Degar Christian Family Persecuted, Beaten, Robbed, detained, electricity cut off – Husband abducted by Vietnam Security Forces

In the early morning hours of July 14, 2010, seven Vietnamese security forces from Dak Lak province, Krong Buk district and Cu Ne commune entered the village of Buon Drao in civilian clothes. They then arrested our Christian Brother Y-Huong Nie and his wife H’Yer Mlo along with their 9 months old son Y-Wot Mlo and took them to their station in the district of Krong Buk for interrogation.

The names of the security forces are as follows:

• Y- Be is an ethnic Rade from Dak Lak province
• Y-Binh is an ethnic M’nong from Dak Lak province
• K-Tieng is an ethnic Koho from Dak Lak province
• Y-Ding is an ethnic Rade from Krong Buk district
• Y-Sich is an ethnic Rade from Krong Buk district
• Y-Pluh is an ethnic Rade from Cu Ne commune
• Y-Kru is an ethnic Rade from Cu Ne commune
• The name of this ethnic Vietnamese officer is unknown.

Interrogated and Beaten: At their station, the security forces interrogated Y-Huong about his Christian faith, about preaching and communications with Degars living in the US. Y- Huong remained quiet and the police started slapping him on his face. Then the police officer turned to Y- Huong’s wife, H’Yer Mlo stating the following.

Police officer: Why is that you worship God by yourselves and not join the others to worship in the church we built for you?

H’Yer: We can worship God wherever we want because you said we have religious freedom.

Police officer: No, you cannot worship outside of the sanctioned church. If you do, you are worshiping Degar not god.

H’Yer: Degar is not our god it is only the name of our people but our church is Degar Church like your church is the Vietnamese Church. Therefore, we do not worship Degar but instead we worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our Almighty God the Father for our salvation.

The Vietnamese security police became upset and hit the table with their hands. They kept Y-Huong and his family in custody until 4 pm and then they were sent back home to their village.

Detained day after day, robbed and electricity cut off: After July 14, 2010, the security police came to the village and took Y Huong and his family back to their headquarters for the same interrogation and demanded they family to sign a document renouncing Christ. Everyday Y-Huong and his family were brought to the police station, they were detained from 8am to 4pm. Y-Huong and his family were disrupted from their daily activities including harvesting rice, having prayer services, attending their domestic animals and so on. The security police did this for 10 continuous days but still Y Huong refused to sign the document. The security forces also cut off the electricity to their house leaving them the only family in their village without electricity. The security forces also confiscated and destroyed their two cell phones and stole $100,000 VND from them.

Abduction by Security Forces, Dressed in Civilian Clothes: On September 15, 2010, while he was working on his farm, three security police dressed as civilians abducted Y Huong from his farm. One of the security forces was recognized as an ethnic Koho named K’Tieng and the other two ethnic Vietnamese we do not know their identity. Y Huong’s wife went to look for him at the police station in the commune, district and province but police would not give her any information. Family, relatives, and Christian friends fear for the life of Y-Houng Nie as it has been more than two months Y Huong was abducted. To date his whereabouts and physical condition is unknown. We do not know if he is dead or alive.

The Montagnard Foundation 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 Y Huong is released from custody unharmed and his family protected from retaliation by the Vietnamese security forces.

The US State Department seriously review the continuing religious persecution of house church Christians including demanding the release of hundreds of other Degar prisoners held in Vietnam and place Vietnam back on the ‘Country of Particular Concern’ watch list as recommended by the US International Commission of Religious Freedom.

Please pray for Y Huong and his family. The Montagnard Foundation reiterates clearly that our goal is to peacefully co-exist in Vietnam as equal citizens with our human, indigenous rights and religious freedom rights being fully protected.

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