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VIETNAM’S BLUEPRINT FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING Persecution Against the Indigenous Degar People (Montagnards) Report to the European Parliament August 2008 - Brussels Died from Torture in Prison Murdered by Security Police A Montagnard Foundation Inc Report 1 www.montagnard-foundation.org CONTENTS SECTION 1: About the Montagnard Foundation, Inc ............................. 3 SECTION 2: A brief history of the Degar Montagnards………………………... 4 SECTION 3: Various photographs of Degar Montagnards……………………. 5 SECTION 4: Vietnam’s Blueprint for Ethnic Cleansing………………………….6 Extrajudicial Killings…………………………………………………………….6 -19 Imprisonment and Torture………………………………………………….19 - 23 Transmigration & Confiscation of Ancestral Land………………24 - 25 Deforestation & Environmental Destruction……………………………..26 Religious Persecution of Christians………………………………….…27 - 29 Sterilizations, Fines, Coercion, & Abuse of Family Planning.30 - 31 Refugee Persecution…………………………………………………………………32 Conclusion: Ethnic Cleansing……………………………………………………33 The Degar Montagnards are the indigenous peoples of South-East Asia who for over 2,000 years inhabited the “Central Highlands” (highlighted area). This region is geographically located in the western mountains of Vietnam (bordering Cambodia and Laos). The French colonial name “Montagnard” for these various ethnic tribal groups is being replaced by the indigenous term “Degar”. There are over a dozen tribes and sub groups who have (over the preceding decades) formed a collective common identity. 2 Section 1: About the Montagnard Foundation, Inc The Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) is a these activists as to the Vietnamese private, non-profit corporation based in South government's international human rights Carolina, USA and operated by indigenous obligations, as a necessary step to obtain peoples known as the Degar Montagnards. The democratic reforms for all Vietnam’s citizens. organization was founded by Degar exiles in The Degar leaders inside Vietnam have 1990 and received its US tax-exempt status in contacted MFI to advance their cause at the 1992. There is a board of directors composed of international level and MFI has encouraged their ethnic Degars and the organization is based on people to educate the wider Degar population as non violent advocacy and democratic principals. to what their human rights are and to continue While most of our members are Christian our utilizing non-violent strategies in the spirit of organization is non denominational and our democracy and Christian principals. MFI has overall focus is representation for our people over a thousand dedicated ethnic Degar inside Vietnam concerning their indigenous supporters who reside in the United States while rights and basic human rights. inside Vietnam MFI has documented through the registration of village chiefs and elders in the The term “Degar” is our own indigenous term Central Highlands over several hundred used today in lieu of the older French name thousand supporters. “Montagnard” (mountain people) which the colonial French gave to our highland peoples. MFI's overriding mission as a liberation The name “Degar” is a collective term used to movement is to preserve the lives and culture of identify our various tribal groups who have the indigenous Degar peoples of Vietnam's developed an ethnic identify much like Native Central Highlands. The guiding strategy is to Americans have also been identified as a ‘group’ monitor, restore and safeguard the innate and of peoples. MFI is also a member of the United inalienable human, civil and political rights of Nations Working Group of Indigenous the Degar peoples as described in covenants, Populations of which it has participated for declarations and Charters of the United Nations. many years in numerous United Nations forums. MFI pledges to accomplish this through peaceful and humanitarian means and all levels of MFI is an organization that works in advocacy are pursued with Christian and consultation with its indigenous population Ghandian principles of non-violence in the inside Vietnam, who are currently not free to spirit of democracy and international express their rights and freedoms under cooperation. The Montagnard Foundation also communist authoritarian rule. The Degar people rejects propaganda by the government of have also suffered decades of religious and Vietnam that we are separatists and we state ethnic persecution by the communist clearly our only desire is to advocate and resolve government of Vietnam. Since its conception our grievances peacefully and diplomatically. MFI's message has been; that the Degar Montagnard people deserve to live in peaceful Our indigenous Degar peoples inside Vietnam co-existence in a democratic society with the are crying out for basic freedoms and MFI Vietnamese people and all other citizens in believes that it is crucial to the evolving Vietnam’s Central Highlands, and this message democratic process of Vietnam that has been circulated throughout the Central international assistance is needed for the Degar Highlands by MFI's contacts in the region. The people to survive as a race of indigenous Degar population through its people (village peoples. Sincerely and God bless chiefs, elders, leaders and common villagers) inside Vietnam are working hand in hand and in regular contact with MFI. MFI has educated 3 Kok Ksor, President Montagnard Foundation Section 2: A brief history of the Degar Montagnards The Degar Montagnards are the indigenous support of America during the war. The peoples of South-East Asia who for over 2,000 communists executed or imprisoned Degar years inhabited the “Central Highlands” a region Montagnard leaders in brutal re-education geographically located in the western mountains camps. Examples include: Senator Ksor Rot who (bordering Cambodia and Laos) of the Socialist was publicly executed in 1975 (authorities shot Republic of Vietnam. Estimates indicate the him in the head in the square at Cheo Reo Degar Montagnard population is in the vicinity village) and the Minister for Ethnic Minorities, of around 1,000,000 persons (quoting UNDP Nay Luett who died under horrific figures). Often called ‘Hill Tribes’ our proud circumstances in 1983 while a prisoner at a labor peoples of over two dozen ethnic groups and sub camp. Summing up the government’s attitude groups are distinct from the lowland Vietnamese towards ethnic minorities, in 1976 the and recognized as indigenous peoples by the Vietnamese Vice Minister of Culture stated: United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations where MFI has regularly “It is necessary to eradicate all the outmoded represented their people. Historically the Degar customs…while gradually bringing the new Montagnard world revolved around remote culture to each minority…in order to build a village communities where they practiced new culture with socialist objectives and traditional agriculture, hunting and fishing. Vietnamese national characteristics.” In 1946 the French colonial government had The subsequent decades saw the persecution granted the “Montagnard populations” regional against the Degar Montagnards involving autonomy and the Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai Christian religious repression, expropriation of (a figurehead under French control) also ancestral lands, torture, killings, disappearances, recognized such autonomy in official decrees in coercive sterilization policies, discrimination the 1950s. However, during the Indo-China wars and violations of internationally accepted human involving France, the United States and the rights practices. While the origins of this communists these ancestral lands would be persecution stemmed from historical factors ceded to Vietnamese government control and the namely the alliance many Degar Montagnards “Montagnard populations” decimated. had with the US military, discrimination (societal and official) under prior Vietnamese During the American Vietnam War an estimated governments also had a detrimental impact on 30 - 40,000 Montagnards served with the US the Degar Montagnard population. military at any one time and the figure was likely over 100,000 (in total) throughout the Today in 2008 the communist authoritarian decade’s long conflict. Half of the adult male regime perpetuates severe economic exploitation population would die in the war and the of the Degar Montagnard’s homelands resulting renowned anthropologist Dr. Gerald Hickey in increasing ethnic Vietnamese immigration reported the Vietnam War foresaw the deaths of and economic expansion that marginalizes the an estimated 200,000 Degar Montagnards (a indigenous Degar Montagnards. These long term quarter of their population) and 85% of their systematic human rights violations combined village societies abandoned or destroyed. with the ongoing political and religious repression (arrests, torture, killings and In 1975 at the end of the war the communist imprisonment) has resulted in what looks government, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam nothing short of a blueprint for genocide of one gained control of South Vietnam and took of Asia’s oldest indigenous races of people. revenge against the Degar Montagnards for their 4 y 5 Section 4: Vietnam’s Blueprint for Ethnic Cleansing This report documents the case of ethnic cleansing directed against the indigenous Degar Montagnards (“Degar”) people of Vietnam’s central highlands. Over the preceding decades since 1975 the Vietnamese government has implemented various strategies resulting in the political, ethnic and religious repression against the Degar people. Examining

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