THE VIETNAMESE CIVILIAN MURDERED DEGAR CHRISTIAN FREE OF CHARGE
We the Degar people, both Christians and non Christians alike, have been experiencing cruelty and hate at the hands of Vietnamese people and government since 1975. Many Degar people have been murdered and targeted by the Vietnamese civilians, military, and police free of charge. Why do we say this? We say this because of the many reported senseless criminal acts that we see against the Degar Christians such as that against our Christian Brother Huoi who was murdered by a Ethnic Vietnamese citizen without punishment.
Huoi was a 23 year old young man from the village of Ploi Adok Kong, district of Dakdoa in the province of Gialai. On May 17 of 2009, Huoi along with two of his friends, Han and Nun, were standing and talking on the street in front of the house of their friend Nguin. Adjacent to Nguin’s house, at approximately 20 meters away, was a Vietnamese store owned by a man name Minh. While the three young men were talking, someone from the store came out and gestures and asked them to come over. Huoi decided to go and see if the Ethnic Vietnamese man needed some help. But as Huoi approached the store, the Vietnamese man suddenly went back inside the store. By the time Huoi reached the door of the store, the man came out and stabbed Huoi in his stomach with a big knife; killing him right on the spot and then he ran away. When Huoi’s family and friends heard of what had happened, they came to the store to look for the killer but he was gone. They then immediately went to the Vietnamese security police who offered them no help. This situation is a prime example of the Vietnamese government’s unwillingness to uphold the law when violations of the law are committed by Vietnamese citizens against a minority such as the Degar people. This outright neglect to protect all citizens of Vietnam is deplorable and should not be allowed to continue. The Vietnamese government has been running on the platform of human rights at the United Nations and no one has called them out on their lies and deceit but they continue to get the international community’s support.
Our Degar people have experienced many things like this since 1975. The Vietnamese rules and laws seem to only protect ethnic Vietnamese and not all citizens of Vietnam especially the indigenous Degar people.
After they had invaded the Central Highlands in 1975, the Hanoi government accused the indigenous Degar people of siding with US forces and South Vietnam. This is the excuse that the government gives in order for them to have the right in the eyes of the international community to murder our people at will. During the war, the indigenous Degar people were used by the US extensively because of their loyalty and fearlessness. But we saw no fruits for our labor. Instead, while thousands of the Degar people die in a war that has no benefit to them, we continue to suffer because we were allies of the US. This was South Vietnam’s war with the North. Why is it that the Degar people continue to suffer and not the South Vietnamese? Why is the International community more concerned about how the North is treating the former South Vietnamese people than they are with what is happening to the Indigenous Degar people. The Degar people were the innocent bystanders who were not suppose to be part of the casualties of this war. Instead, it’s sad to say that North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the US did not care for the lives of the Degar people. We are now hated by everyone because we are asking for help.
The indigenous Degar people did not create the war nor did they know where the war came from or what it was for. What we do know is that the war was fought on our homeland. It destroyed our people and our land where we have lived for thousands of years in peace and freedom. Most of the battles were fought in the Central Highlands not in Hanoi. As a result, hundreds of thousands of innocent Degar people died because of the war.
After the war had ended in 1975 many countries around the world gave aid in money to help rebuild and strengthen Vietnam. None of it went to help rebuild the lives of the Degar people. Vietnam has now become one of the most powerful countries in the world. They abuse their power by quieting any critics who try to speak out against their unfair treatment of the Indigenous Degar people while others watch as they destroy the Degar race.
We the Degar indigenous people are helpless in stopping the genocidal policies of the Vietnamese government toward our people but we can pray to our Almighty God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to help us to endure the painful agony of death. On the contrary, we want to thank and praise our Almighty God for allowing our people to be ignorant, poor and weak so that we cannot harm the one who is hurting us.
Just like apostle Paul stated in 2Corinthians 12:8-10 three times I pleaded with the Lord to take away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I hope these verses from the Bible will reach the Degar people in the Central Highlands to comfort them in their time of hardship and needs.
DEGAR CHRISTIANS WERE ARRESTED
DEGAR CHRISTIANS WERE ARRESTED BECAUSE THEY MOURNED AND PRAYED FOR THEIR CHURCH BUILDING THAT WAS DESTROYED ON MARCH 13, 2009
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As you might have read from our previous press release on May 27, 2009 regarding the destruction of the first Christian church constructed by the Indigenous Degar people in the Central Highlands, thousands of Degar people mourned this loss and entered a time of prayer for three days and three nights. The following press release is a report of the consequences of that mourning.
On May 1st of 2009, at the village of Buon Puortara, around 450 of our Christian brothers and sisters gathered to mourn the loss of their church and pray for three days and three nights. Because of this mourning and praying, the Vietnamese security police selectively summoned 12 people from among the 450 to their office in the communal village of Hoa Dong, district of Krong Pac in the province of Daklak on May 13, 2009 for questioning.
Their names are listed below:
1. Y-Than Mlo is a preacher
2. Y-Ler Eban is a believer
3. Y-Lia Eban is a believer
4. Y-An Eban is a believer
5. Y-Nuat Eban is a believer
6. Y-Gung Nie is a believer
7. Y-Glen Kbuor is a believer
8. Y-Nuh Eban is a believer
9. Y-Yom Ayun is a believer
10. Y-Jon Eban is a believer
11. Y-Co Eban is a believer
12. Ama Hlieng is a believer
The police told them: From now on you are not allowed to worship and pray to your God.
These Christians answered: We will not stop worshiping and praying to our God. Besides, your government has agreed to give religious freedom to all Vietnamese citizens according to international laws. You can persecute us or do anything you want to us because you have power over us but our Lord God has power over you. You can destroy our fleshy body but you cannot touch our souls. We only want to mourn and pray for the first church that our Lord God had built for our people and we also wanted to pray that God would forgive you and your government for what you have done to God’s church. What is wrong with that?
At this time, the Vietnamese security police did not harm any of these Degar Christians but we are afraid that, in the future, the Vietnamese government will find some other reasons to accuse them in order to murder them. Finally, all 12 of them were released at around 6:00 pm of that same day.
On the same date of May 13, 2009, the Vietnamese security police from the communal village of Ea Drong, district of Krong Pac in the province of Daklak summoned three of our Christian brothers from the village of Buon Krak (Y-Lue Buonkrong age 47, Y-Bin Mlo age 24 and Y-Bhem Mlo age 34) to their station for the same reason as the other Degars – that is, mourning and praying for their destroyed church. The police kept them at their station for 2 days and then released them on May 15, 2009. But, before they were released the police warned them that “From now on, do not fast and pray to your God anymore, and do not ever tell Degar who are living in the US that we have forbidden you from worshiping and praying to your God. Because of them, you people do not listen to our government.”
Clearly, the Vietnamese government is using fear techniques such as intimidation, arrests, torture and etcetera in order to force Degar Christians and people to endure its genocidal policies.
Our indigenous Degar people of the Central Highlands have cried out to the world, and especially to the United Nations, the European Union and the United States of America for help. We have begged and pleaded that someone would have mercy and relieve our people from the painful agony of death that the Vietnamese government has laid upon them since 1975.
Tragically, it seems as if everyone has ignored our suffering and forgotten our people because we have nothing to offer in return. The only thing that we know for sure is that our Almighty God will not forsake us and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is standing at the Heavenly Gate with His arms open, ready to receive us into His Peaceful Kingdom.
IN BUON ALE “A” IN BUONMATHUOT CITY, THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT DEMOLISHED THE FIRST DEGAR CHURCH EVER BUILT
On March 13, 2009, the Vietnamese government demolished the first Degar Church that had ever been built. This historical structure was located at Buon Ale “A” in the city of Buonmathuot in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Degar Christians mourn the loss of this church, which they hold dearly as the origin of Christianity in the central highlands. After the invasion of the North Vietnamese Communists in 1975, this church at Buon Ale “A” as well as all Degar churches in the Central Highlands were forcefully closed and all Degar believers throughout the Central Highlands were prevented from practicing their faith and worshiping God in churches. Whoever dared to assemble more than two people would be arrested and sent to prison, tortured or killed. There was nothing that Degar believers could do except conceal their faith and begin running underground house churches. Incidentally, the corrupt Vietnamese government continues to prevent Degar Christians from assembling for the purpose of worship, which is why our Christian Sister Puih H’Bat was arrested on April 11th of 2008. We still do not know her whereabouts or her condition; no one can tell us if she is even alive or dead.
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In the province of Daklak there were 59,000 Degar Christians from 115 villages had prticipated.
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In the province of Gialai there were 15,447 Degar Christians from 149 villages had participated.
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In the province of Dak Nong there were 7,964 Degar Christians from 47 villages had participated.
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In the province of Kontum there were 2,448 Degar Christians from 32 villages had participated.
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In the province of Phu Yen there were 920 Degar Christians from 32 villages had participated.
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In addition to these 86,129 Degar Christians in the Central Highlands, around 700 of Degar Church (Sang Ae Die Degar, Inc.) in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA had participated.
THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND VIETNAMESE CIVILIANS ARE KILLING DEGAR CHRISTIAN VILLAGERS
THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND VIETNAMESE CIVILIANS ARE KILLING DEGAR CHRISTIAN VILLAGERS IN ORDER TO TAKE THEIR FARMLANDS
Immediate release: February 3, 2009, Spartanburg, SC, USA
For many years now, we have been appealing to the international community for help in improving our relations with the Vietnamese government. Despite all of our attempts, their hatred towards the Degar people continues to grow. Read the rest of this entry »
Poor Degars are being recruited by the Vietnamese and paid to spy on and betray their own people!
VIETNAMESE SECURITY POLICE RECRUIT POOR DEGARS AS SPIES AND USE THEM TO ARREST, TORTURE AND IMPRISON THREIR OWN DEGAR CHRISTIANS FOR PRAYING
At the village of Buon Sing, commune of Ea Drong, district of Krong Buk in the province of Daklak the Vietnamese government has placed one of its undercover Degar agents, Y-Bla Nie to spy on other Degar villagers. There are several other people working for the Vietnamese, but Y-Bla Nie is the only confirmed agent.
Three Christian Degars arrested, imprisoned, beaten and tortured for prayer
On December 20, 2008, Y-Bla Nie, reported to police headquarters that 3 of our Christian brothers, Y-Uk Nie (age 51), Y-Rueng Nie (age 25) and Y-Mon Mlo (age unknown) were asking our other Christian brothers and sisters to pray for Mr. Kok Ksor on his trip to Brussels to speak so that the international community will be made aware of the sufferings of our people. On this same day, the Vietnamese security police, Nguyen Van Be, together with his Degar informant, Y-Bla Nie, came to the village of Buon Sing to arrest these 3 of our Christian brothers. They were arrested and taken to the prison facility at the district of Krong Buk.
At this prison camp, our 3 Christian brothers were hung up above the ground so that they would not fall down to the ground when they were beaten by the Vietnamese police officers. They were tortured, kicked, beat with rubber batons and stomped on brutally and mercilessly. Our brothers were treated worse than animals. The Vietnamese officials demanded that the men tell them how many Degar people follow Kok Ksor and pray for him.
Why is the Vietnamese government so afraid of prayer? These men prayed for the safety of Mr. Ksor on his trip to speak at the European Parliament regarding the sufferings of our people. They prayed that the Almighty God would guide him, give him the right words to say and for God would touch the hearts of all the important people at the meeting so that they would listen to Mr. Ksor and feel compassion for our people and a desire to protect our people from the destructive hand of the Vietnamese government. These men also prayed that the Vietnamese government officials would come to know God so that they would be given love for mankind and a conscience that would not allow them to abuse people any longer. They prayed that God would touch the hearts of the Vietnamese government officials and make them understand and be kind to their own people, the ethnic Vietnamese and especially the Degar race.
Why do the Vietnamese government and many Vietnamese people hate our Degar race so much?
Is it because our people sided with the US Armed Forces during the war? But since Vietnam and the US are now allies and trading partners with the United States, what reason is there to hate us now?
Is it because the majority of our people are Christians? During the war, the Viet Cong (VC) claimed that the Degar Montagnard Christians were the ears and eyes of the US Armed Forces and the CIA’s secret agents. This is why so many of our Christian brothers and sisters were killed by the VC. But now, since the US are friends and allies, what reason is there to still hate the Degar Christians?
Is it because the Vietnamese government simply wants to exterminate our Degar race so that they can possess our land without controversy? If so, will the International community go along with the Vietnamese government and allow it to accomplish this horrifying goal or will the international community gather their wisdom in an attempt to stop the evil actions of the Vietnamese government.
Most of our people are Christians, and as such, we believe that God blesses some people with strength so that they may protect the weak, not persecute them; He blesses some with wealth so that they may help the poor, not steal from them; He blesses some with wisdom so that they might teach the ignorant, not advocate foolishness. Why then, do so many countries who call themselves Christian and are blessed by God with so many gifts fail to use them for His will?
Before the French left Indochina, our people agreed to become part of South Vietnam and subjects of the last Emperor, Bao Dai. Our people believed that the Vietnamese government would treat our people as equals to their own ethnic Vietnamese. But this is not what happened. If Vietnam had treated the Degar people equally, our people would not have allied with foreign powers during the war in the first place. But it is too late for this to matter now. Our people are on the verge of extinction as we wait for someone to rescue us. If the International Community continues to refuse to use its best leverages to pressure the Vietnamese government to stop its genocidal policies of ethnic cleansing toward our people, eventually our entire race of people will be destroyed completely.
Our people are desperate and we pray that the International Community will hear our cries for help and come to our aid in this, our hour of greatest need. We continue to pray for the Almighty God to bless those who are willing to help save our race.
