Repeated violations of the basic human rights of the Vietnamese highland people, the Montagnards

2.10.2003

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3002/03
by Marco Pannella (NI), Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Cappato (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Olivier Dupuis (NI) and Maurizio Turco (NI)
to the Commission

At midnight on 21 August 2003, some 30 soldiers and 10 policemen surrounded the house of Y-Pho Eban in the village of Buon Cuoi and arrested and imprisoned him for having allegedly fed Montagnard refugees who were hiding in the area.

 

The policemen and soldiers beat up Y-Pho Eban and his family (H'Luin Eban, b. 1970, pregnant; Y-Chui Buon Krong, b.1982; Y-Kun Buondap, b. 1992) with their AK-47 rifles and subjected them to electric shocks.

 

These events took place late at night and woke up the other villagers who, to defend themselves, began to beat the police car (registration number 47C2133) and thus forced the soldiers and policemen to leave the village.

 

On 22 August 2003 the Government sent three truckloads of soldiers and policemen to the village of Buon Cuoi to arrest all the inhabitants. We have no further news from this village.

 

-  Does the Commission intend to seek clarifications from the Vietnamese Government as to the reasons for arresting Montagnards?

 

-  Will it bring pressure to bear on the Vietnamese authorities to ensure that they allow UNHCR inspectors and NGOs free access to the Vietnamese central highlands and the areas bordering Cambodia?

 

-  Should the Vietnamese Government fail to take such action, does the Commission intend to denounce the cooperation agreement signed with Vietnam?

 

 

 

OJ C 70 E, 20/03/2004