Build Human Rights for Montagnards-BHRM

MBuild Human Rights for Montagnards-BHRM (httldctn.blogspot.com)ontagnard Christians in Vietnam: Target for Discrimination and Persecution

by Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ), Build Human Rights for Montagnards (BHRM),

Boat People SOS (BPSOS), and partners (March 2022)

Introduction

Indigenous Christians in Vietnam, particularly Protestants, have been victimized over the past 47 years by the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (“Vietnam”). The Vietnamese Communist Party distrusts most Montagnards (“ethnic highlanders”), who live primarily in remote Central Highlands communities near the porous borders with Laos and Cambodia. The reasons include longstanding racial prejudice and the past existence of an armed resistance seeking an independent Dega (Montagnard) state.^{^[1]} Moreover, the Party also regards independent Christian “house churches” as difficult to control because their structure is more decentralized than those of other denominations, and also as a “foreign religion” because most tend to be the result of fairly recent conversions to Christianity, i.e., roughly 1980-2015. This document is intended to serve as an overview of the most current situation of this religious community of indigenous peoples. The appendices provide more details on the historical development of Christianity in Vietnam (particularly in the Central Highlands) and additional information related to the other contents of this overview document.

A Snapshot of the Current Situation

An analysis of credible sources (details in Appendix A) led to the following estimates:

- Total number of Protestants in Vietnam: around 1,500,0000

- Montagnard Christians (including a small number of Catholics): around 600,000 (primarily in the Central Highlands)

- Unregistered Montagnard Protestants: around 40,000 (primarily in the Central Highlands)

Based on a list compiled from information provided by Montagnard communities, there are close to 90 Montagnard prisoners of conscience in Vietnam still in Vietnamese prisons or recently released (still under probation with severely restricted travel outside of their villages) whose sentences are typically five to thirteen years of imprisonment and three to five years of probation after prison for vaguely defined crimes such as ‘undermining national unity”, “spreading propaganda against the State”, etc. and occasionally, “helping individuals to escape abroad illegally”.^{^[2]}

In the time period January 2021 - February 2022, Central Highlands police have been intensifying their harassment and intimidation to compel independent house churches to join the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) that is controlled by the Communist Party.^{^[3]} Montagnard advocacy groups have been able to learn and apply international advocacy strategies between 2019 and early 2022. The significant increase in their capacity can be seen through indicators such as number of reports submitted to the United Nations (UN) and number of individuals trained in civil society concepts, Vietnamese law, and international covenants signed by Vietnam. A brief discussion of the current capacity of those trained Montagnard communities is at the end of this overview section, right before Appendix A.

A map of the Central Highlands is shown below for the benefit of readers who are not familiar with the geography of Vietnam. Central Highlands provinces are shaded green.

Central Highlands (green area)

Photo: As recently as August 2, 2021, the Gia Lai People's Court sentenced Rah Lan Rah and Siu Chon to 6 years in prison and Ro Mah Them to 5 years for "undermining the unity policy”.

https://baogialai.com.vn/channel/1602/202108/gia-lai-lanh-an-vi-toi-pha-hoai-chinh-sach-doan-ket-5746479/index.htm

The sham trial and unjust sentencing in August 2021 showed that government policy towards Montagnard Christians has not changed much. In an August 2020 op-ed (full article from The Hill is in Appendix B), a U.S. congressman and a commissioner of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom wrote:

“Religious leaders provide spiritual nourishment and guidance to believers. They are also often called to speak out on issues that impact their community. One such leader is A Dao, a member of the Montagnard ethnic group and pastor of the Evangelical Church of Christ (ECC) in Gia Xieng village, Kontum Province of Vietnam.

In 2016, A Dao attended a conference in East Timor about religious freedom. Unfortunately, in Vietnam, too much public advocacy around religious freedom can incur the wrath of state authorities. Shortly after his return, on Aug. 18, 2016, Pastor A Dao was arrested and, on April 28, 2017, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for allegedly “helping individuals to escape abroad illegally.”

Recognizing that there can be a significant number of Montagnard Christians who have not yet come forward, at least those Montagnard Christian communities working with Boat People SOS have provided information for a chart summarizing government persecution in this time frame (from BPSOS reports to the United Nations Special Procedures):

This chart also reflects the growing capacity of these Montagnard Christians for reporting government violations of Vietnamese law and international agreements such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

In early 2022 the representatives of this persecuted group asked BPSOS to disseminate their following appeal to the international community:

Please ask the Vietnamese government to clearly state in the Law on Belief and Religion that unregistered denominations are forbidden from conducting house church activities or visiting other Montagnard Christians to discuss religious doctrine and related matters. The police always accuse us of this crime when they detain, interrogate, seize our Bibles, laptops, cell phones, cash, etc., or otherwise harass us whereas the Law on Belief and Religion contains no such clause. If the Vietnamese government truly did not want to insert the clause into the 2016 Law, then the central government should instruct all local government units to stop persecuting us for this reason.

One of the measures of government religious intolerance is the number of reports that the victims have submitted to date to the UN and other international entities through Montagnard advocates and BPSOS from 2015 through February 2022. This number is 131 and growing.

Official religious intolerance can be seen through online postings of disinformation, slander, and even hate speech by government and government-controlled news media in the Central Highlands and at the Ministry of Public Security level. This tactic can result in unfortunate consequences such as the recent killing of a Catholic priest in Kon Tum Province.

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Dominican priest killed in Vietnam

Kon Tum, Vietnam, Jan 30, 2022 / 15:12 pm

Father Giuse (Joseph) Trần Ngọc Thanh, O.P., was killed in a knife attack on Saturday.

Fr. Trần was attacked Jan. 29 at a mission of Dak Mot, about 40 miles northwest of

Kon Tum. He was hearing confessions before the last Mass of the evening, according

to Ordo Praedicatorum on Facebook.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250260/dominican-priest-killed-in-vietnam

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An example of the disinformation to incite hatred of targeted religious groups is described below.

Red Flag of Dak Lak Province:

On December 27, 2020, the Facebook page “Red Flag of Dak Lak Province” posted a lengthy article that spread disinformation against the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ. Titled “Exposing the true nature of the reactionary organization Evangelical Church of Christ,” the article accused this organization of working with enemy forces based in other countries to harm the Vietnamese State:

https://www.facebook.com/105979761013949/posts/215927273352530/

“… receiving the support of enemy forces, finding ways to connect and collaborate with reactionary organizations in exile… and mobilizing organizations and individuals unsympathetic to Vietnam (such as Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, US Commission on International Religious Freedom and UN Human Rights Committee…) to make false accusations that the government persecutes religions, suppresses democracy and human rights, expropriates lands of ethnic minorities, causing division within the block of great national unity…”

The article lists names of specific individuals that it declares to be reactionary.

On September 22, 2021, the same Facebook account posted a video titled “Must eliminate the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ from the life of villagers,” attacking this house church.

https://www.facebook.com/cododaklak/videos/292139192342708

The video displays photos of church members and leaders as well as US government officials:

“ANTT Dak Lak” means “Security Information”

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Roots of Government Distrust and Persecution Policy

This brief set of questions and answers can hopefully help the reader be in a position to more quickly grasp the key issues.

What is the legal landscape like?

Vietnamese Law bans any religious (or non-religious) activity deemed to threaten national security and national solidarity, or cause public disorder and “sow divisions.” While not [expressly] stated in the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion or its predecessor, the Ordinance on Religion, Vietnamese authorities routinely allege (not in print, but during interrogation sessions when threatening or warning victims) that religious groups must be registered and obtain government permission in order to operate.

In 2001 the Vietnamese government officially recognized the umbrella grouping for evangelical Christians in the south (Evangelical Church of Vietnam - South/ECVN), but continues to withhold recognition and legal status from many Montagnard congregations. Churches lacking legal status to operate include those whose applications have been rejected or ignored by authorities, as well as groups that prefer to operate independent of the ECVN. They are deemed illegal organizations, providing a rationale for government repression.

Why are independent Montagnard churches seen as a threat to the government and the Communist Party?

According to the official line, they are seen as fake religious organizations shielding anti-government or separatist activities orchestrated by Montagnards living in the US, who the government allege are trying to revive a long-defunct armed movement, FULRO. More broadly, the Central Highlands region has long been viewed as a strategically important region, both militarily in terms of border defense and economically because of the relative abundance of agricultural and forested land.

How has the government responded over time to independent or unregistered Montagnard congregations operating outside of the officially recognized ECVN?

- Harassment, intimidation, intrusive monitoring

- Police dispersal of religious gatherings and confiscation of religious literature, and more recently, cell phones, laptops, and other information technology equipment that could be used for spreading Christianity, communication between church members and with the international community, etc.

- Coercive propaganda campaigns that include public shaming and denunciation, forced recantation of faith, and forced confessions in public criticism ceremonies and/or on state television and/or in private meetings with police or local authorities -- despite provisions in Vietnamese law prohibiting forced renunciation of faith, and international law prohibiting forced or coerced confessions.

- Imposition of arbitrary fines

- Centrally-directed police / military operations to eradicate unsanctioned Montagnard churches and capture and punish core “operatives” and leaders of these groups.

- Arbitrary detention and interrogation

- Beatings and torture

- Sentencing and Imprisonment of dozens of Montagnards for “national security” crimes.

Police officers conducting an unlawful search of the home of a Central Highlands preacher.

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Growth of Christianity in the Central Highlands

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Advocacy Capacity of Trained Montagnard Community Members

In order to protect religious freedom, in July 2019, Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ) was founded by three Montagnard refugees in Bangkok. Later, the organization was expanded with the participation of more than 50 members operating in Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. At the March 2022 Southeast Asian Freedom of Religion or Belief Conference, a Montagnard speaker summarized the program and activities of MSFJ as follows:

1. Connecting nearly 90 Central Highlands communities in the provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Phu Yen.

2. Having core group members in Vietnam reach out to persecuted communities. After reaching out to each community, we teach their members how to use smartphones, computers, information security, network safety, identifying and documenting rights

violations, etc. They can then promptly report cases of persecution and harassment, etc. They can then promptly report cases of persecution and harassment so that we can ask volunteers in the US to translate into English and submit to the United Nations and governments of countries promoting religious freedom in Vietnam, including submitting the information to their diplomatic missions in Vietnam.

The number of trainees taking online courses on Civil Society, Religious Freedom, International Conventions, Vietnamese Law, and report writing according to international standards: increasing every year and in 2021 there were more than 60 students from many Central Highlands communities in Vietnam and also in Thailand. Nearly 100 registered for 2022 classes.

From 2019 to present: MSFJ has submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom 92 reports translated into English, as follows:

- 2019 - 19 reports

- 2020 - 58 reports

- 2021 - 15 reports

BHRM, another Montagnard Advocacy Group, submitted nearly a dozen reports beyond these.

MSFJ has 3 Facebook pages with over 20 thousand viewers, 1 Youtube page with 560 viewers, and social networking capability.

These means of communication have been used in urgent notification cases to enable international intervention for 10 cases where victims were forced to go to the police station for questioning. MSFJ has also arranged two meetings in the provinces Dak Lak and Lam Dong between many former prisoners of conscience from the Central Highlands and US and British diplomats in Dak Lak and Lam Dong in 2020 and 2021.

Over the next 3 years, many evangelical communities in the Central Highlands will increase their contact with embassies and consulates and many international human rights organizations located in member states of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (initiated by the US government in 2019).

Appendix A

Montagnards and Growth of Protestantism in the Central Highlands of Vietnam

The word “Montagnard” comes from the French term for highlander, or mountain dweller, and refers to different ethnic minority groups indigenous to Vietnam’s Central Highland and adjoining provinces (Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong and Phu Yen). They include speakers of Mon-Khmer languages such as the Bahnar, Bunong , Stieng, and Koho and speakers of Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) languages such as the Jarai and Ede (Rhade or Rade). Traditionally they have grown upland rice and vegetables in agricultural plots that they rotate within communally-managed land, supplemented by hunting, fishing and gathering of forest products. Among the Jarai, Bunong and Ede, descent as well as land ownership is traced through the mother.^{^[1]} To date, Boat People SOS has been primarily working with victims of religious persecution from the Ede, Ha Lang, and Jarai communities

Around 1.6 million Montagnards live in Vietnam,^{^[2]} mostly in hilly areas west of the coastal plains of Central Vietnam, all the way to the Central Highlands provinces near the border with Laos and Cambodia. “Dega” is another word for “Montagnard” used by a fair number of Montagnards although the Vietnamese Communists coined the term “Dega Protestantism” in their effort to equate Protestantism with separatism (autonomy or even independence from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). A map of the Central Highlands provinces - Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong - is shown below. Note that Phu Yen (not part of the Central Highlands), is also home to a lesser number of Montagnard Christians.

Growth of Christianity (and Government Repression) in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Protestantism reached Vietnam (a French colony at the time) in 1911, but spread very slowly because the French administration strictly limited evangelizing in the colony. Protestantism started to become popular in the mid-1950s, when American missionaries took up residence to conduct missionary activities and linguistic studies and to translate the Bible into Montagnard languages. After Communist North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam in 1975, the Communist government closed many churches and imprisoned many Montagnard pastors. However, Protestantism soon began to grow even more quickly, particularly in the Central Highlands where many Montagnards live, quadrupling from nearly 53,000 in the mid 1970s to nearly 230,000 believers in 1999 (and around 580,000 in 2020). In 2020, there could be as many as 40,000 believers associated with over dozens of unregistered organizations and denominations. References are provided in the body of this document.

The government continues to tightly control Montagnard religious activities today, while enabling state and private enterprises to confiscate their ancestral lands for development purposes. Widespread discontent led to Montagnard protests in 2001 and 2004 on the issues of religious freedom and land ownership. Security and military forces carried out violent crackdowns. The Communist Party strongly emphasizes the need to keep Montagnards under control because of their history of resistance to central government control and former alliance with US forces during the Vietnam War. In addition, the Central Highlands is a strategically important region, not only militarily but also economically, in part because the region touches Vietnam’s borders with Laos and Cambodia.^{^[3]}

This stance has been promoted by the topmost-levels of the government, as shown by a 2016 statement by then-President Tran Dai Quang:

“Hostile and reactionary forces and criminals concentrate their attacks through their “peace initiative” involving the violent overthrow of our government, with the Central Highlands being their top objective. Border security, illegal border crossing, and rural security involve many complex factors that can affect the level of production and lives of Central Highlands ethnic communities. Consequently, a top priority of the Party and political system is leading and directing the efforts aimed at maintaining public order and security and strengthening our defense to bring about social and economic development in the Central Highlands.“ ^{^[4]}

At the provincial level, authorities continue to implement central government policies that aim to eradicate independent Montagnard religious communities, which are accused of being “fake” religions developed to shield political dissent. A broad spectrum of punishments have been used, including denial of services and other benefits, harassment, intrusive surveillance, arbitrary imposition of fines, forced renunciation of faith and coerced confessions, arbitrary arrest and detention, interrogation, physical abuse and torture, and imprisonment. In December 2021,for example, Col. Rah Lan Lam, director of the Police Department of Gia Lai Province, announced that his police force had completely eradicated Ha Mon Catholicism and Dega Protestantism in the province. He stated that during 2021, police “discovered and handled” 11 Dega Protestant leaders who were attempting to rekindle FULRO, a French acronym for a long-defunct Montagnard resistance army.^{^[5]}

The Gia Lai operation is among the more recent in a series of police and military operations during the last 20 years, backed by coercive propaganda campaigns, to eradicate independent Montagnard house churches and compel adherents to join the officially-sanctioned Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South), which is controlled by the Communist Party.^{^[6]}

Montagnard Prisoners of Conscience

Since 2001, at least 350 Montagnards have been sentenced to prison for up to 17 years for asserting their rights to independent worship, peaceful dissent, and other fundamental human rights. Montagnard defenders of religious freedom and human rights are imprisoned for “national security” crimes under three articles of Vietnam’s 2015 Criminal Code: Article 116 (formerly Article 87), “sabotaging implementation of solidarity policies”, Article 118 (formerly Article 89), “disruption of security”, and Articles 120-121 (formerly Articles 91 and 275), “illegal emigration for the purpose of opposing the people’s government”. Upon release from prison, Montagnard prisoners of conscience are subjected to additional punishment and placed under probationary detention (quản chế) for up to five years under Article 122 of Vietnam’s 2015 Criminal Code. During this time, they are placed under mandatory supervision and “education” by local authorities, subjected to intrusive surveillance and police interrogation, and forbidden from freely leaving their homes.

The arrests continue into the present. While advocacy by international human rights organizations, including BPSOS, has caused the Vietnamese government to seek less visible ways of forcing independent religious groups to submit to the Party’s control, in remote areas, particularly where independent religious groups have no experience with working with the international community, victims are still arrested and charged with serious crimes.

At least 87 Montagnards are currently serving prison sentences or have been placed under post-release probationary restrictions that severely curtail their civil rights.^{^[7]} One-quarter of Montagnard Prisoners of Conscience are Catholics belonging to the Ha Mon Sect; the rest are Protestant. While Montagnards make up less than 2 percent of the population of Vietnam, they comprise a significant portion of the estimated 200 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. Harsh treatment, beatings, and torture of Montagnards in police custody and in prison resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Montagnards between 2001 and 2011, according to Human Rights Watch.^{^[8]}

A 2019 video^{^[9]} by the Security Department of the Ministry of Public Security asserted:

“The Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ (MECC) has been destroyed. In Dak Lak Province, under the Security Police Plan No. KH 96210, the security police arrested over 30 leaders of MECC from 2017 until early 2018…”

When Vietnam was a French colony, the only Protestants allowed into Vietnam in the first few decades of the twentieth century by the colonial French government were an American and Canadian missionary group known as the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA).^{^[10]} These Western missionaries started evangelizing in Vietnam beginning in 1911, and by 1954 Vietnam had about 60,000 Protestants with nearly 100 pastors, with Montagnard Christians accounting for roughly 6,000 followers.^{^[11]} Pastors had gradually built religious facilities in the Central Highlands in such places as: the Buon Ma Thuot Bible School (1947), the Dalat Bible School (1949), the Pleiku Bible School (1950), and a leper colony in Buon Ma Thuot [1951], among others. Helpful information is presented in the following excerpt from a report prepared for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)^{^[12]} and a Human Rights Watch report:^{^[13]}

Prior to the arrival of Christianity in the Central Highlands, most Montagnards' metaphysical beliefs centered around animism. Animist Jarai, Mnong, and Ede call the main spirits that they respect yang, with individual yang responsible respectively for the village, water, mountains, agricultural fields, large trees, rocks, and other natural phenomena. These spirits are believed to hold immense powers and, if properly treated, watch over the village and can ward off disease, poor crop harvests, or other calamities. Many highlanders believe that when the spirits are not treated properly there can be severe consequences to villages and crops as well as to individuals.

Catholicism took root in the highlands with the establishment of the French mission at Kontum in 1850. Protestantism started to become popular in the mid-1950s, when American missionaries affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), the Seventh Day Adventists, and the Summer Institute of Linguistics took up residence to conduct missionary activities, linguistic studies, and translate the Bible into Montagnard languages. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, the practice of Christianity had initially appeared to wane. Many Christian churches and religious schools were closed and ethnic minority pastors imprisoned. Despite these obstacles, the number of converts steadily rose, in part because of Christian radio programs in minority languages broadcast from the Far Eastern Broadcasting Corporation in the Philippines.

Since 1975, Protestant membership has quadrupled throughout Vietnam, to an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 adherents today (circa 2001, all ethnic groups). The number of Protestants in the Central Highlands is currently (circa 2001) estimated at 229,000 to 400,000, with those in Dak Lak province alone increasing from 15,000 in 1975 to as many as 150,000 members today.

Government Statistics: Protestantism in the Central Highlands (1975-2000)

Province	No. Protestants before 1975	No. Protestants in 1999	Increase	Increase (%)
Kon Tum	7.940	9.430	1.490	19%
Đắk Lắk	11.738	98.938	87.200	743%
Gia Lai	8.125	60.250	52.125	642%
Lâm Đồng	25.000	60.000	35.000	140%
Total	52.803	228.618	175.815	333%

Source cited in the 2002 Human Rights Watchreport: Government Committee for Religious Affairs, VCP Webpage, September 2001.

The following chart illustrates the growth of Protestantism in Vietnam and specifically in the Central Highlands Montagnard community after North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam in April 1975.^{^[14]}

1965 data points based on interpolation between 1955 and 1975. Unregistered Central Highlands Protestants: 2020 number from the 2nd Academy of Politics article is “more than 18,000”. Unregistered believers would not have readily revealed themselves to the local government. 40,000 was assumed in 2020 (2.7% the number of nationwide Protestants). Prior year numbers of unregistered Montagnard Christians are based on this percentage (= 2.7% of nationwide total of Protestants).

There were some discrepancies between these data sources. The chart incorporated some judgment by the authors of this section. For example, when seeing a more conservative estimate of the number of Montagnard Christians and a less conservative one, both from credible sources, the “mid-point” we chose was skewed towards the more optimistic one because we felt that surveys by the government tend to undercount the actual number of Montagnard Christians. The reason is likely their reluctance to reveal their religion to an entity viewed as very hostile towards their religious communities.

Over the past six or seven years, reports from Central Highlands Christians on government harassment point to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) as the main registered religious organization that the government wants victims from unregistered denominations to join (the reports are in the BPSOS archive).

After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, Montagnards who had been recruited by U.S. Special Forces as front-line fighters were targeted by the Communist government as traitors and U.S. spies. Many Montagnards joined underground resistance forces after US forces left on the assumption that the US still supported them. When it became clear that this was no longer true, many were forced to flee Vietnam as refugees.^{^[15]} Montagnards turned to Protestantism in large numbers for a number of reasons. After Communist North Vietnam took over South Vietnam in 1975, the new government discouraged animist beliefs (“superstition”), thus creating a spiritual vacuum that Montagnards filled through adopting Christianity. Human Rights Watch identified the reason for the popularity of Christianity in the Central Highlands in an article on the persecution of Montagnard Christians:^{^[16]}

“In the past, Montagnard traditional animist religious practices and rituals were discouraged by the government for being "superstitious" activities, or removed from the village context and commodified: costumed minority dancers were put up on stage to perform for visiting officials from the lowlands or foreign tourists.156 Ironically, in recent years highlanders who have converted to Christianity have complained about local officials forcing them to reinstall traditional ancestral altars in their homes and take down the sign of the cross. The "goat's blood ceremonies" employed in Dak Lak to secure pledges from highlanders not to continue any political activity consisted of a crude approximation of an animist ceremony (See Case Study XVI, "The Goat's Blood Oath Ceremonies in Ea H'leo".

Christianity among highlanders was largely dormant from the installation of the Communist regime in 1975 until the late 1980s, when reforms were implemented under “doi moi” (economic reforms initiated in Vietnam in 1986 with the goal of creating a "socialist-oriented market economy") and the FULRO resistance movement finally fell apart. Many Montagnards turned back towards Protestantism when they abandoned the armed struggle against the Hanoi regime in the early 1990s.”

Key points from the Human Rights Watch study are:

1. “The discontent in the Central Highlands arises not only out of the encroachment on Montagnard traditional lands but also from official harassment and discrimination against Montagnard Christians who belong to unsanctioned religious groups. There is considerable overlap between ethnic, religious and political issues affecting Montagnards. Land rights and religious freedom are both linked to Montagnards’ aspirations to manage their own affairs, with some going so far as to advocate self-rule or an independent state while others simply want to manage their own livelihoods, land, traditions and religious practices themselves, on the local level.”

2. “The government's 1999 decree on religion, while purporting to guarantee freedom of religion, provides for extensive government regulation of religious organizations.” ^{^[17]}

3. In February 2001, a thousand or more Montagnards joined a peaceful protest against government discrimination against Montagnard Christians and encroachment on their traditional lands, leading to a bloody crackdown by police and soldiers. The government increased its politicization of religion even more after this event by linking “Dega Protestantism” to FULRO separatism.

4. The impressive growth of Protestantism came about because “Protestant prayer and worship services provide a space for Montagnard expression not controlled by the authorities…Protestant prayer and worship services provide a space for Montagnard expression not controlled by the authorities. In part for this very reason, the government has become increasingly suspicious of Protestants in the region”.

5. “The government's actions to suppress expression of independent political and religious ideas have not been subtle: it has banned churches in many villages, barred ministers from preaching, monitored private worship services, required that applicants abandon their faith as a condition of obtaining government jobs, and otherwise trampled on ethnic minority religious freedom.”

6. The Central Highlands provincial authorities coordinated their suppressive activities because Hanoi directed them to do so:

“Confidential government directives issued between 1999 and 2001 show a centrally directed national campaign and special bureaucratic infrastructure to target and suppress Christians in ethnic minority areas in the Northern and Western Highlands.

In 1999, for example, an official VCP body known as Ban Chi Dao 184, or the Committee for the Guidance of Correct Thought (hereafter referred to as Committee 184), released internal religious policy guidelines, which included an analysis of the perceived threat posed by evangelical Protestants in the highlands. After 1975, Committee 184 said, Protestantism was ‘abused by the evil-minded’ in the region when FULRO members exploited religion in an effort to rebuild their rebellious force. Since 1980, when a number of evangelical pastors and followers were released from re-education camps, they resumed their proselytizing activities. Thus evangelical religion continued to grow, especially after renovation (doi moi), when Protestantism ‘literally exploded’ in the Central Highlands:

‘Our administration proposed powerless psychological tools. The evangelical religion spread from one village to another, people began gathering together openly-creating a problem for the masses’…Program 184B ends with exhortations to ‘completely stop all the negative manifestations [of religion], and fight against the bad elements which are causing unrest…’ Finally, in order to ‘reduce the damage that comes from abroad and handle in a timely manner any complications that may come up,’ the army, security police, government departments and mass party organizations are to identify cadres to be on alert, should intervention be needed…

Another government program, Program 184B, details the perceived threat to the regime posed by Protestantism and mirrors what many minority Protestant have been told by local authorities in the villages:

‘According to the Christians, if you follow America you get help, the Soviet Union has collapsed, socialism is about finished-follow the party and the revolution and you will always be poor. Only by following the Lord can you escape your poverty. The highland peoples need their own land and need to establish their own country and resist the invasion of the Vietnamese, and so on...Because of this, the development of Christianity in the minority areas seems exploitative and takes on the appearance of political opposition and is fraught with the danger of causing social unrest, dividing the peoples, and alienating them far from our regime. The minority peoples, for a whole variety of reasons, have followed the Christian religion and don't understand the poisonous plot of the evil gang.’”

Ongoing Abuses of Montagnard Christians: policy originating from the central government

Before discussing more recent evidence of ongoing abuses, it is worthwhile noting that the current (as of 2022) Minister of Public Security - General Tô Lâm - took over the role of Chair of the Central Highlands Steering Committee in 2016 and numerous reports from persecuted Montagnard Christians have been submitted to the United Nations from then until now clearly indicate that the Communist Party continues to pay special attention to these communities. Officially, Vietnam dissolved this steering committee in 2017 and has removed incriminating evidence of the almost obsessive focus on Christianity in the Central Highlands at the Ministry of Public Security level (and even higher, e.g., President and Prime Minister levels), but for all practical purposes, this ministry very likely continues to direct Central Highlands police organizations to keep persecuting Montagnard Christians and eradicate as many unregistered groups as possible.

Police General Trần Đại Quang (b. October 12, 1956 in Quang Thiện Commune, Kim Sơn District, Ninh Bình Province), served as Chair of Central Highlands Steering Committee (2011-2016). In this capacity he directly supervised the Central Highlands Security Bureau (PA90) in the suppression of independent house churches of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. His direct involvement has been widely reported in the Vietnamese official media. Note that after Boat People SOS published a proposal to sanction high-level officials for their role in persecuting Montagnard Christians, Vietnam quickly removed several articles from websites controlled by the Communist government to hide the evidence, but Boat People SOS managed to save images from several such articles.

Reflecting the policy set out by the Central Highlands Steering Committee, on June 14, 2013 World Security, an official publication of Vietnam’s Public Security Ministry, published an article entitled “Ha Mon Cult, a FULRO Trick” justifying the crackdown against Montagnard Christians, and in particular, against a Catholic group most of whose members are Montagnards: “…FULRO elements continued to take advantage of the Catholics’ belief in the Virgin’s miraculous appearances to make up the “Ha Mon Cult” in the Central Highlands to deceive citizens…incite citizens to oppose the government…to supply FULRO members hiding in the forest...”. See (BPSOS captured images before Vietnam removed this article): http://antg.cand.com.vn/Ho-so-Interpol/Dao-Ha-Mon-%E2%80%93-Tro-doi-tra-cua-bon-phan-dong-Fulro-306015/

On January 17, 2014, General Quang presided over the Central Highlands Steering Committee conference to review the progress made in 2013 and launch programs for 2014. According to the article titled “Eradicate reactionary Fulro, and the evil cults of Ha Mon and Dega Protestantism” and published on then-Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s website, General Quang reportedly said: "To enable a stable development for the Central Highlands in 2014 and subsequent years, we must focus on the following measures:… strive to prevent and deter criminal activities, eradicate reactionary FULRO organizations, the evil ’Hà Mòn’ and ‘Dega Protestant’ sects; implement well our policies towards the people and religion, and further strengthen national solidarity." Source: Nguyen Tan Dung website,. http://nguyentandung.org/xoa-bo-to-chuc-phan-dong-fulro-ta-dao-ha-mon-va-tin-lanh-dega.html

On July 7, 2014, addressing the Central Highlands Security Bureau, he called on it to ‘…increase activities to be able to assess the situation, to detect, counter, and prevent hostile elements and FULRO's plots; to neutralize efforts in reviving reactionary organizations; and to eradicate the evil cult ‘Hà Mòn’ (translator's note: a Central Highlands Catholic sect focusing on veneration of Jesus's mother). " Source: Ministry of Public Security, 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Central Highlands Security Bureau. See (BPSOS captured images before Vietnam removed this article):

http://cand.com.vn/Cong-an/Cuc-An-ninh-Tay-Nguyen-Ky-niem-10-nam-ngay-thanh-lap-va-don-nhan-danh-hieu-Anh-hung-Luc-luong-vu-trang-nhan-dan-266454/

An article titled “Those who rescue the people from darkness", dated February 27, 2015, and published in General Quang’s own website featured a statement made during a visit to the Central Highlands: "…When I arrived in the Central Highlands, our task of rescuing the people from the evil Hà Mòn cult was accomplished only recently. The Security Team of the Police Force of the Town of Kontum performed deeds that were representative of the indefatigable efforts of security forces throughout the Central Highlands in our fight against reactionary enemy forces disguised as ethnic religious groups… Unlike the clear front line facing the regular police when it fights crimes related to drugs, financial misdeeds, and typical crimes, the security front is not clearly delineated. It is not easy to tell who our enemies are…" See: http://trandaiquang.org/nhung-nguoi-cuu-dan-ra-khoi-bong-toi-u-me.html

General Trần Đại Quang

General Tô Lâm (b. July 10, 1957 in Nghĩa Trụ Commune, Văn Giang District, Hưng Yên Province), present Chair of Central Highlands Steering Committee. He continues the policy set out by his predecessor as reported in the May 13, 2015 article titled “The hero soldiers fighting FULRO” published in “Public Security Art,” an official publication of the Public Security Ministry:

"Through 10 years of growth and combating the enemy, a more mature Ethnic Communities Security Office (PA90) of Gia Lai Province, in coordination with the local government and the people, has derailed plots by the reactionary FULRO and contributed to the security of the region. From 2004 on, the Office has unmasked and dealt with several FULRO organizations, "Dega Evangelical Church", and established 3 projects to end FULRO elements' operation out of the forest. The Office captured 12 Hà Mòn Cult adherents, convinced 69 fugitives to give themselves up, made substantial progress in resolving the Hà Mòn Cult issue, and achieved several other unheralded successes.

With its outstanding results, PA90 has been honored 4 times with the President's Order of Merit while its employees have been honored with several other awards from the President, the Prime Minister, and other officials." Source: Ministry of Police, Heroes in the battle against FULRO”. See http://vnca.cand.com.vn/Truyen-thong/Nhung-nguoi-linh-anh-hung-chong-Fulro-350266/

General Tô Lâm

Beyond the former and current ministers of public security, we also identified provincial police department directors and deputy directors as the lead perpetrators responsible for persecuting Montagnard Christians in the Central Highlands.

Vietnamese text of the article featuring President Tran Dai Quang and images from that website:

https://baochinhphu.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-trao-quyet-dinh-phan-cong-truong-ban-chi-dao-tay-nguyen-102206759.htm

Trao Quyết định phân công Trưởng Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên

Thứ Bảy, 30/07/2016, 21:17:33

Chủ tịch nước Trần Đại Quang trao Quyết định của Bộ Chính trị phân công đồng chí Tô Lâm giữ chức vụ Trưởng Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên. Ảnh: NHAN SÁNG (TTXVN)

Ngày 30-7, tại TP Buôn Ma Thuột (tỉnh Đác Lắc), Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên tổ chức trao Quyết định của Bộ Chính trị về việc phân công đồng chí Thượng tướng Tô Lâm, Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bộ trưởng Công an, giữ chức Trưởng Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên. Chủ tịch nước Trần Đại Quang dự và phát biểu ý kiến. Cùng dự, có các đồng chí: Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, nguyên Thủ tướng Chính phủ; Nguyễn Văn Bình, Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư T.Ư Đảng, Trưởng Ban Kinh tế T.Ư, Trưởng Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Bắc; Nguyễn Văn Nên, Bí thư T.Ư Đảng, Chánh Văn phòng T.Ư; đại diện lãnh đạo các ban, bộ, ngành T.Ư; lãnh đạo các ban Chỉ đạo Tây Bắc, Tây Nam Bộ, cùng lãnh đạo các tỉnh lân cận.

Chủ tịch nước Trần Đại Quang đã trao Quyết định của Bộ Chính trị phân công đồng chí Thượng tướng Tô Lâm, Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bộ trưởng Công an giữ chức Trưởng Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên.

Phát biểu ý kiến tại buổi lễ, thay mặt lãnh đạo Đảng, Nhà nước, Chủ tịch nước biểu dương và chúc mừng những thành tích, đóng góp của Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên trong sự nghiệp xây dựng và phát triển Tây Nguyên; đánh giá cao và cảm ơn sự phối hợp, giúp đỡ, hiệp đồng chiến đấu có hiệu quả của cấp ủy, chính quyền các cấp, các ngành, các lực lượng vũ trang và đồng bào các dân tộc Tây Nguyên, cũng như đồng bào cả nước đối với Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên thời gian qua; mong muốn tiếp tục nhận được sự phối hợp, giúp đỡ quý báu của đồng chí, đồng bào đối với sự nghiệp xây dựng và phát triển Tây Nguyên trong thời gian tới.

Chủ tịch nước nhấn mạnh, dưới sự lãnh đạo, chỉ đạo của Trung ương Đảng, Quốc hội, Chính phủ, Ban Chỉ Tây Nguyên đã phối họp chặt chẽ với các ban, bộ, ngành, cấp ủy, chính quyền các tỉnh Tây Nguyên và lân cận, triển khai thực hiện các chủ trương, chính sách của Đảng, Nhà nước đối với Tây Nguyên và đạt những kết quả quan trọng. Hệ thống chính trị ở cơ sở, khối đại đoàn kết toàn dân tộc được củng cố và tăng cường; năng lực lãnh đạo, sức chiến đấu của các tổ chức đảng, nhất là ở những địa bàn khó khăn phức tạp, vùng sâu, vùng xa, vùng đồng bào dân tộc thiểu số được nâng cao. Kinh tế Tây Nguyên giữ mức tăng trưởng khá, bảo đảm chuyển dịch cơ cấu theo đúng mục tiêu, yêu cầu đề ra. Hệ thống kết cấu hạ tầng được quan tâm đầu tư; điện lưới, nước sạch, y tế, truyền thông đã về đến các buôn, làng. Chính sách dân tộc, tôn giáo được thực hiện nhất quán, bảo đảm tín đồ có nơi thờ phụng, sinh hoạt tôn giáo ổn định. Công tác giải quyết đất ở, đất sản xuất, việc làm, cải thiện đời sống của đồng bào, nhất là đồng bào dân tộc thiểu số được quan tâm chỉ đạo. Trong lĩnh vực quốc phòng, an ninh, đã triển khai nhiều biện pháp đấu tranh vô hiệu hóa, ngăn chặn và làm thất bại âm mưu, hoạt động chống phá của các thế lực thù địch, phản động. Phong trào toàn dân bảo vệ an ninh Tổ quốc được đẩy mạnh với nhiều hình thức, nội dung phong phú, huy động được các ban, ngành, đoàn thể cùng hướng về cơ sở, tuyên truyền, giáo dục nhân dân tích cực tham gia đấu tranh phòng, chống tội phạm, tệ nạn xã hội, bảo đảm an ninh, trật tự trên địa bàn. Trên tuyến biên giới, đã phối hợp chặt chẽ, tranh thủ sự ủng hộ, hợp tác của chính quyền, lực lượng vũ trang và các cơ quan chức năng các nước Cam-pu-chia, Lào trong phòng, chống các loại tội phạm, hoạt động xâm nhập, vượt biên trái phép, bảo đảm an ninh, góp phần xây dựng đường biên giới hòa bình, hữu nghị, hợp tác và phát triển.

Phân tích tình hình thế giới, trong nước thời gian tới, Chủ tịch nước Trần Đại Quang cho rằng, hòa bình, hợp tác và phát triển tiếp tục là xu thế chung, song chạy đua vũ trang, xung đột sắc tộc, tôn giáo, hoạt động ly khai, khủng bố, tranh chấp tài nguyên, chủ quyền lãnh thổ... tiếp tục có xu hướng gia tăng, là thách thức lớn đối với môi trường hòa bình, ổn định và an ninh của thế giới, khu vực. Những yếu tố an ninh phi truyền thống mang tính toàn cầu, như an ninh mạng, năng lượng, lương thực, tranh chấp nguồn nước, an ninh tài chính, hàng hải, hàng không, biến đổi khí hậu, thiên tai, hạn hán, dịch bệnh... diễn biến ngày càng phức tạp và gay gắt hơn. Các thế lực thù địch, phản động và các loại tội phạm tập trung chống phá, ráo riết thực hiện “diễn biến hòa bình”, bạo loạn lật đổ đối với nước ta, trong đó địa bàn Tây Nguyên tiếp tục là mục tiêu chống phá quyết liệt. Tình hình an ninh biên giới, vượt biên trái phép và an ninh nông thôn tiềm ẩn nhiều yếu tố phức tạp, ảnh hưởng đến phát triển sản xuất, đời sống của đồng bào các dân tộc Tây Nguyên. Vì thế, nhiệm vụ lãnh đạo, chỉ đạo bảo đảm an ninh trật tự, củng cố quốc phòng, an ninh để phục vụ phát triển kinh tế - xã hội trên địa bàn Tây Nguyên là một trong những ưu tiên hàng đầu của Đảng, Nhà nước và cả hệ thống chính trị,

Chủ tịch nước tin tưởng và mong đồng chí Tô Lâm phát huy năng lực, phẩm chất, trí tuệ và kinh nghiệm của mình, cùng các đồng chí thành viên Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên phối hợp chặt chẽ với các ban, bộ, ngành, các tỉnh Tây Nguyên và lân cận hoàn thành tốt nhiệm vụ quan trọng nhưng rất nặng nề; phấn đấu xây dựng Tây Nguyên thành vùng kinh tế trọng điểm, có tốc độ tăng trưởng và chuyển dịch cơ cấu kinh tế vững chắc, đời sống vật chất và tinh thần của đồng bào các dân tộc thiểu số được cải thiện, chính trị, xã hội ổn định, quốc phòng - an ninh được giữ vững, đóng góp xứng đáng vào những thành tựu chung của cả nước.

Nhân dịp này, Ban Chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên đã trao Kỷ niệm chương Vì sự nghiệp phát triển Tây Nguyên tặng các đồng chí nguyên Trưởng Ban chỉ đạo Tây Nguyên: Chủ tịch nước Trần Đại Quang; nguyên Thủ tướng Nguyễn Tấn Dũng; nguyên Thường trực Ban Bí thư Lê Hồng Anh và 20 cá nhân có nhiều đóng góp đối với sự phát triển Tây Nguyên.

Images of the pages of this article on the Vietnamese website:

Implementation of the policy of the central government (including the Ministry of Public Security led by the previously mentioned ministers) is the task of regional police directors. A few examples are mentioned below.

Colonel Vũ Văn Lâu, Director of the Police Department of Gia Lai Province: He implements the policy of the Central Highlands Steering Committee targeting ethnic minority Christians.

Colonel Vũ Văn Lâu

Colonel Nguyễn Công Văn, Director of the Police Department of Kontum Province: He implements the policy of the Central Highlands Steering Committee targeting ethnic minority Christians. The article dated June 15, 2016 published on the official website of Kontum Province’s Police Department shows that his department was stepping up its efforts to eradicate independent Montagnard Christian churches: “Implementing the plan for eradicating the evil Ha Mon Cult, on June 14, 2016, the task force led by Colonel Vũ Tiến Điền, deputy director of the province's Police Department and consisting of a number of supervisors from the province's Security Office, participated in a working session with the team from the province that was sent to reinforce the Sa Thay District police force… However, progress still needs to be made in a number of locations where the situation is fluid…The deputy director ordered the reinforcement team to continue to coordinate with the various units in increasing the number of officers on site, to advise the commissars and government in the district….in a determined push to eradicate the Ha Mon Cult in the near future." See (BPSOS captured images before Vietnam removed this article):

http://congankontum.gov.vn/hdccat/xay-dung-luc-luong-ca/56538-dong-chi-dai-ta-vu-tien-dien-pho-giam-doc-lam-viec-voi-doi-cong-tac-tang-cuong-co-so-sa-thay.html

Colonel Nguyễn Công Văn

Colonel Vũ Tiến Điền, Deputy director of the Police Department of Kontum Province: He directly carries out the policy to eradicate independent Montagnard Christian house churches in Kontum. See above-mentioned.

Brigadier General Trân Kỳ Rơi (b. May 19, 1958 in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province), Director of the Police Department of Daklak Province: From the government-controlled Daklak newspaper: He carries out the policy set by the Central Highlands Steering Committee and under the directives of the Central Highlands Security Bureau. An article titled “With the trust and love of the people, we will definitely succeed” published on May 7, 2014 in Daklak Newspaper extolled the successful implementation of this policy: “Many PA90 officers said that they lost track of the number of days spent among the people each month, but they felt re-invigorated each time they brought down a FULRO organization to enhance the ethnic communities' security and prosperity." See (BPSOS captured images before Vietnam removed this article):

http://baodaklak.vn/channel/3484/201405/dan-tin-dan-yeu-nhat-dinh-thanh-cong-2310870/

Brigadier General Trân Kỳ Rơi

The following article showing that Vietnam’s central government has a policy targeting Montagnard Christians is still accessible on a Central Government web page as of this writing (February 2022):

Handing Appointment Document to New Chair of Central Highlands Steering Committee

Saturday, July 30, 2016, 21:17:33

Vietnam’s President Tran Dai Quang handing the Politburo’s appointment document to Senior Lieutenant General To Lam, the new Central Highlands Steering Committee Chair. Photo by Nhan Sang (VN News Agency)

“In the afternoon of July 30, 2016, in the Town of Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak Province, the Central Highlands Steering Committee held a ceremony to announce a Politburo personnel-related decision appointing Comrade Senior Lieutenant General To Lam, Politburo member, minister of Public Security, to the position of chairman, Central Highlands Steering Committee. President Tran Dai Quang participated and addressed the audience. Attending the ceremony were Comrades Nguyen Tan Dung, former prime minister; Nguyen Van Binh, Politburo member, Central Committee Secretary, Central Economic Council chair, Northwestern Region Steering Committee chair; Nguyen Van Nen, Central Committee secretary, chief of staff of Central Committee; representatives of the leadership of central government ministries and bureaus; representatives of the leadership of the Northwestern Region and Southwestern Region Steering Committees; and the leadership of neighboring provinces.

President Tran Dai Quang handed to Senior Lieutenant General To Lam the Politburo's appointment document that made him the chairman of the Central Highlands Steering Committee. This comrade is a Politburo member and the current minister of Public Security.

Representing the leadership of the Party and government, the president cited and lauded the Steering Committee's achievements and contributions to the region's development; praised the fruitful coordination with, assistance to, and collaboration with the Steering Committee involving the Party’s political representatives and the authorities at various levels of government, the different government units and military units, Central Highlands ethnic communities and the rest of the Vietnamese people; and expressed his hope that the comrades and people will continue to collaborate and assist with the task of developing the Central Highlands in coming years.

The president highlighted the Steering Committee’s tight collaboration with different government units, political Party representatives and the authorities at various levels of government in the Central Highlands and neighboring provinces, with direction and leadership by the Party’s Central Committee, National Assembly, and the Executive Branch, in implementing the Party and government’s policy and programs and obtaining important results. The political system of the region and national solidarity are being strengthened and enlarged; the Party’s organizations operational capacity, particularly in locations with vexing problems, remote locations, and those with several ethnic minority groups, is being enhanced. The Central Highlands’s economy has been growing fairly well, guaranteeing that goals and needs will be met. Investments are being made in infrastructure; the electric grid, water treatment systems, and communication infrastructure are penetrating into hamlets and villages. The government’s religious and ethnic policies are being consistently carried out to ensure that religious adherents have venues for worship and a stable religious life. The government is focusing on directing the resolution of issues related to land for residences and agriculture, jobs, improvements in people’s lives, particularly minority communities. With respect to defense and security, the government has taken several measures to neutralize, prevent, and defeat the destabilizing efforts of hostile, reactionary forces. The campaign to enlist all the people to safeguard our country is being conducted through diverse approaches with a wealth of contents. Mobilization of organizations and government units is ongoing, with the goal being grassroot propaganda and education so that the people participate in the prevention of crimes and social vices, and maintenance of security and public order in the region. Along national borders, the collaboration and coordination between government units, military units, and the Cambodian and Laotian authorities are going strong to deter crimes and illegal entry or exit; maintain security; and contribute to peace, friendship, collaboration, and development in the border areas.

After an analysis of the international and domestic situations projected into the future, President Tran Dai Quang said that peace, collaboration, and development are common goals, but the major challenge for the world and the region includes arms races, ethnic and religious conflicts, separatism, terrorism, competition for resources, and threats to territorial integrity. The world faces increasingly complex issues involving cybersecurity, energy security, food security, water scarcity, financial security, sea and air security, climate change, natural disasters, drought, epidemics, etc. Hostile and reactionary forces and criminals concentrate their attacks through their “peaceful evolution” scheme involving the violent overthrow of our government, with the Central Highlands being their top objective. Border security, illegal border crossing, and rural security involve many complex factors that can affect the level of production and lives of Central Highlands ethnic communities. Consequently, a top priority of the Party and political system is leading and directing the efforts aimed at maintaining public order and security and strengthening our defense to bring about social and economic development in the Central Highlands [emphasis added].

The president voiced his trust in, and expectation for Comrade To Lam. This includes Comrade To Lam’s efforts at further enhancing his qualities, mind, and experience, and, with the other comrades on the Central Highlands Steering Committee, collaborating well with the Central Highlands’s government units and other organizations in carrying out the important and very challenging task of economic development of the region, achieving steady growth and economic stability, improving the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities, stabilizing the political and social situation, maintaining security, and making significant contributions from a national perspective.

On this occasion, the Steering Committee bestowed recognition memorabilia to the following persons: the former chair of the Steering Committee – President Tran Dai Quang; the former prime minister - Comrade Nguyen Tan Dung; the former chief of staff of the Central Secretariat – Comrade Le Hong Anh, and 20 individuals with significant contributions to the development of the Central Highlands.”

Appendix B

Additional Evidence of Disinformation and Hate Speech

Red Flag of Dak Lak Province:

On December 27, 2020, the Facebook page “Red Flag of Dak Lak Province” posted a lengthy article that spread disinformation against the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ. Titled “Exposing the true nature of the reactionary organization Evangelicfal Church of Christ,” the article accused this organization of working with enemy forces and collaborating with reactionary organizations in exile:

https://www.facebook.com/105979761013949/posts/215927273352530/

The article lists names of specific individuals that it declares to be reactionary.

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On September 22, 2021, the same Facebook account posted a video titled “Must eliminate the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ from the life of villagers,” attacking this house church.

https://www.facebook.com/cododaklak/videos/292139192342708

The video displays photos of church members and leaders as well as US government officials.

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Public Security Television:

On September 27, 2019, Colonel Nguyen The Luc, Deputy Director of the Police Department of Dak Lak Province, was shown in a two-part story broadcasted on An Ninh Television (ANTV), an official television program of the Ministry of Public Security, falsely denouncing the Montagnard house churches as units of an anti-government movement. The story, titled “The Vicious Conspiracy of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ,” is broadcasted on Youtube:

Part 1: https://youtu.be/fuAcdWOFZ0w

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN8QgAAVBDE

Part 1 had 65,000 viewers and Part 2, 138,500.

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7’40” into the video: A Montagnard victim being interrogated - filmed for the Ministry of Public Security.

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https://www.facebook.com/328951534571737/posts/1099021800898036/

March 1, 2022

https://www.facebook.com/328951534571737/posts/1099021800898036/

NHỮNG HOẠT ĐỘNG VI PHẠM PHÁP LUẬT CỦA TỔ CHỨC "TIN LÀNH ĐẤNG CHRIST"

“Tin lành Đấng Christ” là tổ chức phản động đội lốt tôn giáo để tiến hành các hoạt động xâm phạm an ninh quốc gia. Do đó, mọi hoạt động liên quan đến tổ chức này đều là hành vi vi phạm pháp luật. Nhà nước Việt Nam luôn bảo đảm quyền tự do tin tưởng của người dân. Mọi hoạt động lợi dụng tín ngưỡng tôn giáo để xâm phạm an ninh quốc gia đều sẽ bị xử lý nghiêm minh theo quy định của pháp luật.

Tổ chức “Tin lành Đấng Christ – UMCC” (United Montagnard Church of Christ)” do Y Hin Niê (dân tộc Êđê, gốc ở tỉnh Đăk Lăk thành lập vào năm 2001. Y Hin Niê nguyên là “Đại tá, Bộ trưởng Bộ ngoại giao” FULRO III, xuất cảnh định cư ở Mỹ từ năm 1992).

Khi thành lập tổ chức này, ý đồ của đối tượng cầm đầu là quy tụ các chức sắc, tín đồ người dân tộc thiểu số (DTTS) Tây Nguyên ở Mỹ và Việt Nam để tập hợp lực lượng, đấu tranh “đòi” tự do tôn giáo, dân chủ nhân quyền, tiến tới thành lập “Tôn giáo riêng”, “Nhà nước riêng” của người DTTS Tây Nguyên.

Để thực hiện ý đồ và mục đích này, UMCC chủ trương câu kết, móc nối, “lợi dụng các tổ chức phản động người Việt lưu vong để trục lợi cá nhân, đào tạo trực tuyến, chỉ đạo số cầm đầu trong nước hoạt động đấu tranh bất bạo động; củng cố, phát triển lực lượng, thu thập thông tin, tài liệu về dân chủ, nhân quyền gửi ra nước ngoài để vu cáo Việt Nam trên các diễn đàn quốc tế; tranh thủ sự ủng hộ của một số nước và các thế lực thù địch chống Việt Nam. Cùng với đó, thông qua mạng xã hội, các diễn đàn quốc tế…, vu cáo Việt Nam phân biệt đối xử, đàn áp người DTTS. Ở bên ngoài, UMCC đã phát triển được hàng trăm tín đồ. Ở bên trong, chúng đã phát triển ở một số tỉnh thành trong cả nước để hoạt động

Ngay sau khi thành lập, UMCC ráo riết chỉ đạo số tay chân trong nước tiến hành các hoạt động chống phá Việt Nam; “cổ vũ, kích động” các hành vi vi phạm luật pháp quốc tế và pháp luật của các nước Việt Nam, Thái Lan… nhằm thu lợi bất chính.

Do mâu thuẫn về quyền lợi, vào tháng 9/2019, A Ga (SN 1977, gốc Kon Tum, hiện ở Mỹ), đối tượng đang bị cơ quan điều tra Công an tỉnh Gia Lai truy nã về tội “Tổ chức người khác trốn đi nước ngoài” chủ trương tách khỏi UMCC thành lập một tổ chức riêng để tiếp tục hoạt động. Tháng 9/2020, A Ga chính thức thay đổi logo và tên gọi của ECCV thành “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ Tây Nguyên, gọi tắt là CHPC, tự nhận mình làm người đại diện, đồng thời chỉ định nhân sự “Ban đại diện” tạm thời trong nước gồm 5 thành viên, do A Đảo (trú ở Sa Thầy, thì Kon Tum) làm “Giáo hội trưởng”. Lúc này, tổ chức “Tin lành Đấng Christ” bị phân thành hai nhóm nhỏ, hoạt động riêng biệt, nhưng âm mưu, ý đồ, phương thức, thủ đoạn tương tự nhau.

Bề ngoài, CHPC tổ chức sinh hoạt tôn giáo bình thường với các hoạt động hát thánh ca, chia sẻ kinh thánh và cầu nguyện. Tuy nhiên bên trong, CHPC chính là một tổ chức phản động đội lốt tôn giáo để tiến hành các hoạt động xâm phạm an ninh quốc gia. Phương thức, thủ đoạn hoạt động của CHPC không có gì mới, tương tự như “Tin lành Đêga” trước đây và tổ chức phản động “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ” ở Mỹ hiện nay.

Đó là tập hợp tín đồ là người DTTS ở trong nước liên kết với các nhóm Tin lành khác và số đối tượng phản động người Việt lưu vong lợi dụng vấn đề dân chủ, nhân quyền, tự do tôn giáo để chống phá Việt Nam, đòi thành lập “nhà nước riêng, tôn giáo riêng” cho người DTTS. Để phát triển tổ chức phản động của mình, A Ga đã cộng tác, liên kết với các tổ chức phản động nước ngoài khác như “Ủy ban Cứu trợ người vượt biển” (BPSOS) của Nguyễn Đình Thắng ở Mỹ, “nhóm “Người Thượng đứng lên vì công lý” (MSFJ) của Y Quynh Bdăp ở Thái Lan để tạo dựng, phát triển cơ sở bên trong.

Thông qua các ứng dụng trên mạng xã hội.., A Ga đã kết nối với các đối tượng bên trong để tuyên truyền, củng cố niềm tin, lôi kéo mọi người tham gia CHPC, mở rộng tín đồ, tập hợp lực lượng, từng bước công khai hóa hoạt động. Bên cạnh đó, A Ga và các đối tượng phản động lưu vong khác tích cực móc nối, lôi kéo, hướng dẫn các tín đồ theo đạo tin lành thuần túy trong nước tham gia các buổi tập huấn trực tuyến về nhân quyền mà thực chất chính là các buổi đào tạo cách thức viết “báo cáo vi phạm” về nhân quyền, tự do tôn giáo; đào tạo kỹ năng hoạt động xã hội dân sự”; hướng dẫn phương pháp thu thập, cung cấp các thông tin sai lệch về tình hình trong nước để xuyên tạc, vu cáo trên mạng xã hội và các diễn đàn quốc tế; hướng dẫn cách thức đối phó với cơ quan Công an khi bị phát hiện. Với thủ đoạn này, từ tháng 9/2020 đến nay, CHPC đã phát triển được một số tín đồ tại các tỉnh: Đắk Lắk, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đăk Lăk, Đăk Nông, Lâm Đồng và Phú Yên.

Qua công tác nắm tình hình, lực lượng Công an đã phát hiện được toàn bộ hoạt động của tổ chức phản động “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ Tây Nguyên” cũng như hoạt động vi phạm pháp luật của các đối tượng tham gia trong nước.

Thế nhưng, với bản chất ngoan cố, số cốt cán của UMCC trước đây chưa chịu từ bỏ hoạt động vẫn lén lút móc nối, lôi kéo, phát triển lực lượng, ý đồ thành lập một tổ chức mới, trên nền tảng của tổ chức UMCC trước đó, tuy nhiên đều bị lực lượng chức năng phát hiện, đấu tranh, phá rã.

VẠCH TRẦN BẢN CHẤT CỦA ĐỐI TƯỢNG CẦM ĐẦU

Trong tổ chức “Tin lành Đấng Christ Tây Nguyên”, phải kể đến A Đảo (SN 1981, trú tại huyện Sa Thầy, tỉnh Kon Tum). Đối tượng này có những hoạt động chống phá quyết liệt.

Cụ thể, vào khoảng tháng 7/2014, theo sự chỉ đạo của số cầm đầu UMCC bên ngoài, A Đảo cùng Y Nuen Ayun ra Hà Nội gặp ông David Showronski và bà Rose Miconell (nhân viên Đại sứ quán Úc tại Hà Nội) và Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, Nguyễn Văn Đài để cung cấp tài liệu giấy mời, giấy triệu tập làm việc, giấy chứng nhận mãn hạn tù… của các đối tượng tại Tây Nguyên; xuyên tạc chính sách tôn giáo, xuyên tạc, vu cáo chính quyền Việt Nam vi phạm dân chủ, nhân quyền, tự do tôn giáo, đàn áp, sách nhiều người dân tộc thiểu số (DTTS) ở địa bàn Tây Nguyên.

Tại cuộc gặp này, Nguyễn Bắc Truyền trả số tiền 5 triệu đồng và Nguyễn Văn Đài trả số tiền 4 triệu đồng cho A Đảo, Y Nuen Ayun tiền thù lao.

Hoạt động nhóm họp, sinh hoạt tôn giáo trái phép để lôi kéo, lừa gạt, núp bóng tôn giáo, hoạt động chống phá của cái gọi là “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ Tây Nguyên.

Từ tháng 2 – 12/2015, số cầm đầu UMCC ở bên ngoài tiếp tục giới thiệu, chỉ đạo số tay chân trong nước như A Đảo, A Hlum, A Hmưk, A Trung, A Xã, A Viei, Y Huy, A Đoàn, A Hluih, A Chang, Y Bét tham gia đào tạo, huấn luyện trực tuyến về Nhân quyền, tự do tôn giáo quốc tế, hướng dẫn cách thức đối phó với chính quyền Việt Nam… Tuy nhiên, việc chỉ đạo số trong nước tham gia các khóa đào tạo này của UMCC chỉ với mục đích nhận được số tiền hỗ trợ khoảng 500.000 đồng/tuần/1 đối tượng tham gia.

Trong khóa học này A Đảo quen biết Huỳnh Thục Vy, sau đó A Đảo, Y Bét, A Trung tiếp tục lợi dụng Huỳnh Thục Vy. Từ đó, đối tượng đã gặp gỡ và tiếp xúc với một số người nước ngoài nhằm mục đích xin tiền, phục vụ việc tieu xài xá nhân.

Từ ngày 25/7/2016 đến ngày 11/8/2016, với mục đích trục lợi và theo chỉ đạo của số cầm đầu, cốt cán UMCC bên ngoài, A Đảo cùng Y Bét xuất cảnh sang Đông Timor dự Hội nghị tự do tôn giáo khu vực Đông Nam Á. Tại hội nghị này, A Đảo được các đối tượng trả 500 USD thù lao. Ngoài ra, từ tháng 3/2016 đến tháng 8/2016, A Ga (cốt cán UMCC đang cư trú bất hợp pháp tại Thái Lan) chỉ đạo A Đảo, Nay Them tổ chức 3 đợt đưa 10 người DTTS xuất cảnh và định cư trái phép ở Thái Lan. Khi đối tượng này đang tổ chức đưa, dẫn người thì bị lực lượng Công an đã phát hiện, bắt quả tang vào ngày 18/8/2016. Quá trình bắt giữ, lực lượng chức năng đã thu giữ 160 USD, 49.735.000VNĐ liên quan hoạt động phạm tội của A Đảo. Căn cứ vào các hành vi phạm tội trên, Cơ quan ANĐT đã ra quyết định khởi tố vụ án, khởi tố bị can đối với A Đảo về hành vi tổ chức người khác trốn ra nước ngoài theo điều 275, BLHS năm 1999. Đồng thời, đã ra lệnh truy nã quốc tế đối với A Ga về tội tổ chức người khác trốn đi nước ngoài.

Sau khi A Đảo bị xử lý, một số người dân trước đó đã bị khống chế theo UMCC tại các tỉnh Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đăk Lăk, Lâm Đồng, Bình Phước tỏ ra bất mãn, không tin tưởng vào UMCC. Một số trường hợp đã viết đơn tự nguyện xin chuyển sinh hoạt theo Hệ phái Tin lành đã được cấp quy chế pháp nhân và được cấp ủy, chính quyền địa phương tạo điều kiện để chuyên sinh hoạt tại các hệ phái Tin lành như: Bắp tít Liên hiệp; Bắp tít Nam Phương…, bộ khung tổ chức trong nước tự tan rã.

Tháng 9/2020, ngay sau khi A Đảo ra tù, số cầm đầu bên ngoài tiếp tục sử dụng A Đảo thành con bài cho âm mưu của chúng, một mặt chúng vận động, kêu gọi, quyên góp tiền để gửi cho A Đảo, mặt khác chúng chỉ đạo A Đảo móc nối, lôi kéo, gây dựng số tay chân bên trong, một trong những người tham gia CHPC tích cực nhất trên địa bàn Đắk Lắk đó là Y Krếc Bya (hay còn gọi là Ama Guôn, sinh năm 1978, trú tại buôn Knia 2, xã Ea Bar, huyện Buôn Đôn). Y Krếc là đối tượng FULRO, bị xử phạt 8 năm tù về tội “Phá hoại chính sách đoàn kết”. Năm 2013, sau khi ra tù được một năm, Y Krếc lại tiếp tục tham gia hoạt động cơ sở ngầm FULRO và bị cơ quan Công an đấu tranh xử lý, đưa ra kiểm điểm trước dân. Với vai trò là “Quản nhiệm điểm sinh hoạt buôn Knia 2”, sau khi được liên lạc, lôi kéo, Y Krếc đã đồng ý tham gia CHPC và được A Ga giao cho làm Thủ quỹ của Ban điều hành tạm thời.

Từ tháng 3/2020 cho đến khi bị phát hiện, Y Krếc đã tích cực lôi kéo 15 người, hầu hết là các tín đồ Tin lành sinh hoạt trong điểm nhóm tại gia của mình tham gia CHPC. Ngoài ra còn có một số đối tượng khác, như: Y Nuen Ayun (Ama Đawit, sinh năm 1967; trú buôn Puăn B, xã Ea Phê, huyện Krông Pắc); Y Chới Bkrông (Ama H’Nal, sinh năm 1972; trú buôn Ko Mleo, xã Hòa Thắng, TP Buôn Ma Thuột); YYuăn Byă (Ama H’Wôn, sinh năm 1966; trú tại buôn Knia 3, xã Ea Bar, huyện Buôn Đôn) là những đối tượng tích cực tham gia phát triển CHPC trên địa bàn Đắk Lắk.

Quá trình làm việc với cơ quan Công an, những người này khai nhận, được sự chỉ đạo từ A Ga và các đối tượng cầm đầu bên ngoài, họ đã tiếp tục đi tuyên truyền, vận động, lôi kéo những người thân trong gia đình, các tín đồ sinh hoạt đạo thuần túy nhẹ dạ cả tin khác trong buồn cùng tham gia. Thủ đoạn lôi kéo mọi người của các đối tượng vẫn là những luận điệu cũ rích, đó là tham gia CHPC để về lâu dài sẽ thành lập “tôn giáo riêng, nhà nước riêng” cho người Tây Nguyên, và nếu sau này “Nhà nước Đê ga” thành công thì những người tham gia sẽ được chia đất đai, nhà cửa, tài sản, phong chức tước.

Bản thân Y Krếc đã tập hợp, gửi các “bản tường trình”, “báo cáo” xuyên tạc về tình hình tôn giáo, nhân quyền cho phản động bên ngoài để tập hộ, báo cáo cho phản động lưu vong, phản ánh sai lệnh cho các tổ chức quốc tế, gây sức ép, làm giảm uy tín của Việt Nam trên trường quốc tế.

Đối tượng Y Nuen với vai trò “Giáo hội phó” CHPC đã lôi kéo một số người tham gia; thu thập, gửi một số “bản tường trình” vu cáo chính quyền, vu cáo lực lượng Công an vi phạm tự do tôn giáo, nhân quyền. Đối với Y Chới Bkrông, sau khi được tuyên truyền, lôi kéo tham gia CHPC, từ tháng 11/2020 đến nay, Y Chới đã tham gia nhiều buổi tập huấn nhân quyền trực tuyến do Y Quynh Bdap và Nguyễn Đình Thắng giảng dạy, đồng thời đã viết một số báo cáo với nội dung vu cáo chính quyền đàn áp tôn giáo gửi cho A Ga. Để “nuôi dưỡng” cho hoạt động trong nước, các đối tượng phản động bên ngoài đã nhiều lần gửi tiền cho số cầm đầu, cốt cán trong nước để củng cố niềm tin hoạt động chống phá. Tuy nhiên, A Đảo, Y Krếc, Y Nuen đã trục lợi cá nhân, “ăn chặn” và thậm chí mâu thuẫn nhau về việc “chia tiền”.

Từ những âm mưu, ý đồ hoạt động và những chứng cứ thu được đã thể hiện “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ Tây Nguyên” chính là một tổ chức phản động đội lột tôn giáo để tiến hành các hoạt động xâm phạm an ninh quốc gia. Do đó, mọi hoạt động liên quan đến tổ chức này đều là hành vi vi phạm pháp luật. Mặc dù sau khi bị phát hiện, các đối tượng tham gia CHPC trên địa bàn Đắk Lắk đều đã thừa nhận, cam kết từ bỏ, tuy nhiên, tùy vào tính chất, mức độ vi phạm của từng người mà cơ quan chức năng sẽ có biện pháp xử lý phù hợp, đúng quy định của pháp luật.

Thực tế, thời gian qua tại Tây Nguyên, đa số các chức sắc, tín đồ các tôn giáo được tạo điều kiện sinh hoạt tôn giáo thuần túy, chấp hành tốt các quy định của pháp luật. Riêng đối với đạo Tin lành, ngoài 5 tổ chức đã được Nhà nước công nhận (gồm: Hội thánh Tin lành Việt Nam (Miền Nam), Hội thánh Tin lành Cơ đốc Phục lâm, Hội thánh Tin lành Trưởng lão, Hội thánh Truyền giáo Cơ đốc và Hội thánh Tin Lành Liên hữu Cơ đốc), vẫn còn hàng chục tổ chức, hệ phái Tin lành chưa được công nhận tư cách pháp nhân, chưa được đăng ký hoạt động (nh Tin lành Truyền giảng phúc âm, Tin lành Liên hữu Bắp tít, Tin lành Phúc âm đời đời…) với tổng số hàng chục ngàn tín đồ. Các tổ chức, hệ phái này vẫn được tạo điều kiện để hoạt động ổn định. Tuy nhiên, thời gian qua, các thế lực thù địch bên ngoài, nhất là số FULRO lưu vong tiếp tục rêu rao ở Việt Nam “không có tự do tôn giáo”, chỉ có “tôn giáo quốc doanh”, không cho các tổ chức Tin lành chưa được đăng ký hoạt động.

Một lần nữa chúng ta cần khẳng định rằng, Nhà nước Việt Nam luôn tôn trọng quyền tự do tín ngưỡng, tôn giáo của người dân, nhưng bên cạnh đó cũng nghiêm cấm việc lợi dụng tôn giáo để xâm phạm đến quyền, lợi ích hợp pháp của tổ chức, cá nhân. Mỗi tín đồ tôn giáo bên cạnh việc thực hiện quyền tự do tín ngưỡng, tôn giáo cần phải thực hiện nghĩa vụ công dân của mình trên cơ sở chấp hành nghiêm các quy định của pháp luật. Qua đây, mỗi chức sắc, tín đồ và người dân hãy đề cao cảnh giác, không tin, không nghe các đối tượng lôi kéo tham gia vào các hoạt động tôn giáo đề chống Đảng, Nhà nước, vi phạm pháp luật, đồng thời tích cực tố giác, phối hợp với chính quyền và lực lượng Công an các cấp ngăn chặn, góp phần loại bỏ cái gọi là “Hội thánh Tin lành đấng Christ Tây Nguyên” ra khỏi cộng đồng.

Xuân Mai

Bạn Của Buôn Làng

A. 2019 government video on the police effort to destroy a Montagnard house church

https://youtu.be/fuAcdWOFZ0w

Minute 0.24 Narrator’s voice: The Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ (MECC) has been destroyed. In Dak Lak Province, under the Security Police Plan No. KH 96210, the security police arrested over 30 leaders of MECC from 2017 until early 2018…

Minute 2:47 The video clip shows a page from one of the reports on religious persecution prepared by the victims addressed to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, based on the format specified by the UN:

Sr. Lieut. Colonel Truong Hong Quy, commander, Internal Security Office, Dak Lak Province Police:

The “religious cover” trick is extremely dangerous, their ultimate goal is to establish their own government and secede from our country...

As “evidence”, the video shows a sign erected by U.S. veterans who served as military advisors in Vietnam in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, implying that the “foreign forces” mentioned in the video include U.S. entities.

Counterparts Veterans Association (U.S.) memorialized their close association with minority ethnic irregulars whom the American advisers trained and who fought alongside those advisers during the Vietnam War.

Minute 5:45 An American Baptist, Pastor Gene Lathan, arrived in July 2019 to pray with adherents from Central Highlands house churches, including the Dega Evangelical Church and the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ. The ANTV narrator said that Pastor Lathan had come to Vietnam to take the measure of the Evangelical Church of Christ’s strength, implying that he (and evangelical churches in the U.S.) was part of the “FULRO plot” to rebuild the Central Highlands churches as a stepping stone to secession. In fact, the security police launched a major pre-dawn operation over several days to arrest and interrogate several Montagnard Christians about their contact with Pastor Lathan.

Pastor Gene Lathan praying with Montagnard Christians in July 2019

Colonel Nguyen The Luc, deputy director, Dak Lak Province Police:

Minute 6:05 FULRO aims to achieve independence for the Central Highlands ethnic minorities and needs to recruit followers using religion as a bait. (BPSOS: Note that all the victims have been non-violent. The police state strictly forbids its citizens to own guns).

ANTV displays the personal information of the current leaders of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Appendix C

Development of Montagnard Advocacy Capacity and Outcome

Montagnard communities began reaching out to Boat People SOS in 2013 to learn about peaceful advocacy with the UN and Western governments. In 2019, Montagnard refugees in Thailand formed Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ) to act as a bridge between Central Highlands house churches and the international community. Boat People SOS and MSFJ have been collaborating on projects aiming to train Montagnard communities on their rights under the Vietnamese Constitution and laws and how to increase their capacity to defend those rights under Vietnamese law and Vietnam’s obligations under international agreements such as conventions and covenants. A major component of this training is how to document and report government violations of religious freedom.

The following chart, which includes instances of persecution and harassment directed at Montagnard Protestant house churches in the Central Highlands, is based on 130 incident reports that the house churches and Boat People SOS have submitted to the UN Special Procedures since 2013

“Hanoi’s perspective on the Montagnards seems fixed in a Vietnam War-era past,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division. “Ever since the war ended in 1975, the Montagnards have faced systematic harassment, intrusive surveillance and persecution.”

In the chart, the abuses listed are only those that happened at the time our reports were filed, and other abuses (such as land grabbing) might also have happened to these same groups in previous years. For example, a lot of Montagnards had lost their lands to developers as a result of national policy while the chart shows only a handful of land confiscation instances in the 2018-2019 time period.

A 2020 op-ed by a commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and a U.S. congressman summarizes the situation very well:

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/religious-rights/512929-hopes-and-fears-for-religious-f

===============================================================================================

Hopes and fears for religious freedom in Vietnam

BY JAMES W. CARR AND REP. GLENN GROTHMAN (R-WIS.), OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 08/20/20 05:00 PM EDT

Around the world, nations want to emulate the West in general, and the United States in particular, with regard to material achievements. We in the United States enjoy housing, clothes, electronics, and diet of an affluent nation. However, we have not done a good enough job of explaining to nations around the world that the major attribute that makes life worth living in the West is the freedom to express ideas in general, and religious ideas in particular.

Religious leaders provide spiritual nourishment and guidance to believers. They are also often called to speak out on issues that impact their community. One such leader is A Dao, a member of the Montagnard ethnic group and pastor of the Evangelical Church of Christ (ECC) in Gia Xieng village, Kontum Province of Vietnam.

Through the Defending Freedoms Project of the congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), we are advocating for A Dao’s release.

Pastor A Dao’s arrest and imprisonment is just one example of the challenges that ethnic minorities in Vietnam face when attempting to exercise their freedom of belief.

As USCIRF noted in its 2020 Annual Report, Hmong and Montagnard Christians in Vietnam’s mountainous Northern and Central Highlands are regularly harassed, detained, or even banished because of their religious affiliation. According to human rights advocates, thousands of Hmong and Montagnard Christians remain effectively stateless because local authorities have refused to issue identity cards and household registration, in many instances in retaliation against Christians who refuse to renounce their faith. Without this documentation, these individuals cannot access public services, such as state schools or hospitals.

In addition, Vietnam’s Law on Belief and Religion requires all houses of worship to register with the government. Yet, the law does not account for the reality of religious practice in the area. When some Hmong and Montagnard pastors tried to register their house churches, Vietnamese bureaucrats rejected their applications, citing excuses such as occupancy limitations. This has dire implications because security personnel regularly raid or close down unregistered house churches in the Central Highlands. The law effectively places pastors in a catch-22.

Fortunately, even amidst all of these problems, we see signs of progress.

Local authorities in Subdivision 179 in Dam Rong District, Lam Dong Province, recently announced $3.3 million in funding to help 79 displaced Hmong Christian households to permanently resettle. These individuals currently lack household registration and identity cards. The regional government’s plans include roads, a medical clinic, a community center, and other facilities. The national government has supported these efforts.

We urge the State Department to work with the Vietnamese government to expand this policy to all similarly situated Hmong and Montagnard communities across the country. With Vietnamese leadership and U.S. encouragement, Subdivision 179 could potentially serve as a model for ameliorating the plight of Christian minorities in the Central Highlands. The U.S. government could help by setting up a system for sharing information about affected communities and best practices for local government officials.

We also request the U.S. Agency for International Development to support the ongoing efforts in Subdivision 179. Such a gesture would help demonstrate that the U.S. government recognizes the leadership of Dam Rong District officials on this issue and incentivize other local governments to take similar steps.

^{^[1]} https://www.britannica.com/topic/Montagnard-people.

^{^[2]} https://www.facebook.com/TNTNNEWS/posts/485555698736037/

^{^[3]} Harris, J.P., Vietnam's High Ground, Armed Struggle for the Central Highlands, 1954-1965. https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2283-2.html

^{^[4]}https://baochinhphu.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-trao-quyet-dinh-phan-cong-truong-ban-chi-dao-tay-nguyen-102206759.htm

^{^[5]} Gia Lai Police Discover 11 FULRO, Dega Protestant Leaders, VOV.VN, January 5, 2022. https://vov.vn/phap-luat/cong-an-gia-lai-phat-hien-11-doi-tuong-cam-dau-nhen-nhom-fulro-tin-lanh-degar-post916246.vov

^{^[6]} Human Rights Watch, 2011. https://www.hrw.org/report/2011/03/30/montagnard-christians-vietnam/case-study-religious-repression

^{^[7]} “Montagnard Prisoners of Conscience,” Campaign to Abolish Torture in Vietnam, February 2022, http://www.stoptorture-vn.org/uploads/2/5/9/2/25923947/2022-2-14_cat-vn_mtn_pocs_mstr.pdf . See also MSFJ Reports to UN.

^{^[8]} “Montagnard Christians in Vietnam: A Case Study in Religious Repression,” Human Rights Watch, March 30, 2011

^{^[9]} https://youtu.be/fuAcdWOFZ0w. Minute 0.24. Accessed on February 9, 2022

^{^[10]} Barker, M. Unintended Yet Essential Political Ties: The Christian and Missionary Alliance in French Indochina. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/history/projects/beaucarnotdiary/documents/barker_paper.pdf

^{^[11]} Ho Thanh Tam, The Propagation of Protestantism to the Central Highlands - Vietnam 1925-1954: A Perspective. https://cehitam.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/the-propagation-of-protestantism-to-the-central-highland-vietnam-1925-1954-a-perspective/

^{^[12]} ARD, Inc for USAID, Vietnam Central Highlands Needs Assessment, 29 December 2008 https://www.oecd.org/countries/vietnam/42305730.pdf. ince the report cites 2001 statistics, it may be worthwhile to note that over the past decade the average Vietnamese population growth rate has been around 1% per year.

^{^[13]} “Repression of Montagnards, Conflicts Over Land and Religion in Vietnam's Central Highlands”, pp 61-62, Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/vietnam

^{^[14]} From the USAID report and:

- Institute of Southeast Asian Studies - https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2017_34.pdf

- Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics articles:

http://lyluanchinhtri.vn/home/en/index.php/forum/item/693-the-development-of-protestantism-in-vietnam.html

http://lyluanchinhtri.vn/home/en/index.php/practice/item/715-protestantism-in-central-highlands-and-current-issues.html#:~:text=Protestantism%20was%20officially%20introduced%20to,living%20in%20the%20Central%20Highlands.

- Government Committee for Religious Affairs:

http://btgcp.gov.vn/gioi-thieu-cac-to-chuc-ton-giao-da-duoc-cong-nhan/khai-quat-dao-tin-lanh-tren-the-gioi-va-o-viet-nam-post9m7eZdpo.html

1965 data points based on interpolation between 1955 and 1975. Unregistered Central Highlands Protestants: 2020 number from the 2nd Academy of Politics article is “more than 18,000”. Unregistered believers would not have readily revealed themselves to the local government. So, 40,000 was assumed in 2020 (2.7% the number of nationwide Protestants). Prior year numbers of unregistered Montagnard Christians are based on this percentage (= 2.7% of nationwide total of Protestants).

^{^[15]} Harris, J.P., Vietnam's High Ground, Armed Struggle for the Central Highlands, 1954-1965. https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2283-2.html ; University of North Carolina - Greensboro, “Montagnards”. https://cnnc.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/montagnards.pdf

^{^[16]} Human Rights Watch, “VII. Repression of Ethnic Minority Protestants”. https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/vietnam/viet0402-08.htm

^{^[17]} Subsequent to the publication of the HRW study, Vietnam promulgated the Law on Belief and Religion in 2016, with only some minor improvements over the 1999 decree, while critics point out that in some respects, the law has given the government more power to control religious organizations. See: https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2016/12/vietnams-law-on-belief-and-religion-deeply-flawed/

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