VIETNAM: NEW PHOTO EVIDENCE OF TORTURE IN CHRISTIAN CASES

Hanoi Denials Are Part of Cover-up, Center Charges

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 10, 2005 - Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom today released photographs appearing to confirm brutal treatment of Christian minorities by government forces in Vietnam.  The revelation of the photographs follows Hanoi's denials that its security forces are repressing ethnic Hmong Christians. 

The physical trauma shown in the photos is consistent with the Center's November 3 report that several Hmong Christians were severely beaten with electric batons by border patrol police and local defense forces, resulting in a broken rib in one case and a fractured sternum in another, as well as other injuries. The men in the photographs have been identified to the
Center by sources in Vietnam as Vang Seo Dung and Ly Van Dung, the two victims who were reported to be most severely injured when security forces cracked down on Protestants in the Chi Ca Commune, Xin Man District of the Ha Giang Province in late August and early September 2005, as the Center had reported (see Center's 11/3/05 Press Release:
< http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/news/bn2005/bn-2005-11-03.htm >
http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/news/bn2005/bn-2005-11-03.htm ).

"Instead of taking the report seriously, Hanoi is staging a cover-up. It is essential that it conduct a transparent and fair investigation into credible charges of torture," said Center Director Nina Shea.

In response to the Center's prior press release about the beatings, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Dung, as reported in the state-controlled Vietnam News Agency on November 4, categorically denied the claim, saying, "There is no such thing that the H'mongs in Chi Ca commune, Xi Man district, Ha Giang province were beaten by the border patrol soldiers and local paramilitary because they are Christians."

One of the photographs shows a large bruise on Vang Seo Dung's chest. Vang reportedly suffered a broken rib from a beating. Another photograph shows deep bruising underneath his right shoulder blade. The photograph of Ly Van Dung shows a large bruise on the front of his chest, over his sternum, reportedly fractured by police.    

"This incident is part of a larger pattern of persecution against Hmong Christians-for worshipping as Christians-and against other disapproved religious groups in Vietnam," said Ms. Shea. "We commend the U.S. State Department's Tuesday decision to again designate Vietnam as one of the world's most egregious violators of religious freedom."

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Sources have provided the Center for Religious Freedom of Freedom House with the following photographs:

Photograph 1 & 2 - On November 3, the Center reported that Vietnamese Christian Vang Seo Dung had been "viciously beaten and suffered broken bones." These photographs show extensive bruising over the front and back of Seo Dung's rib cage.  

Photograph 3 & 4 - On November 3, the Center reported that Vietnamese Christian Ly Van Dung had been "viciously beaten and suffered broken bones." These photographs show bruising in the vicinity of his sternum and over the back of his rib cage.