Acts of Genocide

The following genocidal acts were experienced or witnessed by members of the Montagnard Support Group and reported by other Dega people. This happened on a mass scale across Dega territory (the Central Highlands) and in "re-education camps" (prison camps) holding both soldiers and civilians. 

From 1960 to 1975 the following genocidal acts were done:

• January 30, 1968: The Tet Offensive took place. This year is referred to as “Tet Mau Than” or Year of Human Blood by the Vietnamese. North Vietnam and Viet Cong forced Dega civilians to travel to South Vietnamese military bases across the Central Highlands. They lied to the Dega people about North Vietnamese victory and deceived the people into seeking shelter, food, and other supplies at South Vietnamese bases. North Vietnam did not win the war yet. Dega men, women, and children were also massacred by South Vietnam when they approached bases in the city. They were used as human shields to cover the advance of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong.
• The Vietnamese attacked Dega villages day and night. They burned entire villages. They killed civilian men, women, and children.
• The Vietnamese killed pregnant Dega women and forced children to watch their evil acts. After the pregnant women were murdered the Vietnamese threw them in the river or put them in burning homes to hide their war crimes.
• The Vietnamese tortured civilian Dega people. This included the Vietnamese slashing all parts of people's bodies while they were alive, putting salt and pepper in their wounds, pulling their small and large intestines out, burning their bodies while they were alive, hanging them from trees, and beheading them.
• The Vietnamese shot civilian Dega people who were simply traveling on trails, walking on their farms and in their villages, while they were inside of their own houses eating, swimming, playing soccer, volleyball and other social activities.
• The Vietnamese bombed Dega villages, murdering entire communities including elderly people and children. They killed entire livestock and destroyed crops villages were dependent on to survive.
• The Vietnamese raped women and forced their husbands and children to watch. After the Vietnamese raped the women, they killed the women and men and kidnapped the Dega children.
• The Vietnamese kidnapped Dega children, brainwashed them, and then forced them to serve in their military.
• The Vietnamese documented their own war crimes and blamed it on the U.S. military.

From 1973 to present time the following genocidal acts were done and continue:

• The Vietnamese systematically poisoned the Dega people through their environment and food supply, including rivers, drinks, bread, salt and meat.
• The Vietnamese brutally imprisoned Dega people with wires so tight on both hands and legs for long periods of time, sometimes over a year, until infections occur that kill them.
• The Vietnamese forcibly sterilized Dega women, deliberately curbing the Dega people's population growth in our own homeland.
• The Vietnamese injure and murder Dega people using cars and buses.

The following photos are of a "re-education camp" (a prison camp) holding Dega civilians after the war ended in 1975. The Dega people faced torture, forced labor, and rape by the Vietnamese military.