Subscribe to our Newsletter
Support Our Work
Search

Press Release: UNPO Urges Special Rapporteur To Visit UNPO Members In Vietnam

October 1, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNPO urges the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights to visit the indigenous communities of the Khmer Krom and Degar-Montagnards during her upcoming visit to Vietnam.

Following the announcement of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights’ upcoming visit to Vietnam (18 to 29 November 2013), UNPO highly encourages her to meet with its Khmer Krom and Degar-Montagnard representatives on the ground. Country visits by mandate-holders provide an opportunity to enhance awareness at the country, regional and international levels of the specific issues and concerns under consideration. This is done, inter alia, through meetings, briefings, press coverage of the visit and dissemination of the report. Ms. Shaheed’s visit will focus on the theme of cultural rights in Vietnam.

Both the Degar-Montagnards and the Khmer Krom are illustrative of the situation regarding cultural rights of the indigenous peoples of Vietnam. Because the Khmer Krom are traditionally followers of Khmer Theravada Buddhism and the Degard-Montagnards are chiefly Christian, their religious traditions are not that of the majority of Vietnam, which means they are seen as a threat to the State System by the Vietnamese government. Both groups are facing restrictions or even outright bans on their practicing of their own religious traditions. And besides the violation of their right to freely practice their own religion, the Vietnamese government has also repressed their languages and impeded traditional and cultural education within these groups. Instead of protecting their cultures, the Vietnamese government has tried to break up these traditional communities through forced resettlements and imposed marriages.

It is for these reasons that UNPO strongly urges Ms. Farida Shaheed, in her function as Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and in light of her history as a strong supporter of the rights of marginalized sectors of societies, to visit these communities and to inform the UN community on the grave violations of their cultural rights they have undergone.

The latest report by UNPO on the situation facing the Khmer Krom and Degar-Montagnards can be downloaded from the link in the right column.

 

(Photo by Gender-is-Citizenship.net)

# ,

Related news

Stay updated with the latest news

December 10, 2025

UNPO Highlights the Contributory Role of Unrepresented Peoples and the Need to Respect their Rights in Business-Related Activities

Read More
December 9, 2025

UNPO Calls for Greater Inclusion of Unrepresented Peoples at the 18th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues

Read More
September 25, 2024

Time for Change: Bangladesh’s Interim Leadership Faces Historic Opportunity to Resolve CHT Tensions

Read More
Scroll to Top
Subscribe to our Newsletter

Dr Liam Saddington

Dr. Liam Saddington is a political and environmental geographer focused on the geopolitical impacts of climate change, particularly for small island states and the rising sea levels. His research on the UK’s evolving role in the South Pacific offers key insights into environmental degradation and displacement. He co-developed the Model UNPO, bringing conflict resolution and debates on human rights and environmental justice to UK schools. He serves as the academic advisor for the UNPO Youth Network and contributes to study sessions in partnership with the Council of Europe, contributing his expertise to global advocacy efforts.

Alexandra Gavilano

Alexandra Gavilano is an environmental scientist and climate justice decolonisation and democracy activist. With a focus on environmental protection, democratic decision-making, and personal and collective adaptation, Gavilano brings a wealth of experience in grassroots activism and advocacy to UNPO. As a climate and food justice activist, Gavilano has co-launched initiatives and associations that address social and ecological challenges. Her focus lies on system change for environmental protection, strengthening of democratic decision-making, and personal and collective deep adaptation. She serves as UNPO’s Sustainable Empowerment Campaign advisor.

Prof Francesco Palermo

Francesco Palermo is a professor of comparative constitutional law at the University of Verona and Director of the Institute for Comparative Federalism at Eurac Research in Bolzano/Bozen. He worked for the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and was member and president of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. From 2013 to 2018 he served as a non-party member of the Italian Senate, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU for the term 2018-2023 and Constitutional Adviser to the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Autonomies since 2019. He has authored over 300 publications, including 11 monographs and 36 edited volumes. He serves as UNPO’s Democratic Pluralism advisor.

Dr Tenzin Dorjee

Tenzin Dorjee, also known as Tendor, is a Tibetan writer, activist, and scholar based in New York, specializing in nonviolent resistance and the intersection of religion, politics, and conflict. His work, including the book ‘The Tibetan Nonviolent Struggle’, reflects his deep commitment to human rights and political change. He combines academia and activism, with a strong academic background from Brown and Columbia, he has also led organizations like Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibet Action Institute.

Prof Fiona McConnell

Fiona McConnell is a Professor of Political Geography at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow in Geography at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Her research, which began with a focus on the exiled Tibetan government, now explores governance beyond the state and the articulation of political legitimacy by marginalized communities. Since joining the UNPO in 2012, she has been instrumental in developing the Unrepresented Diplomats Training Program and the Model UNPO, and co-authored influential reports on compromised spaces. As a political geographer, Fiona’s research aims to develop new areas of thinking regarding governance beyond the state, and has been Awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize and the Back Award. Fiona’s work continues to shape the discourse on self-determination and diplomacy.

Dr Michael van Walt van Praag

Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag is a distinguished international lawyer and expert in intra-state conflict resolution, known for his foundational role as the first General Secretary of the UNPO. In addition to his involvement with our organization, Dr. van Walt possesses extensive experience in facilitating peace processes and mediation, having facilitated peace talks throughout the world and lent his expertise as an advisor and consultant to governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in such processes. He currently serves as executive president of Kreddha and is a Senior Fellow at the Sompong Sucharitkul Center. In 2020, he was awarded a knighthood by the King and the Dutch government for his exceptional global contributions to conflict resolution and the rights of oppressed peoples.

Putheany Kim

Putheany Kim, mostly known as Kim, is a dedicated young activist passionate about human rights and environmental justice. Inspired by her father and driven by her aspiration to become a human rights ambassador, Kim has committed herself to promote a more equitable and sustainable future. Her work emphasizes collaboration, as she has built strong alliances with organizations and fellow activists recognising the power of unity in effecting meaningful change.

Senator Paul Strauss

Paul Strauss, is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States shadow senator for the District of Columbia since 1997. As a member of the Democratic Party, he advocated for D.C. statehood and federal representation. Strauss, also a former chairperson of the District’s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and a union organizer, is the principal of the Law Offices of Paul Strauss & Associates, P.C. He has been involved in various local and national political roles, including a significant role in the “51 Stars” campaign for D.C. statehood and international advocacy efforts. He has testified before the U.S. Senate, engaged with international bodies, and is an honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law.

Tammy Breedt

Tammy, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a dedicated politician and activist. She studied at the University of the Free State, where she was a student activist and served on the Student Representative Council. Tammy has been an active member of the Freedom Front Plus since 2006 and served in the Free State Legislature until 2019. After the 2019 General Elections, she became one of the first female Members of Parliament for the party, serving as the National Spokesperson on Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Social Development, Women, and Youth. Currently the Deputy Chairperson of the party in the Free State, Tammy also leads the foreign relations and internationalization committee.

Elisenda Paluzie

Professor Elisenda Paluzie is a prominent economist at the University of Barcelona, where she served as Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business from 2009 to 2017. She holds an MA in in International and Development Economics from Yale University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona. With research experience from the London School of Economics, CERAS-ENPC in Paris, and Kyoto University, her work focuses on regional and urban economics and international trade. She served as President of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) from 2018 to 2022.

Rubina Greenwood

Dr. Rubina Greenwood is a prominent Sindh human rights advocate with more than 20 years of experience raising awareness on the human rights issues affecting the Sindh community in Pakistan. She is the President and founder of the International Sindhi Women’s Origination (ISWO) and President of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC). She has a Phd in Architecture from University of Glasgow and she is currently Director of Network Integration for the Network Rail Consulting.

Mercè Monje Cano

Mercè Monje Cano is a socio-cultural project manager and accomplished human rights advocate with over fifteen years of experience in advocacy, project management and strategic planning. Before her appointment as UNPO Secretary General, she had been serving as the Executive Director and Head of Programmes at the UNPO, where she also acted as the UN Representative. She has managed programmes, led numerous UN advocacy efforts, coordinate various human rights initiatives, and led trainings on advocacy techniques, showcasing her expertise in advancing the rights of minorities, indigenous peoples, and unrepresented groups.

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.