Human Rights Watch in its 14 April 2004 report on the crisis stated: "The human rights situation for Montagnards in the Central Highlands has plummeted to a new low," said Brad Adams, executive director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. "Vietnam's policy of repression of Montagnard Christians is only fueling the unrest."

Independent reports estimate that the number of victims needs to be put in the hundreds and that mass graves are being dug in secret places. At the same time, the ethnic cleansing campaign is now targeting women and children, who are denied food and forced to live in a region that is not only under martial law but that is also being poisoned in some areas to force migration.

The following report has been compiled on April 14, 2004, by the U.S.-based Montagnard Foundation Inc. and is based on information received directly via phone in conversations with people in the Central Highlands. On the basis of the figures gathered by MFI, there is an immediate need for action to document with photographic evidence taken from satellites the instances presented below, as the dimensions of the repression are becoming of extraordinary proportions and international concern according to the Geneva conventions on genocide.
DAKLAK PROVINCE

On April 10, 2004 according to the eyewitnesses, Y-Nging Nie, who went into the city of Buonmathuot with the group of demonstration and saw a large group of Vietnamese soldiers mixed with police, Vietnamese civilians, students and criminal prisoners (released by the police) who attacked the crowd with rifles, machetes, knives, rocks, stones whatever they can have at that time. First, the soldiers and police fired tear gas and electric guns into the crowd to weaken them. He saw 6 people from his village that were murdered in front of his eyes on the street of Pham Chu Trinh. Their names are:

1. Y-Rit Nie, age 31, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

2. Y-Nguoi Adrong, age 22, from village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, Province of Daklak.

3. Y-Hrah Kbuor, age 20, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

4. Y-Rung Kbuor, age 25, from the village of Buon Poc, distrtict Cu Mgar, province of Dak lak.

5. Y-Phuom Eban, age 16, from the village of Buon poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Dak lak.

6. Y-To Ayun, (age unknown) from village Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Dak lak.

The following are some of the names of people who have been reported as missing:

1. Y-Piet Nie, age 29, from the village of Buon Jung, district of Krong Pac, province of Daklak.

2. Y-Gum Nie, (age unknown), from village of Buon Jung, district of Krong Pac, province of Daklak.

3. Y-Nut Nie, age 40, from the village of Buon Ecam, district of Krong Ana, province of Daklak.

4. Y-Mut Nie, age 31, from the village of Buon Ea Sang, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

5. Y-Jen Hwing, age 32, from the village of Buon Nie, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

6. Y-Lo Nie, age 22, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

7. Y-Thien, (age unknown), from the village ofBuon Emap, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

8. Y-Yoh Hwing, age 22, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

9. Y-Dung Hwing, age 19, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

10. Y-Ku Nie, age 20, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

11. Y-Khat nie, age 23, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

12. Y-Bo Nie, age 18, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

13. Y-Dhin Buon Ya, age 16, from village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of DakLak.

14. Y-Then Hwing, age 22, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of DakLak.

15. Y-Bhieo Hwing, age 32, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of Daklak.

16. Y-Luen Nie, age 37, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, province of DakLak.

17. H'minh Ksor, age21, from the village of Buon Mgru, district of Cu Mgar, province of Dak Lak.

18. H'Ruc ksor, age 16, from the village of Buon Mgru, district of Cu Mgar, province of DakLak.

19. H'Bhil Nie, age 32, from the village of Buon Poc, district of Cu Mgar, provinve of Daklak.

20. Y-Nai Kbuor, age 28, from the village Buon Cuor knia, district of Buon Don, province Dak lak.

21. Y-Liem Hmok, (age u/k), from village Buon Cuor Knia, district Buon Don, province Daklak.

Another eyewitness, a Degar student from a boarding school walking home on April 11, 2004, reported that the Vietnamese soldiers cleared up the dead bodies on the street by using bulldozers and pilled them up on the side of the street. There were many bodies and some had no cloths on; they were men, women and children. It was also reported to us by other villagers that many trucks were carrying dead bodies out of the city to be eventually picked up by helicopters. Nobody knows where the government was taking the dead bodies and where they will be buried or dumped. Local authorities as well as Vietnamese civilians have threatened to exterminate all the Montagnards before they leave the Central Highlands. The situation is a humanitarian crisis and unless international action is taken many more Montagnards will suffer and die. Some of the current human rights abuses include the following:

- The government locked up in the hospital all the Degars who have been seriously injured with broken legs, arms and heads, doctors refuse to treat them. Their life is in danger.

- In Daklak province, especially, some of the Vietnamese who have been in the Central Highlands since 1957, said that they saw 4 government big trucks driving into Degar villages close by and arresting many Degar villagers taking them away. Their life is in danger.

- Since the demonstrations happened, Vietnamese settlers in the Central Highlands have forced their way into Degar villages murdering indigenous people, while they were asleep, throwing their bodies in the rivers nearby. These events took place in the district of Cu Jut and district of Dak Mil in the province of Daklak.

- Government representatives and Vietnamese civilians refused to sell food to our people worsening the situation for thousands of people who might die of starvation.

- There are reports of Vietnamese government and civilians poisoning the food that is available and the water sources in the region. Furthermore, It has been reported that some people have died because of the poisoning.

Source: Montagnard Foundation