Increasing persecution alleged in Vietnam
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says it has obtained several
written documents and pictures proving that Vietnam's
campaign of persecution against ethnic minorities in the
central highlands has significantly increased.
"Despite Hanoi's statements of concern for its ethnic
minorities, Vietnam is clearly escalating its repression of
the Montagnards," executive director of the Asia Division
of HRW, Brad Adams said.
The Vietnamese authorities were not immediately
available for comment.
Nine letters written by Montagnard church leaders in Dak
Lak province "describe beatings of church leaders by
police and other officials, destruction of churches, official
prohibitions on night-time gatherings... and widespread
confiscation of villagers' farm land", HRW added.
The New-York based organisation claims to have obtained
original official documents describing ceremonies in
which "Montagnard villagers are forced to 'swear
brotherhood' with local party cadres in front of pictures of
Ho Chi Minh".
More than 1,000 Montagnards fled the impoverished,
mountainous region to neighbouring Cambodia after
Vietnamese security forces forcibly put down
demonstrations by thousands of hill tribe villagers in
February 2001.
Land grievances and a government crackdown on their
faith sparked the protests.
HRW and other rights groups have consistently accused
Hanoi of persecuting ethnic and religious minorities in the
area.
The organisation says it received in March, a handwritten
list of "names and thumbprints of 439 ethnic Montagnard
Christian families (1,206 people)" from Dak Lak, seeking
international protection in Cambodia.
It also states that hand-drawn sketch maps and
photographs could show how last February "Vietnamese
officials bulldozed three kilometres of land in the village of
Puk Saw, Dak Lak" where coffee, cashews, fruit trees and
rice were cultivated.
The organisation also condemned Cambodia for
announcing this month, it planned to close the refugee
transit centre operated by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in Phnom Penh.
"Since the beginning of 2003, more than 100 Montagnards
who have tried to flee to Cambodia have been forcibly
returned to Vietnam, where some have been arrested and
beaten", HRW said, adding more than 70 people were
currently serving jail sentences in the wake of 2001
unrests.
Hanoi has always denied persecuting minorities.
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was quoted on newspaper
front pages as saying he wanted a "better life for
minorities".
Reports say Mr Khai made a tour in the highland region
last week, asking the three provinces to "consolidate the
political system at grassroots level, help improve the
intellectual standards and develop skills and knowledge
among minority communities".
ABC News Radio Australia - April 21, 2003.
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