AFP
Vietnamese soldiers have clashed with ethnic Hmong after thousands staged a rare protest in a remote mountain area calling for greater autonomy and religious freedom, a military source said on Thursday.
The Vietnamese army sent troop reinforcements after the demonstrations broke out several days ago in Dien Bien Province in the far northwest of the nation.
Soldiers "had to disperse the crowd by force," according to the military source, who did not provide details of any casualties or the number of troops involved.
It is Vietnam's worst-known case of ethnic unrest since protests in 2001 and 2004 in the Central Highlands by the Montagnards. About 1,700 of them fled to Cambodia after troops crushed protests against land confiscation and religious persecution.
In a statement citing Le Thanh Do, a senior provincial official, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Hmong had gathered since early May and camped in unsanitary conditions believing that a "supernatural force" would arrive to lead them to "a promised land."
"Abusing the information, some people instigated and campaigned for the establishment of a separate kingdom of Hmong people, causing disorder, insecurity and an unsafe situation," the statement said.
A foreign diplomat said he heard "that all of a sudden some guy sort of declared himself king and gathered people together."
Some Hmong have previously called for a separate Hmong Christian state, he said.
A local official in Muong Nhe district, about 200 kilometers northwest of Dien Bien town, told AFP that more than 3,000 Hmong were still gathered on Thursday.
The US-based Center for Public Policy Analysis, an outspoken supporter of the Hmong cause, said 28 protesters had been killed and hundreds were missing. The claims cannot be independently verified.
Local authorities had detained several people and opened an investigation, the military source said, adding that the Hmong were "incited" by local people wishing to exploit the May 7 anniversary of Vietnam's victory over French colonial forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
"We are very concerned," the military source said. "The Hmong called for freedom of belief and the setting up of a locally autonomous region."
10 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer every day.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL. serenitytranquility@yahoo.com. thank you...
May Hmong have freedom at last.
Wake up,stand up,and rise up for
your liberty and justice ethnic groups.May Jesus Christ bless you.
Hmong is one of UNPO members.
Hmong have 79,000 people in Vietnam.
Be a Christian State.
9:51AM, What kind of Email would you like her to send it to you?
YOUN is going to have a lot of headache down the road. When more and more indigenous people inside YOUN know their rights such as most of the 54 indigenous people that YOUN claim they have. When the Khmer-Krom, Montagnard, Hmong, Cham, and etc coordinate and stand up together all at once, the YOUN will not have all the resources to suppress and imprison all these people.
There are collaboration between these main group of indigenous people at the top level. It is just a matter of time that the "S" state of YOUN will be chop into little pieces and give back to it rightful owners.
The YOUN days are number. Once the middle-east settle down, then East Asia will be next.
If the YOUN are as smart as they think they are, they need to find a solution quick else the consequences are very harsh.
Just look at Mubarack in Egypt, the new government will execute him if they find him guilty of ordering the troop and police to fire on the protester.
YOUN days are just number.
Miss Nokor Phnom
What are you waiting for my beloved Khmer Krom.
1:41 PM
Khmer Krom can't do it now.
What about Khmer in Thailand.
For how long are you going to suffer under Thai oppression ?
Just to dance, to sing and speak the language at home is the not enough for protecting your Khmer Identity.
914:
Forget about the island. It is history. It is now Vietnam's. You can have your children's children claimed it, but it is insurmountable.
Again, the island is no longer belonging to Cambodia--this is the fact.
Please take care of what you already have, and stop worrying about something that you don't have control over it.
914am
Forget about the island. It is history. It is now Vietnam's. You can have your children's children claimed it, but it is insurmountable.
Again, the island is no longer belonging to Cambodia--this is the fact.
Please take care of what you already have, and stop worrying about something that you don't have control over it.
There are five communist countries in
the world:China,North Korea,Vietnam,
Lao,and Cuba.But one other country,
Cambodia is it a free world country?
I think this kingdom can be 90% of
communist and it prime minister is
a dictator.
Do all their people in Communists and
dictatorships love their leaders?
All communist state leaders are
dictators.
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