The Plight of the Degar
We're in the final editing stages for a couple of new "Country Focus" Bulletin Inserts, one of which is on Vietnam, focusing on the situation of the Degar Montagnards. The research I have done for that bulletin insert has been very eye-opening, and a bulletin insert is too short to share the whole story!
The persecution of the Montagnards is nothing short of brutal. The name "Montagnard" comes from the French for "mountaineer," which should give you some idea of the living conditions that these villagers have even without the persecution; they are in poverty to begin with, and the persecution from the communist government adds untold suffering to their existence.
Despite diplomatic and United Nations visits to the region, the Vietnamese government continues to persecute Central Highlanders out of view of international observers. The most harshly treated are evangelical Christians who belong to independent house churches, and supporters of a non-violent movement for independence or autonomy and for protection of and greater control over ancestral lands. (From "No Sanctuary," Human Rights Watch Report 2006; emphasis added.)
The persecution can range from "small" to great. A "small" persecution could be forcing a Christian to spend days tending to government buildings, mowing the grass, and doing other menial chores, placing a great strain on the ability of the Christian to grow the food he needs for survival.*
And that is only the beginning. Christians are routinely imprisoned and tortured if they are caught worshiping together. Because of the great danger, many house churches hold their worship services between 2 a.m. and dawn–the "sleeping time for police."*
In spite of all of this, Protestantism is the fastest growing religion in Vietnam.* In the face of communism, in the face of corruption, and in the face of poverty and suffering of every kind, these believer are more than just standing strong–they are spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ!
What a testimony.
For More Information–
Vietnam Continues to Force Degar Montagnard Catholics to Renounce their Faith
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Footnote
* From "Repression of Montagnards," Human Rights Watch Report, 2002.