Geneva, April 15th 2002

Item 15: Indigenous issues

delivered by Kok Ksor

Thank you Mr. Chairman,


My name is Kok Ksor, I am the President of the Montagnard Foundation, USA, and I speak on behalf of the Transnational Radical Party.
For the last 25 years, the Degar people, known as the Montagnards, in the Central highlands of Viet Nam, are facing systematic human rights violations such as military operations, sterilizations, land confiscation, torture and religious repression.
Mr.Chairman, one of the eldest races of indigenous peoples in Asia is vanishing in front of our eyes.

Recent incidents, in February and March 2002 which consisted in violence of Vietnamese security forces against Montagnard refugees and intimidation of UNHCR officials in Mondolkiri refugee camp in Cambodia, run by UNHCR, led to UNHCR's decision to cancel the repatriation agreement and the decision of the US Government to offer asylum to 1000 refugees.

Viet Nam closed off the Central highlands from international scrutiny and moreover Cambodia has publicly declared they will force fleeing refugees back into the hands of Vietnamese security forces.

Mr. Chairman, the Transnational Radical Party welcomes the statement of the European Union urging "the two Governments to comply with their international obligations and to resume co-operation with UNHCR".

Therefore, the Montagnard people are pleading to the Commission to urge the Vietnamese government to allow UNHCR visiting the repatriated refugees and to establish an ongoing presence in the Central highlands. We ask that the Cambodian border be kept open for refugees fleeing Viet Nam and that pressure bring Vietnam to end the last 25 years of persecution against our indigenous race of people.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman