One stabbed by Security Police & Fate Unknown - 5 Security Police Identified -

On May 20, 2010 Vietnamese security forces arrested 10 Degar Christians from the village of Plei Kret Krot, commune of Ha Ra, district of Mang Yang in Gia Lai province. The security officials interrogated the Christians regarding events that took place on November 30, 2006 where over 400 people had gathered for a peaceful prayer vigil. Security forces wanted to know the details of that event and demanded the villagers sign a document stating they have renounced their religion and would not conduct prayer vigils in public again. When the villagers refused to sign, the security forces became frustrated and began slapping and beating each of them. Below are the names of the Degar Christians who were beaten during the interrogation:

1. A Run, age 41
2. A Ngu, age 41
3. A Dyum, age 43
4. A Jur, age 45
5. A Byum, age 41
6. A Nui, age 45
7. A Blao, age 69
8. Y Jre, female, age 45
9. A Nwung, age 43
10. A Li, age 31

SEVERE INJURIES – A JUR STABBED: Four of the above mentioned victims incurred severe injuries inflicted by the security forces during the interrogations. These victims were beaten, slapped and repeatedly struck with batons. In one of the interrogations, security forces held down A Jur and spread out his arms. The security forces then used a knife and stabbed A Jur on both his hands. The four Christians who were seriously injured are named below.

• A Run, age 41
• A Ngu, age 41
• A Dyum, age 43
• A Jur, age 45 (stabbed with knife and current whereabouts unknown)

A JUR IS STILL MISSING: As of May 20, 2010, A Jur is missing. It is not known whether he has been released, transferred to a prison facility, or worse, possibly dead. The last word of his whereabouts was that he was imprisoned in Mang Yang district.

TORTURERS IDENTIFIED: The names of the security forces are named below and all are from Mang Yang District:

1. Phuong, (Vietnamese)
2. A Pyur, ( Degar)
3. Binh, (Vietnamese)
4. Hieu, (Vietnamese)
5. Chung, (Vietnamese)

THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION URGENTLY CALLS ON:
• Concerned Embassies, US State Department, European Commission, United Nations, Red Cross and other international humanitarian agencies to do everything in their power to ensure that A Jur is released from prison and given urgent medical attention; and also that the hundreds of other Degar prisoners imprisoned in Vietnam are released.

• The US State Department seriously review the continuing religious persecution of house church Christians and place Vietnam back on the ‘Country of Particular Concern’ watch list as recommended by the US International Commission of Religious Freedom.

• The US State Department seriously considers initiating a dialogue between the Degar people and the Vietnamese government in order to peacefully resolve the religious freedom and human rights issues in Vietnam.

The Montagnard Foundation reiterates clearly that our goal is to peacefully co-exist in Vietnam as equal citizens with our human rights and indigenous rights being fully protected.

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