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.

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While in prison, Ksor Tino became a spiritual leader to the many Degar prisoners as he was a dedicated Christian who consoled prisoners with spiritual guidance, talking about the Lord and encouraging those who had lost hope. He led prayers for those prisoners who were sick. Most of the Degar prisoners looked up to him as an older brother and they became closer to one another giving often praying together like they were in one family. Other prisoners told their families that Ksor Tino helped them endure their time in prison. They said the Degar prisoners learned to commit their lives into the hand of our Lord God Almighty and began to look at their lives which they will have in heaven is far more important than their lives here on earth. The Holy Spirit lifted their spirit up which cause them to be joyful for being in prison and have hope one day they will see the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This joy and hope make the prisoners forget the suffering they endured in prison.

Torture: Vietnam Authorities Try To Break His Will

The security police found out that Ksor Tino was providing spiritual guidance to these prisoners and so decided to break his will. They were angry that the Degar prisoners cared and loved each other. At around 8 O’clock in the evening on August 22, 2008, the security police took Ksor Tino to their office and they began shocking him with their electric prods, punching, kicking and stomping him with their boots. He was electric shock tortured many times and the authorities kept him in isolation from the other prisoners and he was tortured over a long period of time. On September 5, 2009, at around 7 am in the morning, the time that all the prisoners went out to work in the field, Ksor Tino was breathing his last breath and cried out so strongly and said:

“My dear brothers, my eyes are blind and I am about to leave you all. So please come and shake my hand before I go.”

One of the prisoners heard the voice and ran toward it and he found Ksor Tino lying on a table crying out in great pain. Ksor Tino told the prisoner who was there: “I have a terrible pain for my head has been cracked and my ribs have been broken from the severe torture that I had received from the hands of security police. So, please tell my wife and kids that I have suffered because I love them, because I love my Lord God, because I love my land, because I love my people, because I love freedom. Now I am going to freedom where the Vietnamese government cannot get me anymore.” After that, the security police ran over and pulled the prisoner who was with Tino in the room by the hand and pushed him out of the room and took Ksor Tino to the hospital. Vietnam Officials Announce Death on 6 September 2009 In the morning of September 6, 2009 the security police announced the death of Ksor Tino to all of the prisoners at the prison facility of Ba Sao in Ha Nam. On September 7, 2009, the security police informed the family of Ksor Tino about his death. Tino’s wife and mother went to the prison to claim his body so that they can have a decent burial but the security police refused. The Vietnamese security police told them

“Ksor Tino has not yet finished his prison term so we must hold his bones here until his prison term is completed then you can come and pick up his bones.”

This story demonstrates the hatred the Vietnamese communist government has for our people, however, we cannot hate our enemies. We ask that you join us in praying for Ksor Tino and his family and for the Vietnamese government to show mercy on our hundreds of other prisoners. We also call on concerned Embassies, US State Department, European Commission, United Nations, Red Cross and international community to do everything in their power to bring Vietnam to reach some dialogue in resolving the persecution against our people. In particular we ask that the hundreds of other Degar Christian prisoners be granted mercy and released because they have not committed any crime.