village of Buon Nieng 1,420 participants.

Sub total: 4,551 participants

DISTRICT OF KRONG ANA

From the village of Buon Ea Khit 3,900 participants.
From the village of Buon Ko Emong 1,780 participants.
From the village of Buon Hma 291 participants.
From the village of Buon Ko 392 participants.
From the village of Buon Cuoi 400 participants.
From the village of Buon Ebung 995 participants.
From the village of Buon Dham 471 participants.
From the village of Buon Kbu 8000 participants.
From the village of Buon Knir700 participants.
From the village of Buon Ega 748 participants.
From the village of Buon Kniet 800 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Tieu 1,567 participants.
From the village of Buon Mblot 700 participants.
From the village of Buon Krang 620 participants.
From the village of Buon Rung 233 participants.
From the village of Buon Trap 860 participants.
From the village of Buon Cuah 363 participants.
From the village of Buon Nac 230 participants.
From the village of Buon Krue 250 participants.
From the village of Buon Dur Knam 2,275 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Krong 183 participants.
From the village of Buon Kman 1,960 participants.
From the village of Buon Ecam 1000 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Kao 744 participants.

Sub total: 29,229 participants

DISTRICT OF CU MGAR

From the village of Buon Sut Mdrang 949 participants.
From the village of Buon Sut Mdung 779 participants.
From the village of Buon Sut Hluot 500 participants.
From the village of Buon Lang 1,200 participants.
From the village of Buon Cuor Hdang A&B 2,912 Participants.
From the village of Buon Krua 650 participants.
From the village of Buon Dhung 158 participants.
From the village of Buon Drang 180 participants.
From the village of Buon Trap 1,200 participants.
From the village of Buon Jok 800 participants.
From the village of Buon Ya Wuam 900 participants.
From the village of Buon Wing 1,800 participants.
From the village of Ea Doh 200 participants.
From the village of Buon Mlang 1000 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea K'Kieng 200 participants.
From the village of Buon Dreai Si 120 participants.
From the village of Buon Tong 100 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Sang 1000 participants.
From the village of Buon Dhung 1,250 participants.
From the village of Buon Huk Kna 2000 participants.
From the village of Buon Poc 3,950 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Sut 1,204 participants.
From the village of Buon Emap A&B 3,764 participants.
From the village of Buon Nie Ea Sah 2,030 participants.
From the village of Buon Tu 686 participants.
From the village of Buon Knia 560 participants.
From the village of Buon Drao 1,800 participants.

Sub total: 31,892 participants

DISTRICT OF CU JUT

From the village of Buon Tuor 547 participants.
From the village of Buon Nui 850 participants.
From the village of Buon U 1,400 participants.
From the village of Buon Buor 550 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Po 360 participants.
From the village of Buon Kana 100 participants.

Sub total: 3,807 participants

DISTRICT OF KRONG PAC

From the village of Buon Kreh A&B 1,174 participants.
From the village of Buon Pu 820 participants.
From the village of Buon Kan A 597 participants.
From the village of Buon Ea Naih 527 participants.

Sub total: 3,118 participants

DISTRICT OF KRONG KNO

From the village of Buon Kruoi 123 participants.
From the village of Buon Leng Yok 353 participants.
From the village of Buon Al 500 participants.
From the village of Buon Nam Nong 41 participants.
From the village of Buon Kap 500 participants.

Sub total: 1,517 participants

DISTRICT OF LAK THIEN

From the village of Buon Biap 1,083 participants.
From the village of Buon Dong Bak 740 participants.
From the village of Buon Yok Don 670 participants.
From the village of Buon Dong Gul 181 participants.
From the village of Buon Dong Yang 586 participants.
From the village of Buon Nam Pa 309 participants.
From the village of Buon Bhok 659 participants.
From the village of BuonCuor 520 participants.
From the village of Buon Pak 822 participants.
From the village of Buon Nrung 593 participants.
From the village of Buon Plao Sieng 869 participations

Sub total: 7,032 participants

DISTRICT OF DAK MIL

From the village of Buon Jun Yuh 3,500 participants.

Sub total: 3,500

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 were more people in the villages who did not commit themselves openly but in 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 Gia Lai 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:

The Vietnamese government's soldiers and police shot with firearms our unarmed, peaceful and non-violent demonstrators.
The Vietnamese government's soldiers and police (unprovoked) used chemical sprays on our people.
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.
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.
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 old 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.

This report will be updated as the information is received.