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MHRO continues its human rights mission with policy advocacy in Washington, DC and the international community, for the plight of the Montagnard people living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The Montagnard Human Rights Organization made a difference in the lives of over four thousand Montagnards living in North Carolina. Through MHRO these individuals and families found help in difficult situations. Our services have reached out to the three cities of Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte. MHRO has served 146 Montagnard elderly on an on-going basis, provided immigration services, including 93 Family Reunification I-730 forms, 114 green card applications with follow-up, and also citizenship services.
Present and ongoing MHRO continues research and development of the rule of law model for self-determination in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the “Framework for Freedom” of the Anak Cu Chiang People April 4-5, 2005- U.S. State Dept., NSC, USCIS, and Congressional advocacy trip on behalf of Montagnard Family Reunification in cooperation with the NC Refugee Resettlement Agencies and the Statewide Director for NC Refugee Resettlement February 1-2, 2005, MHRO completed an advocacy trip to Washington DC (U.S. State Dept. and White House, National Security Council with two refugee witnesses who testified about the persecution and obstruction in the Montagnard family reunification process, and Montagnard human rights violations in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
September 12, 2004, MHRO Music Group participated in an International Culture Parade at the United Nations, New York. This is the first time for the Montagnard Community in North Carolina to have the opportunity to perform and preserve the Montagnard culture through the United Nations Cultural Parade. August 26, 2004, MHRO has a meeting with the National Endowment for Democracy, NED, to discuss funding possibilities for MHRO and the grant process. Also, MHRO meets with the Asia Director for IFES, the International Foundation for Elections Systems to discuss the Montagnard “Framework for Freedom” and rule of law in Vietnam. MHRO meets with the Embassy of France, Political Division, to discuss the Montagnard situation, human rights, and the historical relationship of France and the Montagnard people. This is the first time after 50 years following the French withdrawal from Indochina. MHRO also has a meeting with the Embassy of Japan, and the Second Secretary Political Officer, to discuss human rights violations in the Central Highlands and the poor living conditions for the Montagnard people
August 25, 2004, MHRO made a trip to Washington DC to meet with the Assistant Secretary of State, East Asia Pacific Bureau, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (PRM) to advocate for Montagnard Family Reunification and to highlight the problems for the Montagnard people to get passports which are necessary for the USCONGEN interviews and subsequent departure from Vietnam. MHRO also had a meeting with the Director for Democracy and Human Rights at the National Security Council, the White House and the Director for Southeast Asian Affairs at National Security Council, the White House. July 4, 2004, MHRO organized 58 Montagnards from North Carolina to participate in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington DC. This event is the first time after 17 years for the Montagnard Community in the US to share our expression of freedom with American people in the United States of America (see picture) July 14-15, 2004, MHRO organized 30 Montagnard leaders in a trip to Washington DC at the US Senate Buildings to campaign for “Vietnam Human Rights Act and Vietnam as a “Country of Particular concern” CPC. As a result of this combined advocacy with other groups, CPC passed on September 2004 (see picture)
April 21, 2004, MHRO organized 276 Montangards from North Carolina for a peaceful demonstration in Washington DC at the U.S. Capitol Building and the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The purpose was to oppose the Hanoi Government’s slaughter of the Montagnard people on April 10-11, 2004, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, to raise awareness of human rights violations and religious persecution, and to influence the US government to examine its trade policy with Vietnam. Congressman Chris Smith, Nina Shea with Freedom House and many others Congressional leaders in both the House and Senate attended the protest (see picture) November 12, 2003, MHRO traveled to the U.S. State Dept. for a meeting with William Inboden, an advisor to John Hanford, U.S. Ambassador At-Large for International Religious Freedom. September 30, 2003, Received a $300,000 grant award from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to carry out a program of ESL, Montagnard language training, services to the elderly, Montagnard Family Reunification and leadership development. July 29, 2003, MHRO attended the Convention of Vietnam Veterans of America in St. Louis, Missouri
July 21, 2003, MHRO has a meeting with Staff of Senators Elizabeth
Dole, Brownback, John Edwards and Congressman Chris Smith to advocate
for Montagnard human rights, July 1, 2003, MHRO has a meeting with: Hannah Royal, Legislative staff of Senator Brownback, Keith Luse, Senior professional Staff of Senator Richard Lugar, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Nicole M. Bibbins, Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, US Department of State, and Scott Flipse, senior policy analyst for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. June 2, 2003, MHRO met with John Hanford, Ambassador At-Large, International Religious Freedom and his Advisor, William Inboden, to discuss religious persecution of the Montagnards in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. May 19-22, 2003, the Executive Director of MHRO participated in the 2nd Session of the permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations in New York. (See picture)
April 3, 2003, Executive Director of MHRO participated in a Press Conference for the Vietnam Human Rights Act introduced by Congressman Chris Smith, at Cannon House Building. MHRO is the key speaker at the Conference concerning the human rights violations of the Montagnards in the Central Highlands of Vietnam (see picture). October 2002 Participated in a meeting of key Montagnard leaders from Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro with NC Congressman David Price at Meredith College to advocate for numerous Montagnard causes, including family reunification of Montagnard refugees in North Carolina, equal access to American higher education by Montagnards in Vietnam, and assistance with other government programs for Montagnards. October 2002. August 8, 2001 Briefed Assistant Secretary of State Matt Daley and his staff in Washington, DC, on the status of 900 Montagnard refugees in Cambodia, the forced repatriation of other Montagnard refugees to Vietnam and the militant crackdown by the Vietnamese government on all Montagnards living in Vietnam.
July 2001 Traveled to Cambodia with a Congressional delegation sponsored by California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, in cooperation with the Vietnam Highlands Assistance Project delegation from Lutheran Family Services, to visit 900 Montagnard refugees in the two UN Refugee Camps at Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri. Translated for US Ambassador Kent Weidman, US Army military attaché Colonel Michael Norton, and US State Department staff at the camp. Cooperated with the “Save The Montagnard People, Inc. (STMP) organization in delivering relief supplies, clothing and medicine to the refugee camps. (See Photograph of refugee children at camp.) May 4, 2001 Organized 300 Montagnard refugees living in North Carolina to travel by bus to New York City to demonstrate before the United Nations building, the World Trade Center and the Vietnam Mission to protest the use of excessive force by Vietnamese military forces, tanks and helicopters who crushed the peaceful Montagnard demonstrations in Pleiku and Ban Me Thuot on February 1, 2001. Large news story with pictures appeared in the New York Times. March 12, 2001 Demonstrated in Washington DC before the Capitol Building, the White House and the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to draw attention to the repression of Montagnards in Vietnam. News story carried on AP Wire.
July, 7, 1998 Testified at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Trade with Vietnam to urge Congress to insist that Vietnam stop its brutal repression of Montagnards if the US is to renew Vietnam’s most favored nation trading status (the Jackson-Vanik Amendment) June 18, 1998 Testified at a hearing before the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Trade with Vietnam regarding the renewal of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and the failure of the Vietnamese government to allow free emigration by Montagnards. March 10. 1998 Testified at a hearing at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at the invitation of Committee Chairman, Senator Jesse Helms, about the repression of the Montagnard people in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Senator Helms, the senior senator from North Carolina, is a long-time friend and advocate for the Montagnard people. March 10, 1998. A large news story with picture appeared in the March 11, 1998 issue of the Raleigh News and Observer. (See Appendix A, Photograph 2 and 3 showing Senator Helms meeting with MHRO members.)
Advocated for Montagnards with staff from the offices of Congressman Coble, Congressman Christopher Smith, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Senator John Edwards, Senator John McCain, Senator Jesse Helms and other congressmen. Worked on numerous family reunification cases and human rights violations cases with Joseph Reese, then on the professional staff of Congressman Christopher Smith, and presently US Ambassador to East Timor. Provided numerous interviews and press releases that have been published by the New York Times, the Washington Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the London Sunday Telegraph, Time magazine, the Associated Press, the Raleigh News and Observer, the Charlotte Observer, the Greensboro News and Record, the Cary News, the North Carolina Catholic and many other newspapers and magazines to publicize the need for international support for the repressed Montagnard minority in Vietnam. October 16, 2004, MHRO staff and Board has a meeting at Moses Cone Hospital to form Board Committees, including Chairman, Executive, and finance. Other issues concerned fund-raising and the Board of Directors’ involvement and membership.
September 25, 2004, MHRO conducts a Voter Registration and Citizenship Workshop at Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro. Guest speakers: Professor Theodore Triebel from Duke University, Ellen Olson and Trudy Whittaker with the League of Women Voters. September 18-19, 2004, MHRO has a Board of Directors Training and staff training at Pineknoll Shores, Atlantic Beach. NC. The agenda included: The responsibilities of a board Member, enrollment, fund-raising, and youth and women participation on the Board. From Feb. 2004 through March 2004, Executive Director of MHRO has Speaking Tour at 7 Montagnard Churches in North Carolina to explain the ORR Grant from the US government for MHRO to serve the Montagnard Community with three programs: Family Reunification, Elderly program and Montagnard Language. Requested help from the Montagnard Community to support the program. November 15, 2003, MHRO has a meeting with the STMP organization at Meredith College, to discuss how both organizations can work together in the future.
August 16, 2003 Participated in a meeting of the Montagnards leaders from Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte with the “Save the Montagnard People” organization to encourage every working family of the Montagnard people to support the purchase and operation of 90 additional acres land for the Montagnards. August 16, 2003 at Asheboro. After several times trip to Washington DC with Advocacy for the Vietnam Human Rights Act and Montagnard Human Rights in the Central Highlands, and Montagnard Family Reunification, MHRO mobilized a campaign for 900 Montagnard newcomers who have loved ones and children back in Vietnam, and who want to sponsor them have to complete the I-730 form at Lutheran Family Services, Catholic Social Services and MHRO (Montagnard Human Right Organization) Mobilized Montagnard and non-Montagnard volunteers for emergency resettlement of 900 new Montagnard refugees in 2002. The United Nations High Command for Refugees brought these refugees from two UN Refugee Camps in Cambodia to North Carolina following a Vietnamese government crackdown on peaceful Montagnard demonstrations in two of the provincial capitals of the Central Highlands of Vietnam in February 2001. This huge, resettlement effort was highly successful because the Montagnards already in North Carolina worked so hard to welcome their newly-arrived brothers.
April 13, 2000 Presented concert of traditional Montagnard music by Montagnard musicians wearing traditional clothing at the U.S. Capitol. This is part of an ongoing effort to preserve Montagnard culture, promote pride in the Montagnard community and educate the American public about Montagnard culture and various political, economic, educational and health issues. Four members of the MHRO Board of Directors attended Basic and Advanced Leadership Training at the Legacy Center in Raleigh. 2001 and 2002. Due to lack of education and English language proficiency, all Montagnard refugees of necessity begin employment in the US in entry-level jobs. Many have moved up to better paying jobs over the years. MHRO continues to work to empower individual Montagnards to seek further education and better paying employment. Encouraged full participation of diverse voices in community problem-solving through one-on-one leadership training and education. There are two parts to this challenge: encouraging Montagnards to become engaged in non-Montagnard communities, schools and institutions and encouraging various Montagnard tribes (Jarai, Bahnar, Koho, Rhade and Mnong) to cooperate in building unity within the Montagnard community. Formed a tribal council, with representation from each of the Montagnard tribes in the state of North Carolina, and developed and implemented an election process and framework for the first statewide Montagnard Dega tribal council election.
Rong Nay |
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