Dear Minister,

We urgently address to you in connection with shocking news coming these Easter days from Vietnam.

On Saturday, April 10, in Vietnam's Central Highlands, about 150 thousand representatives of the Montagnards people (an ethnic minority in Vietnam professing protestantism) gathered to carry out a nonviolent demonstration in the form of the collective pray, protesting against policies of the Communist government of Vietnam which violates their right to freedom of conscience. As the human rights organization Montagnard Foundation informs, as a result of brutal violence applied this day to peace demonstrators by the police and military, at least 400 person were killed, thousands were wounded and arrested, their further destiny is unknown. The government of Vietnam strictly isolated the Central Highlands area from visits of any foreign journalists or observers.

The Communist regime of Vietnam which at one time came to power with the direct participation of the Soviet Union and the CPSU, today continues, strangely enough, to remain one of sponsored allies and partners of the new, democratic Russia. The issue of mass and systematic violations of human rights in Vietnam, as far as we can judge from its full absence in the Russian press, isn't included into the agenda of the Russian foreign policy too.

In this connection we address to you with the request to inform us whether the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia is aware of the unprecedented events that occurred last weekend in Vietnam and testify not just to the total violation of the rights of one of ethnic and confessional minorities in Vietnam, but - alas - to the genocide practically carried out by the Vietnamese authorities in respect of the Montagnards people? What measures do the Russian Federation and the diplomatic department intend to take in respect of its Asian ally?

We urgently call you, Mr. Minister, to pay attention to the events which already compelled the most intense attention of the leaders of the European Union and its Member States.

Nikolaj Khramov,
Secretary of the movement "Russian Radicals"

Alexander Podrabinek,
Director of the PRIMA news agency for human rights

Elena Bonner,
President of the Andrey Sakharov Foundation

Yuri Dzhibladze,
President of the Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights