Save The Montagnard

SAVE THE MONTAGNARD!

To Your Excellencies:
Mr. Kofi Annam,secretary General - United Nations
Mr. George W Bush, President - United State of America
Mr. Colin Powell, Secretary of State - United State of American
Mr. Pat Cox, President - European Parliament

Please Stop the bloody slaughter of the Montagnards in Vietnams Central Highland


If it is Internationally known that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, then why are the human rights of people in Vietnams Central Highlands being brutally violated for their religious belief and ancestral land rights?

On April 10, 2004 more that 150,000 Montagnards took to the streets of Vietnamese Central Highlands to begin a series of nonviolent demonstration of public prayer against the Vietnamese Governments denial of their freedom to worship their religion. As soon as the gathering started, Vietnamese police and Special Forces attacked the crowds beating them with electric batons, throwing rocks and shooting with rifles. Legs and hands were broken and as if that wasnt enough heads were decapitated. When the dust had finally settled, the number of dead bodies was 400 and counting. The list goes on of what is taking place in other villages.

Research shows that the Government of Vietnam is attacking all Montagnards who do not Swear Brotherhood(le ket nghia) with local cadres in front of pictures of Ho Chi Minh. It is heart wrenching to hear the horrible ordeals these human beings, our brothers and sisters under God, are going through. For example, according to Human Rights Watch, people are being interrogated, arrested, beaten, jailed and even killed simply because they are Christians or are suspected of supporting the popular movement for land rights and religious freedom. What is worst is that calls for help to their neighboring Cambodia is going unanswered even to the point that if one of the Montagnards were to seek asylum they would be forcefully removed and sent back to be prosecuted by the Vietnamese Government. According to Human Rights Watch the U. N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cambodia has failed to provide protection or asylum for the Montagnards.

In violation of article 18.2 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Vietnam is a party, Vietnamese authorities have imposed individualized coercive practices that impair freedom of religion for Christians minorities. For example, police officers are posted inside Christian homes at night, to monitor the activities of Christian families, thereby preventing them from freely observing their religion in their homes. In March 2003, Human Rights Watch received a handwritten list of names of 439 ethnic Mnong Christian families (1,206 people) who were requesting international protection in Cambodia. Their plea was Please have pity for us and rescue the Christian believers and help us receive back our ancestral lands.

Therefore, with the faith that human rights will at all times be valued, and that justice and equality will eventually prevail, we sincerely hope that this petition will be received with a compassionate and pressing attention.