Vietnam jails two hill tribesmen for stirring unrest
HANOI - A court in Vietnam's restive Central Highlands has jailed two hill tribesmen for stirring unrest in the region, a state-run newspaper reported today. The Lao Dong newspaper said in a front page report Y Pi, 47, was jailed for 5 years and Y Krat, 45, for 3 years after the People's Court of Dak Nong province found them guilty yesterday of ''sabotaging the great unity policy''.
The court was told the two men from the Ede ethnic minority group, in conjunction with anti-government forces in exile, incited people to join protests in the Central Highlands between 2002 and May 2004. The trial was the latest in a region where many of the hill tribes are Christian, leading to accusations from human rights groups of religious discrimination, a charge the communist government denies.
In November, the same court in Dak Nong jailed 17 people for up to 10 years for sabotaging national security and helping people flee Vietnam into Cambodia.
The hill tribes, known commonly as Montagnards, took to the streets in April 2004 in protest against what human rights groups described as repression of their religious and land rights. The government quelled the demonstrations but denied accusations by right groups it had used force and said the hundreds who fled to neighbouring Cambodia had been incited to leave.
Today, the Defence Ministry-run Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) newspaper accused the U.S. State Department of fabricating evidence in a human rights report of suppression in the Central Highlands. ''The truth is that the situation in the Central Highlands is bright,'' the paper said in an editorial.
Reuters - March 31, 2005
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