Source:  www.assistnews.net

Date:  2008-09-06

By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA (ANS) -- An ethnic Degar or Montagnard, who sought safety in a UN refugee camp in Cambodia, was shipped back to Vietnam. He is now under house arrest and cannot even work in his fields.

Ethnic Degars are a minority who live in the Vietnam central highlands.

A story reported by Asia News reported that persecuted on ethnic and religious grounds, Y Hning, 36, fled Vietnam for Cambodia, but was eventually shipped home. Back in Vietnam police ordered his family to pay for his release and forced Y Hning to give up his Christian faith. Now he fears for his life.

Asia News reported that the Montagnard Foundation is appealing on Y Hning's behalf to embassies and international agencies in the hope that he and his family can be spared further persecution.

After crossing the border with Cambodia, Asia News said that Y Hning reached the UN-run refugee camp. However, he was soon sent back to Vietnam.

Asia News said that upon his repatriation, Y Hning was detained by authorities and his family forced to pay 100,000 dongs (only seven or eight dollars, but a lot of money for Vietnamese farmers) for his release. Even though they raised the money and paid the fine, Y Hning was still placed under house arrest.

More trouble was to follow. Asia News said that on Aug. 3, Y Hning's family was ordered to "donate" the only animal it had left for a party being held by local police. That was a pig valued at 1.5 million dongs (about 110 dollars).

Asia News reported that on Aug. 8, Y Hning was then forced to sign a statement in which he formally renounced Christianity and agreed to stop attending the Degar church.