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VIETNAM’S “ALLEDGED” RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE PERSECUTED MONTAGNARD CHRISTIANS: INCLUDING THE INFAMOUS CHURCH BURNING AT PLEI LAO
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Media Release 7 July 2005, Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA
BACKGROUND: Recently the Vietnamese government presented several “alleged” religious leaders to US religious representatives and touted them as legitimate representatives of the Montagnard Degar people. Currently the United States and Vietnam are negotiating religious agreements as Vietnam seeks trade and political ties with the US. Vietnamese authorities are thus trying to whitewash the ongoing religious persecution in Vietnam. The Vietnamese News Service published an article titled, “US Christian Group Eyes Vietnam Religious Picture” referring to a visit by Chris Seiple of the US based Institute for Global Engagement who is investigating the religious situation in the tightly controlled central highlands.
The Montagnard Foundation however, identifies two of these “alleged” religious leaders and hopes that US Religious and Government officials will not be misled into believing they represent the true situation in Vietnam. The two alleged religious leaders identified as Siu Pek and Siu Kim are actually long time government stooges who have participated in numerous arrests of Christian Montagnards and incidents of religious persecution, including torture and killings of Christian Montagnards. Siu Pek in fact participated in the infamous Plei Lao Church burning by Vietnamese police in 2001.
CHURCH BURNING IN PLEI LAO: The photo here was smuggled out of Vietnam by Montagnard refugees and depicts a Montagnard Christian arrested (and later beaten) by Vietnamese authorities for opposing the destruction of the church at Plei Lao. Authorities burned down the village church and the BBC ran a story “Fury at Vietnam Church Destruction” on 28 March 2001. The US State Department reported 1- 5 Christians killed at this incident. The Montagnard Foundation identifies “Siu Pek” a religious leader currently touted by the Vietnamese government as one of the criminals who led police to this village in order to persecute the Christians there.
THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION RESPECTFULLY CALLS ON THE US GOVERNMENT TO CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZE VIETNAMESE PROPAGANDA IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT.
BACKGROUND: Recently the Vietnamese government presented several “alleged” religious leaders to US religious representatives and touted them as legitimate representatives of the Montagnard Degar people. Currently the United States and Vietnam are negotiating religious agreements as Vietnam seeks trade and political ties with the US. Vietnamese authorities are thus trying to whitewash the ongoing religious persecution in Vietnam. The Vietnamese News Service published an article titled, “US Christian Group Eyes Vietnam Religious Picture” referring to a visit by Chris Seiple of the US based Institute for Global Engagement who is investigating the religious situation in the tightly controlled central highlands.
The Montagnard Foundation however, identifies two of these “alleged” religious leaders and hopes that US Religious and Government officials will not be misled into believing they represent the true situation in Vietnam. The two alleged religious leaders identified as Siu Pek and Siu Kim are actually long time government stooges who have participated in numerous arrests of Christian Montagnards and incidents of religious persecution, including torture and killings of Christian Montagnards. Siu Pek in fact participated in the infamous Plei Lao Church burning by Vietnamese police in 2001.
CHURCH BURNING IN PLEI LAO: The photo here was smuggled out of Vietnam by Montagnard refugees and depicts a Montagnard Christian arrested (and later beaten) by Vietnamese authorities for opposing the destruction of the church at Plei Lao. Authorities burned down the village church and the BBC ran a story “Fury at Vietnam Church Destruction” on 28 March 2001. The US State Department reported 1- 5 Christians killed at this incident. The Montagnard Foundation identifies “Siu Pek” a religious leader currently touted by the Vietnamese government as one of the criminals who led police to this village in order to persecute the Christians there.
THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION RESPECTFULLY CALLS ON THE US GOVERNMENT TO CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZE VIETNAMESE PROPAGANDA IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT.
