Scott Johnson

Imprisoned Degar Montagnard Christian in Vietnam

Three years ago a Christian woman named Puih Hbat was arrested in Vietnam for the crime of conducting prayer services in her longhouse. Vietnam keeps her locked up and isolated. Shame on Hanoi and shame on the silence about her fate.

How the Grinch stole Christimas

Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2011)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Vietnamese government used the Christmas holiday to crack down on Montagnard believers. Claiming that peaceful Christmas services were a political threat, the Vietnamese government surrounded gatherings and enforced a law making it unlawful for Montagnard Christians to gather.

Cambodian MP statement against the closure of Montagnard refugee camp

Cambodian MP Son Chhay of the Sam Rainsy Party speaks out about deportation of Montagnard Refugees fleeing Vietnam because of religious persecution. NB: this MP won the Order of Australia in June 2010.

Vietnamese security police torture Degar Christian

On September 2, 2010 at approximately 8 am our Christian Brother Siu Phot reported to Vietnamese police from Ia Piar commune. Siu Phot was born in 1979 and from Ploi Robai, village, Ia Piar commune, Phu Thien district in Gia Lai province, Vietnam. Siu Phot was responding to a written summons he had received from the police a day before. When Siu Phot arrived at the police station, 9 security police were waiting for him outside of the building. He recognized 3 of them and their names are as follows:

Praying Is A Crime in Vietnam

On November 11, 2010, hundreds of security police violently attack a Catholic prayer service of 100 Degar Christians at Ploi Kret Krot village, Hra commune, Mang Yang district, at PleiKu city, Gia Lai province, Vietnam. These Degar Catholics had gathered for an open prayer service when security forces arrived telling them to leave.

Degar Christian Prisoner Tortured To Death in Vietnam

A Degar Christian who refused to join government sanctioned church died from torture on September 6, 2009: His name was Ksor Tino age 37, and was from the village of Ploi Breng 3, commune Ia Der, district Ia Grai in Gia Lai province. He was arrested and sent to prison facility T-20 in the city of Plei Ku on May 14th of 2004 because he refused to join the government sanctioned church, the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV). Without proper representation he was tried May 30th of 2004 and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. He was sent to prison facility of Trai Ba Sao in Ha Nam, district of Kim Bang in the province of Ha Nam.

Eighty-year-old Degar woman persecuted in Vietnam

Ms. Ksor H’Ble has been attacked multiple times in the past simply because she is the mother of Mr. Kok Ksor. After the first peaceful and nonviolent protests on February 2nd of 2001, Ms. Ksor H’Ble was arrested and tortured by the Vietnamese security police who broke three of her ribs. Later, during our people’s peaceful and nonviolent protest in 2004, Ms. Ksor H’Ble was again arrested and tortured in front of an eyewitness who is now living in Canada. According to the witness, security police shot Ms. Ksor H’Ble with an electrical gun, knocked her down and took her by her hair and pulled her around a nearby paddy field. Two of her sons saw the incident and were able to prevent the security guards from murdering her at that time.

Degar Christian, Y-Kap Ayun, died in Prison from torture

DIED IN AUGUST 2010 Two years ago, on April 12th, 2008, the Vietnamese security police from the province of Dak Lak, the district of Krong Pach and the communal village of Ea Knuec arrested our Christian Brother, Y-Kap Ayun. They were dressed in civilian clothes and one of the security officers was identified as K’Tieng (Koho ethnic). Y-Kap Ayun was arrested and sent to the prison facility Dai Phat Thanh in Buonmathuot City.

The continuation of the “Military wipe out Operation” III against Degar Christians in the central hi

On 22 August of 2010 the Vietnamese government launched a large scale of military operations involving thousands of armed soldiers, riot police, security police and local police to participate what they called “tieu quet” which means (wipe out) Degar Christians who do not join the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN).

Burma’s Nuclear Mystery

Allegations of Burma's nuclear ambitions hit the newswires on June 3rd with a report by a former U.N. nuclear expert claiming the military regime is seeking to develop an atomic bomb.

Murdered Pastor’s Widow Could Lose Children

Washington, D.C. (May 24, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has been informed that the widow of a murdered Vietnamese Christian was taken to a police station and told she must sign documents giving her children to the state.

Montagnard Christian Prisoner Tortured to Death by Vietnamese Officials

His last words described how he endured daily torture sessions and how he was kept in isolation from other prisoners and international monitors. March 11, 2010 another Montagnard Christian named K’pa Lot died from torture and abuse in a Vietnamese prison. Security officials have long hid the abuse and attempted to cover-up the circumstances surrounding his death. K’pa Lot was born in 1979 and was from the village of Plei Thoh, commune Nhan Hoa, Cu Se district in Gia Lai province. He was arrested on May 20th, 2007 and imprisoned in Phu Yen province for publicly supporting religious freedom.

KNU Statement Requesting UN SG to Call on SPDC to Stop Attacks against Karen Civilians

While we, the Karen National Union (KNU), welcome UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's expression of concern regarding new attacks on the Karen people, we do not believe that this alone is an adequate response to the current crisis.

Vietnamese Police Abduct Another Degar Montagnard Christian

On 26 January 2010 two Vietnamese government security police handcuffed and abducted a Degar Montagnard Christian named Ksor Ju (age 37) for unknown reasons and took him away to an unknown prison. The security police had tied him to their motorcycle and dragged him away while his teenage daughter watched in horror. The same day approximately 30 security police searched and ransacked his house and threatened his family.

Vietnam’s Covert War Against Overseas Buddhists

In Vietnam hundreds of monks undergo re-education to infiltrate overseas temples with the aim to destroy the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam

Vietnam: Repression Intensifies Prior to Party Congress

See HRW article below. Nothing changes in Vietnam. Nor in Laos, Cambodia or Burma. These authoritarian regimes continues to do anything to repress its people in order in maintain a corrupt and brutal regime. And can you beleive that hundreds of Montagnards remain in Vietnam's prisons and the US State Department doesnt want to include these people as prisoners of concern?? (ie: not enough evidence of religious persecution)

Vietnam Burned Montagnard Christian Church and Four Christians Need Urgent Protection

URGENT APPEAL Vietnamese Authorities Burned Down Christian Church and Four Degar Montagnard Christians Urgently Need International Protection

A Testament of Betrayal: Vietnam’s House Church Christians

The US State Department’s October 2009 report on Vietnam’s religious freedom sheds little light on the realities facing America’s former allies, the Montagnards. In fact the report stands out as a testament of betrayal. Puih Hbat for example is a Christian woman who was arrested by Vietnamese authorities in 2008 for the “crime” of conducting unauthorized prayer services. She is from the indigenous Montagnard ethnic group (a people also referred to as hill tribes or Degar people) who reside in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and also a mother of four children.