Report to the Country Report Task Force on Vietnam In consideration of List of Issues to be adopted for Vietnam Third Periodic Report review (CCPR/C/VNM/3)

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Vietnamese People’s Evangelical Fellowship (VPEF)

U.S. Office: 5312 Eagles Landing Raleigh NC. 27616. USA

Website: https://www.vpef.net, Email: vpef2006@gmail.com,

Phone: 714-468-3409-

______________________________________________

Raleigh. North Carolina, 020/01/2019

INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In this report, Vietnamese People’s Evangelical Fellowship (VPEF) offers our assessment about whether any progress has been made by the Vietnamese authorities in regards to the Concluding Observations adopted by the Human Rights Committee on 5 August 2002 (CCPR/CO/75/VNM). In particular, this report looks at:

Prohibition/prevention of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners and other detainees (arts. 7 and 10);
Freedom of religion and conscience (art. 18).

Under the attack of the government are the churches of the VPEF, the Lutheran Vietnamese and American Protestant Association, the Vietnamese Evangelical Church (Montagnard) and some other churches in the Central Highlands, Northwestern Region and Southwestern Region. The Hanoi government regards these areas as strategic values for national security and therefore has a policy of suppressing ethnic minorities, deporting them from their ancestral lands.

PROHIBITION/PREVENTION OF TORTURE AND CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OF PRISONERS AND OTHER DETAINEES (ARTS. 7 AND 10)

Vietnam signed the UNCAT in 2013 and ratified it in 2015. While the government amended its Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to comply with Vietnam’s UNCAT obligations, in practice

police brutality, including torture and lethal beatings in police custody, continues with impunity. Many members of churches and religious communities affiliated with VPEF have been subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Religious prisoners of conscience fare worse than common criminals in Vietnam’s prisons: solitary confinement, bad food, impure drinking water, no access to medical care, denied correspondence with family, prohibition from social activities with other inmates, and other restrictions. Several former prisoners died from ill health within a few years after being released. According to Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, the Chairman of VPEF, in the past 18 years approximately 127 have died from torture or contamination of food or water, with most victims being Montagnard Christians from the Central Highlands, Hmong Christians from Northwestern region, and Khmer Krom Buddhists from Southwestern region.

Pastor Chinh himself was subjected repeatedly to torture in and outside of prison. On August 19, 2006, Lt. Colonel of public security Ralan Lâm, aided by 8 other public security agents, tortured him during interrogation at the public security office of Hoa Lu District, Gia Lai Province. Pastor Chinh managed to audio-record this session as proof of torture.

On April 28, 2011 Pastor Chinh was arrested at his home in Pleiku, Gia-Lai Province, on charges of “sabotaging the solidarity policy, sowing division between citizens and the government” under Article 87 of the 1999 Penal Code. The following day, an article in the People’s Police Public Security newspaper (Cong an Nhan dan) stated that the provincial police public security investigation agency had collected hundreds of files through “administrative inspection” of “self-proclaimed” Pastor Chinh since 2003 showed showing that he had allegedly colluded with foreign reactionaries, including exiled members of the former Montagnard resistance group known as FULRO, to conduct anti-government activities.

On March 26, 2012 the Gia-Lai Lower Court tried him without allowing an attorney to represent him and without notifying his family of the trial. His wife, Tran Thi Hong, learned of the trial date from a family member of another prisoner. Two days before the trial, public security officers warned all the pastors on the executive committee of the Vietnam-U.S. Lutheran Alliance Church that they did not allow any of them to attend the trial or bring congregation members to the court house, threatening them with severe punishment under the law.

He was eventually sentenced to 11 years in prison for “undermining national unity policy” and “by maintaining ties with the dissident groups and distributing material deemed to have slandered government authorities”. Since then, his family is has been subjected to harassment, intimidation and retaliation, and his rights as a detainee are constantly baffled.

Since his detention, Pastor Chinh has been suffering of abusive treatment and denial of his rights by prison authorities. He has continuously been subjected to:

• verbal and physical abuse from other prisoners in collusion with – or without intervention – of prison officials;

• denial of medical treatment and the right to exercise his religion while being detained;

• not allowed to buy additional food from the canteen to supplement the poor prison diet which while other prisoners are free to do;

• detention in solitary confinement for a prolonged period; and

• and have been subject to constant punitive transfers.

In both “T-20” detention center in Gia-Lai province Province and An Phuoc prison Prison camps in Binh-Duong Province, where he spent respectively 16 months and almost 4 years, he was not treated inhumanely in accordance with the laws of Vietnam and international conventions. During his imprisonment, he was assaulted and beaten several times by prison guards. They also used criminal inmates to threaten his life. They even deliberately mixed pieces of broken glass and fragments of lead wire in his daily food rations.

When his wife, Mrs. Hong, visited him on October 15th, 2013, she learned that a prisoner working for the government had beaten Pastor Chinh, leaving large bruises on his face, and that the aggressor had been ordered to try and murder him. She notified prison guards, who ignored her plea.

On March 23rd, 2014 after Pastor Chinh and some other prisoners protested against the prison’s treatment of targeted victims, detailing occasions in 2012 and 2013 in which prison guards physically assaulted him, public security officers in An Phuoc Prison held a public denunciation of Pastor Chinh in the presence of the other prisoners while they subjected him to verbal abuse.

Despite the support of members of the Interfaith-Religious Council of Vietnam calling for an end to the “mental and physical terrorizing of prisoners daring to stand up against unfairness, and of prisoners of conscience”, and of members of the U.S. Congress, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Representative Bill Posey (R-Florida), who have also expressed concerns about Pastor Chinh ‘s treatment and called for his immediate release , his letters and petitions of complaint to the courts and to the prison authorities received no response.

On a visit on February 10th, 2017, his wife Mrs. Hong Hồng was heartbroken to see that her husband’s health has had noticeably deteriorated, showing again stigmata of physical abuses:

“His legs, arms, face, and nose are swelling. His blood pressure is elevating, in the 190-200 range. He is also suffering from other medical conditions such as acute sinusitis, joints inflammation, and gastritis. However, he is not allowed to receive medical treatments or the medicines that I brought in for him. Harsh conditions in solitary confinement, in a damp and lacking sunlight environment, have worsened his health. He is slowly dying in prison.”

In addition to physical abuses, the wardens and prison guards in Xuan Loc Prison, where he was detained, also tortured the Pastor mentally in various ways. They frequently let criminal inmates come to his jail cell to insult him verbally and violate his moral dignity. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Tinh, the warden of Xuan Loc Prison, brandished handcuffs and pressed a rubber baton on Pastor Chinh’s head while he was too weak to even move; he and must suffer the defamation indignity and humiliation in silence. He also told his wife that at night they were spying on him though the gaps on in the door. Even though he could not guess their intention, he felt that he was gradually buried alive in his solitary confinement.

Pastor Chinh was not given medication for his many medical conditions – -e.g., high blood pressure and sinusitis, so his health is deteriorating. Without proper medication, Pastor Chinh fell numerous times because his legs have become too weak to support his body steadily.

Additionally, letters to and from his family was rarely received. He was denied the monthly phone call to his family, which other prisoners are allowed. Even when his mother was dying and he had wished to be able to hear her voice one last time… but, his request was cruelly denied.

He was twice arbitrarily beaten by the prison authorities during his early morning prayer. Moreover, the prison officials confiscated his Bible and turn backed his medication and even pen and paper that he used to write verses from the Bible to send home to his wife and children when she his wife comes to visit him. At the end of her visit in December 13th, 2016, Mrs. Hong had no choice but to take home Pastor Chinh ’s Bible, his medication, as well as clothes and other necessities.

He has been told that if he admits his guilt to the charges for which he was convicted, then his “privileges” will would be permitted.

Such denial of medical treatment and prisoner’s rights are a passive but clear form of torture, as it involves the intentional infliction of pain and suffering by officials for the purpose of extracting a confession, thus meeting all the criteria in the definition of torture as set out in Article 1(1) of the UNCAT.

The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules) define “solitary confinement” as “confinement of prisoners for 22 hours or more a day without meaningful human contact”. “Prolonged solitary confinement” is solitary confinement which goes on for a period in excess of 15 consecutive days; it is prohibited as it amounts to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

In Vietnam, solitary confinement is used against prisoners of conscience for manifold multiple reasons: to exert pressure on them to confess the crimes they are charged of; to punish them for withstanding this pressure and disputing the charges against them; for refusing to submit to “re-education”; and or for raising their voices against the pitiless inhumane practices and appalling conditions inside Viet-Nam’s prison system.

Pastor Chinh was subject to prolonged solitary confinement twice:

– just right Right after his arrest on April 28, 2011, he was placed in solitary confinement during for 7 months, not allowing and denied visit by his wife and children to see him. He continued Continued to detain him up to be detained for 11 months after completing completion of their his investigation; and

– and since After hishe has been transferred to Xuan Loc Prison on October 12, 2016, he was held in solitary confinement for (4 four months).

Described as a central component of Vietnam’s system of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of conscience, the practice of punitive prison transfer transferring individuals between different detention centers is “a brutal practice that often leaves prisoners hundreds of kilometers from their families and support, cut off from vital supplies of extra food, clothing and medication”.

Pastor Chinh was detained in 3 different prison camps since his arrest:

– The first was “T-20” Detention Center in Gia-Lai Province (public security police’s detention center of Gia-Lai Province), where he was put in solitary confinement for almost a year.;

– After the sentencing of the Court of Appeals, in December 2012, he was transferred to Section A, Subdivision 2, An Phuoc Detention Center in Phu Giao District, Binh-Duong Province;

– Most recently, in on October 12th, 2016 Pastor Chinh has was been transferred to Xuan Loc Prison without any notice to his family.

When Mrs. Hong asked prison officials why she was not informed about his transfer, she was told, “Unless and until your husband agrees to confess to his crime, he would never be allowed to call home.”

The government also targeted family members of Pastor Chinh. His wife, Tran Thi Hong, had suffered endless persecution and harassment. In the latest incident she was taken to the office of the People’s Committee of Hoa Lu Ward where she was interrogated day after day for almost two months.

On 30 March 2016, she met with a delegation from the US State Department led by Ambassador At Large on international religious freedom David Saperstein. Shortly after, on 14 April 2016 the victim was tortured by police. Most recently, on 9 May, the victim, Mrs. Tran Thi Hong, received an invitation notice to report to the Hoa Lu Ward People’s Committee Administrative Office (city hall) at 8AM on 10 May for a “working session”. As she declined to go, a second invitation notice was issued requesting her to report to the People’s Committee Administrative Office at 2PM on 11 May.

At every “working session,” the public security forced her to sign a self-incriminating statement; she had to admit that speaking to Ambassador At Large Saperstein was a violation of Vietnamese law, that being member of her husband’s Lutheran Church was a violation of Vietnamese law because that church had not been recognized by the government, and her participation in Vietnamese Women for Human Rights violated Vietnamese law because this human rights organization is not recognized by the government. Every time she refused to sign the statement, she was beaten and tortured. To protest police mistreatment, Mrs. Tran Thi Hong started a hunger strike on May 11. She ended her hunger strike after 11 days. The interrogation sessions continued and only ended on June 3, 2016.

Mrs Hong filed a letter of denunciation and sent her complaint to local and State authorities and bodies in on June 15th, 2016. As none of the above government officials addressed her first complaint, on January 1st, 2017, she the victim sent a second complaint to the same recipients with updates on most recent incidents of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against her and her husband. Still there has been no response.

Amid progress and effort to narrow the definition of torture and ill treatment, and to criminalise the use of torture by a person acting in an official capacity, the 2015 Penal Code fail to prohibit torture and ill-treatment in all circumstances and without exception. Therefore, even though the Constitution broadly prohibits torture, in the absence of a criminal offence based on a conclusive definition of torture, as defined in UNCAT Article 1(1), Vietnamese legal framework pertaining to torture and ill-torture is insufficient and falls short to the standards required by the UNCAT and Articles 7 and 10 of the Covenant.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE (ART. 18)

On January 17, 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 stated: “….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, General Tran Dai Quang called on the Bureau of Security for Central Highlands 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 sect focusing on the worship of the Virgin Mary). “ Source: Ministry of Public Security, 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Central Highlands Security Bureau. See http://cand.com.vn/Cong-an/Cuc-An-ninh-Tay-Nguyen-Ky-niem-HYPERLINK “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/”10HYPERLINK “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/”-nam-ngay-thanh-lap-va-don-nhan-danh-hieu-Anh-hung-Luc-luong-vu-trang-nhan-dan-HYPERLINK “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/”266454HYPERLINK “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 his 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

The May 13, 2015 article titled “The hero soldiers fighting FULRO”, published in an official publication of the Public Security Ministry, wrote: “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-HYPERLINK “http://vnca.cand.com.vn/Truyen-thong/Nhung-nguoi-linh-anh-hung-chong-Fulro-350266/”350266HYPERLINK “http://vnca.cand.com.vn/Truyen-thong/Nhung-nguoi-linh-anh-hung-chong-Fulro-350266/”/

These articles showed that the Vietnamese government has used the label of FULRO to justify forcing Montagnard Christians to renounce their faith and arresting their leaders.

As illustrated by Figure 1 below, violations of freedom of religion or belief are systemic, egregious and on-going in the Central Highlands.

Below are illustrative examples of Montagnard Christians who are serving heavy prison sentences because of their faith:

Pastor Y Yich: An evangelical pastor from Ha Lut Hamlet in Gia Lai Province, he was arrested on December 18, 2006 for “plotting against the government”. After serving 4 years in Xuan Phuoc prison, he was discharged on September 18, 2011 and put under probation for 3 years. He resumed proselytising to his Bahnar ethnic community in Vietnam Central Highlands, and was arrested for the second time on May 13, 2013. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison under Art. 87, 46 and 49 of the 1999 Penal Code on September 27, 2013. As a result of being beaten and tortured in prison, his health has deteriorated. He has been denied medical treatment for high blood pressure, rheumatism, and stomach inflammation; and prison authorities have refused to deliver medicine to him which was brought to the facility by his family.

Pastor A Dao: At approximately 7 pm on August 18, 2016, public security of Gia Lai Province arrested Pastor A Dao as he was on the way to visit members of his Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ in Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province. They confiscated his mobile phone and checked the contents of the phone, which included the photos taken on his trip to attend the Conference on Religious Freedom or Belief in Southeast Asia (Aug. 1 – 2, 2016) and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum (Aug. 3 – 5, 2016), both held in Dili, East Timor. They checked all of the email addresses stored in the phone and other documents regarding religious freedom and human rights. They obtained the email addresses of the Church of Christ adherents who had attended training on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and religious freedom with Pastor A Dao. They accused Pastor A Dao of having violated the government’s policy on national unity and having opposed the government. Pastor A Dao was detained incommunicado since August 18, 2016. The government then launched a crackdown involving approximately 80 individuals from several branches of the government of Gia Lai and Kontum Provinces, rapid response public security (about 50 officers), PA88 Branch (anti-reactionary, anti-terrorist unit) of public security, traffic public security, plainclothes officers, uniformed public security officers of Sa Thay District and Ro Koi Commune, local government officials at the village and commune levels, the secretary of the commune’s Communist Party, border guards from Troop No. 707, militiamen, and a number of high ranking public security officers of Gia Lai and Kontum Provinces (in uniform). They split into three groups to search three different houses in K’Ram Village, Gia Xieng Village, and Khuk Kloong Village. At an interrogation session in late December 2016 of Ms. Y Bech, resident of K’Ram Village, Mr. Trương, a member of the Central Highlands Security Bureau (which reports directly to the Ministry of Public Security and is headquartered in Gia Lai Province), ordered her to renounce the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ and convert to a government-established denomination. He threatened her that resistance would land her in detention like Pastor A Dao. An audio recording of this interrogation has been obtained by VPEF. On April 28, the People’s Court of Gia Lai Province sentenced Pastor A Dao to 5 years of imprisonment for aiding Montagnards to illegally escape from Vietnam, a charge he denied. During a brief meeting with his wife and some fellow Montagnards just prior to the trial, Pastor A Dao revealed that he was repeatedly tortured as he refused to admit to crimes he did not commit. These witnesses reported seeing bruises on his face and neck.

Other Montagnard Christian prisoners are listed in the Appendix.

The government of Vietnam has not changed its policy of intolerance towards indigenous Christian communities in the Central Highlands. Vietnam grossly violates the requirement of Art. 18 of the Covenant.

RECOMMENDATIONS

VPEF recommends that Vietnam should:

Officially annul the policy set out by the Central Highlands Steering Committee;

Review domestic legislation to ensure full compliance with international human rights law;

End harassment, surveillance, physical violence, including at the judicial level, against non-registered religious believers;

Abstain from targeting individuals who report human rights abuses to UN agencies, foreign governments and/or international organizations;

Bring any identified perpetrators involved in the torture of Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh and Mrs. Tran Thi Hong to justice in fair trials; and provide reparations to Pastor Chinh and Mrs. Tran Thi Hong in accordance with Vietnam’s obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT);

Immediately and unconditionally release all religious prisoners of conscience.

Appendix: Montagnard Christian Prisoners

1. Mr. A Byo: b. 1967. Residence: Bon Ol Btung Hamlet, Quang Tin Commune, Dak R’lap District, Dak Nong Province. An evangelical pastor who had defended his community’s freedom of assembly and freedom of religion over several years, he was arrested on 12/10/2012. After detaining him without a trial until 08/13/2014, they tried him and sentenced him to 4 years in prison pursuant to Article 87. He is currently in Gia Trung Prison, Gia Lai Province.

2. Mr. A Chi: b. 1964. Residence: Kret Krot Hamlet, H’ra Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. A Chi is a Protestant deacon andlead of the Youth Ministry. The local government prevented him from performing his duties, citing the reason that preaching is forbidden at his village. He protested and refused to comply. As a result, he was summoned to the local police office several times and ultimately was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He was arrested on 10/18/2009 and is currently serving his sentence in An Phuoc Prison in Binh Duong Province.

3. Mr. A Dân (aka Apunh), preacher of the Southern Baptist Church in Kontum on March 11, 2015led 11 church members from Kontum Province to a religious training program in Ho Chi Minh City. They just reached nearby Daklak Province when Daklak police stopped them, searched and confiscated their cash and Bibles. Police brought them back to Kontum Province and delivered them to police in that province. A Dân refused to sign a forced confession — that they were trying to leave the country illegally. The other victims signed under pressure. Police released the others while detaining A Dân. The Kontum People’s Court sentenced him to 24 months of imprisonment under the trumped up charge.

4. Mr. A Dao: b. 1981. Residence: Gia Xieng Village, Ro Koi Commune, Sa Thay District, Kontum Province. A pastor of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ, he advocated for religious freedom for his fellow church members in the Central Highlands and elsewhere. In August 2016 he attended a recent conference on Freedom of Religion in SE Asia and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference and ASEAN People’s Forum. On 04/28/2017 he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for “helping individuals to escape abroad illegally”, a charge he denied.

5. Mr. A Gyun: b. 1980. Residence: Kret Krot Hamlet, Hra Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. A devout Christian, he engaged in religious activities and participated in a demonstration to protest government suppression that led to a “mobile” court (installed in his village) sentencing him to 5 years in prison on 04/26/2016 pursuant to Article 87, undermining national unity. Four other Montagnard Christians were also arrested and sentenced to long prison terms.

6. Mr. A Quyn: b. 1973. Residence: Ha-mong Katu Hamlet, Ha-mong Commune, Dak Ha District, Kontum Province. He practiced his evangelical faith without government aproval. He has been arrested and brought to the local police station for interrogation. The local authorities disrupted group worship sessions involving church members, prohibited future group worships, harassed his family, and brutally tortured him. Arrested on 11-18-2013, he was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison pursuant to Article 87. He is currently in Nam Ha Prison in Ha Nam Province.

7. Mr. A Tach (Ba Hloi): b. 1959. Residence: Kon Hram Hamlet, Dak TreCommune, Kon Ray District, Kontum Province. A Catholic preacher,he and many Christians in his village (where he was preaching) protested against the local government for its intervention jn the Church’s affairs. Fearing this would get out of control, the local government arrested Mr. A Tach on 10/11/2012 and sentenced him to 11 years in prison, followed by 3 years of probation. He is currently detained at Team 23, Sub Division 1 of Prison #5, Thanh Hoa Province.

8. Mr. A Tík: b. 1952. Residence: Kon H’ram Hamlet, Dak To’re Commune, Kon Ray District, Kontum Province. He was arrested and then on 04/26/2016 sentencedto 8 years in prison and 3 years of hous arrest in a case involving 4 other Montagnard Christians. He was accused of undermining national unity under Article 87.

9. Mr. A Yum (Balk): b. 1940. Residence: Hamlet 5, Dac Tre Commune, Kon Ray District, Kontum Province. As a member of the Ba Na ethnic minority group, he had been advocating for religious freedom in the face of government suppression. As a result, he was arrested on 01/06/2012 and sentenced to 8 years in prison pursuant to Article 87.

10. Mr. Amlinh: b. 1943. Residence: Tuoh Klah Hamlet, Glar Commune, Dak Doa District, Gia Lai Province. He joined other Christians in protesting against the local government’s suppression of religious freedom. He was arrested in 2008, sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by a 3-year probationary period, and detained in Prison #5, Town of Thong Nhat, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province. As a result of being tortured in prison, he suffers from several ailments. Although he has returned home, the probation from traveling outside of his immediate community has prevented him from seeking medical treatment outside of his community. He was released from prison in March 2016.

11. Mr. Buyk: b. 1952. Residence: Kret Krot Hamlet, Hra Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. As an evangelist of the Kret Krot Evangelical Church, he had been defending his Church’s right to freedom of religion. He was requested to go to the local police station for interrogation. There, his interrogators beat him and issued an order forbidding him to engage in religious activities. Arrested on 02/03/2013, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison and incarcerated in Xuan Phuoc Prison, Phu Yen Province.

12. Mr. Dieu Bre: b. 1969. Residence: Quang Tin Hamlet, Dak R’lap District, Dak Nong Province. An evangelist of an evangelical church not recognized by the government, he was arrested on 08/14/2013 and sentenced to4 years and 6 months in prison for his religious activities. He is currently detained in Xuan Phuoc Prison, Dong Xuan District, Phu Yen Province.

13. Mr. Dieu Dong: b. 1966. Residence: Bon Blutung Hamlet, Quang Tin Commune, Dak R’lap District, Dak Nong Province. He is a pastor who belongs to an evangelical Church that is not recognized by the local government. Pastor Dieu Dong and his evengelists had been harassed by the local government and police forces that aimed to prevent them from worshiping. He was arrested on 10-12-2013 when he and the Churchrotested against the local government to demand religious freedom. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 3 years of probation. He is currently serving his sentence in Xuan Phuoc Prison, Dong Xuan District, PhuYen Province.

14. Mr. Dieu X-Ri: b. 1962. Residence: Dak Ngo Hamlet, Tuy Duc District, Dak Nong Province. A deacon of an evangelical church not recognized by the government, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison and 3 years of probation for his religious activities. He is currently detained in Xuan Phuoc Prison, Dong Xuan District, Phu Yen Province.

15. Mr. Dinh Ngo: b. 1987. Residence: Kung Kon Hamlet, An Thanh Commune, Dak Po District, Gia Lai Province. An evangelical pastor since 2011, he joined other members of his ethnic group in a demonstration in Dak Po District to protest against the local government’s suppression of religious freedom. Arrested on 04/26/2013, he was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison, and incarcerated in Section #2 of An Phuoc Prison, Binh Duong Province.

16. Mr. Dinh Ku: b. 1972. Residence: Kuk Kon Hamlet, An Thanh Commune, Dak Po District, Gia Lai Province. A devout Catholic, he stood up and protested against the Gia Lai authorities’ policy of suppressing religious freedom. As a result, he was arrested on 04/26/2016 and sentenced to 7 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, undermining national unity, in a case involving 4 other Montagnard Christians. He is currently detained in Prison #5, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province.

17. Mr. Kpa Binh: b. 1976. Residence: Plei Pang Hamlet, Ea Glai Commune, Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province. An evangelical pastor, he was arrested in 2009 for participating in a demonstration demanding religious freedom because the government had been preventing him from carrying out his pastoral duties. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison pursuant to Article 87.

18. Mr. Kpa Sinh, b. 1959 of JRai ethnicity. For demanding religious freedom he was sentenced on April 5, 2011 to 8 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code). He is currently detained in Gia Lai Province.

19. Mr. Ksor Y Dú, born 1963; Ethnicity Ede; sentenced on 15/11/2010 to 6 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Phu Yên.

20. Mr. Nhi ((Bă Tiêm): b. 1958. Residence: Tuoh Klah Hamlet, Glar Commune, Dak Doa District, Gia Lai Province. He joined other Christians in protesting against the local government’s suppression of religious freedom. He also joined a Montagnard association based in the U.S. He was arrested on 12/22/2008, sentenced to 10 years in prison, and detained in Prison #5, Town of Thong Nhat, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province.

21. Mr. Noh, b. 1959, a member of a Montagnard association based in the USA. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 9/4/2009 to 12 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); currently detained in Gia Lai.

22. Mr. Nuh (Ba Num): b. 1959. Residence: Glar village, Dak Doa District, Gia Lai Province. In 2001, he joined the other Ba Na members of this church to protest the government’s disregard for religious freedom. In reprisal, the police beat the demonstrators brutally. A number of them were injured or even died, and many were arrested. His religious activities resulted in his arrest in 2004. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He is currently in Prison #3, Phu Xuan 4, Co Lung Commune, Phu Luong District, Thai Nguyen Province.

23. Mr. Rah Lan Blom, b. 1976 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 04/05/2011 to 9 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

24. Mr. Rah Lan Mlih, b. 1966 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 04/05/2011 to 9 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

25. Mr. Rmah Hlach, b. 1968 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 01/14/2010 to 12 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

26. Mrs. Rmah Hruth, a Jrai woman. Residence: Nang Hra Village, Ia Hla Commune, Cu Puh District, Gia lai Province. She was arrested in March 2014 and sentenced 5 years in iprison. Rmah H Ruth is a religious acticvist in Gia lai who conducted religious activities for her fellow Montagnard Christians. She is currently imprisoned in T20 – Gia Trung Prison, Gia Lai Province.

27. Mr. Rmah Hueh, b. 1964 of Jrai ethnicity. Residence: Plei Sing village, Ia Bar commune, Phu Thien district, Gia Lai province. Arrested in 2001, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for undermining the state policy. Protestant Christian of the Plei Sing village house, he was participating in a protest that took place in Gia Lai province in 2001 demanding for freedom of religious and human rights equality treatment. Released in 2015, his health status is in very bad condition, sustained by the torture in prison that caused him to become insane.

28. Mr. Rmah Klum: b. 1964. Residence: Lop Village, Ya Le Commune, Chu Puh District, Gia Lai Province. A member of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Southern Region), he worshipped at home. Police arrested him at his home in October 2016, detained him for 19 days, and tortured him for his religious activities.

29. Mr. Rmah Pro: b. 1964. Residence: La Kbel Hamlet, Duc CoDistrict, Gia Lai Province. He participated in a demonstration demanding religious freedom in 2004. He had been advocating for religious freedom until he was arrested and charged with undermining national solidarity in 2009. He is currently serving his sentence in Phu Son 4 Prison, National Security Section, Section 3, Co Lung Village, Phu Luong District, Thai Nguyen Province

30. Mr. Runh: b. 1979. Residence: Kret Krot Hamlet, Hra Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. An influential pastor among the Ba Na ethnic community associated with the Kret Krot Evangelical Church, he had been defending his Church’s right to freedom of religion. He was requested to go to the local police station for interrogation. There, his interrogators beat him and issued an order forbidding him to engage in religious activities. Arrested on 04/23/2012, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by a 3-year probationary period. He is currently in Prison #5, Town of Thong Nhat, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province.

31. Mr. Ro Lan Ju (Ama Suit) of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 07/21/2009 to 9 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

32. Mr. Ro Mah Klit, b. 1946 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 04/05/2011 to 8 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

33. Mr. Rmah Pôl, b. 1953 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 03/27/2009 to 7 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

34. Mr. Siu Ben (Ama Yon) of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on July 21, 2009 to 12 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

35. Mr. Siu Bler: b. 1962. Residence: Amoi Hamlet, TapetCommune, Dak DoaDistrict, Gia Lai Province. An influential pastor among the Ba Na ethnic community associated with the Amoi Evangelical Church, he had been defending his Church’s right to freedom of religion. After years of government harassment, his community staged a protest in 2001. After the government cracked down, they sentenced him to 2 years in Gia Trung Prison in Gia Lai, followed by a 2-year probationary period. His subsequent opposition to government interference led to his arrest on 8-27-2004 and he was sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by a 3-year probationary period. He was tortured brutally in prison until half of his body became paralyzed. He is currently in Nam Ha Prison in Ha Nam Province.

36. Siu Brom, b. 1967 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 04/05/2011 to 10 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

37. Mr. Siu Hlom, b. 1967 of Jrai ethnicity. For refusing to renounce his Christian faith, he was sentenced on 04/05/2011 to 12 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

38. Siu Jă (Ama Hyen) of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 07/21/2009 to 7 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

39. Mr. Siu Koch, b. 1985 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 14/1/2010 to 9 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

40. Mr. Siu Nheo: b. 1955. Residence: Plei Do Hamlet, ChuACommune, Pleiku District, Gia Lai Province. An evangelical pastor within the Ba Na ethnic minority group, he and others participated in a demonstration demanding religious freedom in 2004. He had been advocating for religious freedom in the face of government suppression. He spoke out against the government’s suppression in defense of the evangelists and their Church. As a result, he was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ever since his imprisonment, his wife and children have been victims of injustice and lack even basic necessities.

41. Mr. Siu Thái, b. 1978 of Jrai ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 12/19/2011 to 10 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai.

42. Mr. Siu Wiu: b. 1977. Residence: Plei Rbai BHamlet, Ia Piar Commune, Phú Thien District, Gia Lai Province. As a member of the Jarai ethnic minority group, and Protestant, he had been advocating for religious freedom in the face of government suppression. As a result, he was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

43. Mr. Thin: b. 1979. Residence: Kret Krot Hamlet, H’ra Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. On 04-26-16 he was sentenced along with 4 other Montagnard Christians to 6 years in prison followed with 3 years of house arrest for undermining national unity (Article 87). He is being held at Phu Yen Prison.

44. Y Adam Mlo is about 20 years old a EDE man in Buon ho, Dak lak province. He participated to protest demanding land grabbed return on 2002, he was arrested on 25 -12-2002. Adam Mlo sentenced 8 years imprison , in the prison the Police torture and beating him a lot , he dead in Ha nam prison.

45. Mr. Y Ben Nie: b. 1971. Residence: Tang 3 UHamlet, Ea Kao District, Buon Me Thuot Province. An evangelical pastor, he was imprisoned for participating in a demonstration demanding religious freedom. He was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to13 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, undermining national solidarity. He is currently serving his sentence in Phu Son 4 Prison, National Security Section, Division 3, Co Lung Village, Phu Luong District, Thai Nguyen Province.

46. Mr. Y Blao Kpor: b. 1964. Residence: Cour B Hamlet, Ea Ana District, Daklak Province. He was a member of Cour B Church’s executive committee. In 2001, members of this church started to protest the government’s disregard for religious freedom and seizure of their land. He was arrested in 2001, 2004 (detained until 2007), and 2008 (on August 11). Upon being arrested the third time, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by 5 years of probation pursuant to Article 87. He is in Prison #1 in Thanh Hoa Province. Long detention, torture in prison, and deprivations have taken a heavy toll on his health.

47. Y Drim Nie, b. 1972. Residence: Buon Tah Village, Ea Drong Commune, Cu Mgar District, Dak lak province. Y Drin Nie is a protestant missionary; he was arrested in December 2012 because he preached the gospel in his village. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He is currently imprisoned in Binh Duong Province.

48. Mr. Y Hriam Kpa: b. 1976. Residence: Druh Hamlet, Ea Nam Commune, Ea Hleo District, Gia Lai Province. The evangelical leader of a Christian House Church in Druh Hamlet that the local government has been suppressing, he was pressured into dissolving the Church. He refused and protested against this policy. He was arrested on July 30, 2015, sentenced to 7 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, and is currently in Dak Trung Prison, M’Drak District, Daklak Province.

49. Mr. Y Lao Mlo: b. 1987. Residence: Drao Hamlet, Daklak Province. A member of a Christian Church in Drao Hamlet that the local government has been suppressing, he protested against this policy. He was arrested on July 15, 2015, sentenced to 8 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, and is currently in Dak Trung Prison, M’Drak District, Daklak Province.

50. Mr. Y Lieng Kpa: b. 1974. Residence: Sec Hamlet, Dien Yang Commune, Ea Hleo District, Gia Lai Province. The chief deacon of a Christian Church in Sec Hamlet that the local government has been suppressing, he protested against this policy. He was arrested in August 2008, sentenced to 8 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, and is currently in Dak Trung Prison, M’Drak District, Daklak Province.

51. Mr. Y Muk Nie: b. 1968. Residence: Sup A Hamlet. Town of Ea Suop, Daklak Province. An evangelical pastor, he resisted the provincial government’s persistent harassment and arrests of his fellow church members to deny them their religious freedom. In 2001 he participated in protests that took place in the Central Highlands where members of several churches have been consistently demanding respect for religious freedom and property rights in the face of the government’s policy of religious suppression and seizure of private property.After being arrested on 03/27/2001, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison and detained in Ha Nam Prison. After being arrested on 08/03/2011, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison and was first detained in An Phuoc Prison (Binh Duong Province). He is currently in Xuan Phuoc Prison in Phu Yen Province.

52. Y Nghenh (Ama Dem), b. 1974 of Ede ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 6/8/2010 to 6 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest for “undermining the noational unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code) and “organizing and/or coercing other persons to flee abroad or to stay abroad illegally” (article 275 of the Penal Code); detained in Dak Nong.

53. Mr. Y Ngun Knul: b. 1968. Residence: K’Rang Hamlet, Bang Commune, Krong Ana District, Daklak Province. An evangelical pastor who preached to people in his community, he was arrested on 4-29-2004, sentenced to 18 years in prison pursuant to Article 87, and is currently in Prison #6, Nghe An Province.

54. Mr. Y Ping: b. 1967. Residence: A Luk Hamlet, K’Yang Commune, Dak Doa District, Gia Lai Province. In 2005 he joined other Ba Na ethnic people in demonstrating against the local government’s suppression of religious freedom and seizure of private land. He was arrested, charged pursuant to Article 87, and detained for 6 months in Gia Trung Prison. After they released him, he resumed preaching. The local government actively attempted to stop his religious activities. He was arrested on 9-3-2008 (should be 2007 otherwise he would not have been released) and sentenced to 9 years in prison, followed by a 3-year probation period, pursuant to Article 87. He served his sentence in Prison #5, Town of Thong Nhat, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province. He was released in June 2016. He is currently serving his 3-year probation in his community.

55. Mr. Y Phom Koh: b. 1965. Residence: Doh Hamlet, Eatar Commune, Cu Mgar District, Daklak Province. He was a deacon and a leader of a youth group in his church. During his time as youth group leader, the local government objected to his concurrently assuming the deacon position. Police arrested him and tortured him during interrogation at the police station, alleging that he attempted to undermine national solidarity. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison pursuant to Article 87. He is in Gia Trung Prison, Ward 5, Section 5, Gia Lai Province.

56. Mr. Y Roh, b. 1968 of Bahnar ethnicity. Residence: Plei Kon Brung Village, Yun Commune, Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province. His date of arrest is unkown, but he was sentenced to 10 years in prison after participating in a protest to demand religious freedom. He is currently imprisoned in Thanh Hoa Prison.

57. Mr. Y Ty Ksor, b. 1989. Residence: Buon Toat Village, Ea Xiem Commune, Krong Pa District, Gia lai Province. He participated in a protest to demand religious freedom in 2006. He was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He is currently imprisoned in Ha Nam Prison.

58. Mr. Y Yem Hwing: b. 1972. San A Hamlet, Ea Tul Commune, Cu Mgar District, Daklak Province. A chief deacon of a church in San A Hamlet, he has been very influential in his church and his ethnic community. The local government arrested him on 10/29/2012 to deprive the community of his leadership in the hope of eventually dissolving the Church. He is serving an 8-year prison sentence.

59. Mr. Y Yich: b. 1960. Residence: A Lut Hamlet, K Yang Commune, Đắk Đoa District, Gia Lai Province. An evangelical pastor, he was arrested on 12-18-2006 for “plotting against the government”. After serving 4 years in Xuan Phuoc Prison, he was discharged on 9/18/2011 and was put under probation for 3 years.He resumed proselytizing to his Ba Na ethnic community and was arrested on 5/13/2013. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. As a result of being beaten and tortured in prison, his health has been deteriorating. Not only they deny him medical treatment for high blood pressure, rheumatism, and stomach inflammation, they have not allowed his family to supply him with medication. He is currently in Section #2 of An Phuoc Prison, Binh Duong Province.

60. Mr. Yoh (Bă Nar), b. 1962 of Mnhar ethnicity. For demanding religious and indigenous rights, he was sentenced on 8/9/2009 to 8 years in prison for “undermining the national unity policy” (article 87 of the Penal Code); detained in Gia Lai

61. Mr. Yuh: b. 1962. Residence: Dor 1 Hamlet, Glar Commune, Dak Doa District, Gia Lai Province. He joined other Christians in protesting against the local government’s suppression of religious freedom. He was arrested on 04/04/2009, sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by a 3-year probationary period, and detained in Prison #5, Town of Thong Nhat, Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province.

Chairman VPEF

Rev. Chinh Cong Nguyen.