During the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus the President of the Montagnard Foundation issued a statement underlining the persecution suffered by the Montagnards.
Below is a statement delivered by Kok Ksor President of the Montagnard Foundation at the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus on 14 September 2006 in Washington DC.
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 September 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 and the Montagnard population inside Vietnam continues to suffer brutal repression. The Following statement was delivered by Kok Ksor President of the Montagnard Foundation at the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus on 14 September 2006 in Washington DC.
The Honorable Members of Congress, ladies and gentlemen:
First of all, I would like to thank the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for this opportunity to speak before you today on behalf of Degar people inside the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
While negotiations between the United States and Vietnam are underway, the Vietnamese government continues to persecute the Montagnard Degar people.
On August 30, 2006 our Christian Brother, Thup, died in Trai Ba Sao prison in Ha Nam province due to severe torture.
On July 13, 2006 our Christian Brother, Y-Ngo Adrong, was tortured to death in the police interrogation room at Ea Hleo district, Daklak province.
On December 30, 2005 our Christian Brother, Khon, was released from prison because he was suffering severe brain damage from being brutally tortured and painfully died on May 31, 2006 at his home.
In the month of July and August of 2006, 23 of our House Church Christian Brothers have been arrested, tortured and sent to prison. The list goes on and on….
After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 the communist government of Vietnam enacted a brutal revenge against Degar people by executing our leaders and imprisoning thousands of our people. Today persecution by the government of Vietnam involves confiscation of our ancestral lands, Christian religious repression, torture, killings, discrimination and unjust imprisonment. As I speak now over 350 of our people still remain in Vietnam’s brutal prisons for speaking out against the government, for spreading Christianity or for fleeing to Cambodia.
Today as the Vietnamese government is trying to expand relations, become a partner in trade and strategic ally of the United States, there is no reason for the Vietnamese government to consider Degar people as its number one enemy either because of our past support to the US Armed Forces or because of our adoption of Christianity that initially came to our homelands from the United States.
We, the Montagnard Foundation states clearly however, that we are not against Vietnam/United States relations and we do not oppose Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status or Vietnam’s accession to the WTO. We do pray however that the US business community and US government will do what it can to remember the sacrifice our people made during the war.
The Degar people have always looked to America for help because we believe there is no nation in this world who knows our people better than the United States. In conclusion we pray that the United States can help facilitate a meaningful, lasting and peaceful solution to the issues facing not only our race of people but for all the citizens of Vietnam.
