PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: yphichdok@msfjustice.org
December 30, 2025
MSFJ Responds to Allegations Broadcast by Vietnam Television (VTV)
USA — Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ, aka Montagnards for Justice) issues this press release in response to allegations broadcast by the government-operated Vietnam Television (VTV) concerning Y Quynh Bdap, a cofounder of MSFJ, who is currently imprisoned in Vietnam on a false charge of "terrorism" following his extradition from Thailand.
The VTV broadcast included a video of Y Quynh Bdap admitting that MSFJ took part in the June 11, 2023 acts of "terrorism" in Dak Lak Province and that he personally directed these armed attacks; he apologized to the families of those killed. Such admissions were, unsurprisingly, staged and obviously obtained under duress. That admission is false, misleading, and contradicted by credible evidence.
Key Facts contradicting Y Quynh Bdap's admission on VTV Broadcast
• MSFJ has never engaged in, supported, or promoted violence or armed activity. Our mission is to advocate for and defend, by peaceful means, the human rights, religious freedom, and indigenous rights of the Montagnard peoples in Vietnam's Central Highlands. On the very day of the shootings, we issued a public statement condemning any use of violence and affirming that our organization had no involvement in the attacks.
• When he was able to speak freely and without fear, Y Quynh Bdap categorically rejected Vietnam's false accusations: "I am a human rights activist, fighting for religious freedom and advocating for people's rights. My activities are peaceful, consisting only of collecting and writing reports on human rights violations in Vietnam... Recently, the Vietnamese government falsely accused me of participating in the riots on June 11, 2023, and sentenced me in absentia to 10 years in prison. The truth is that I have absolutely nothing to do with that violent incident."
International human rights standards recognize that statements obtained while an individual is in the custody of a repressive regime, particularly in politically sensitive cases, cannot be presumed voluntary and must be independently verified.
Ongoing Risks and Broader Concerns
Based on past patterns and current developments, MSFJ has serious and well-founded concerns that Vietnamese authorities will continue to disseminate false or misleading information regarding MSFJ and its members so as to justify its February _, 2024 baseless designation of MSFJ as a terrorist organization and its ongoing persecution against Montagnard Christians who resist joining a state-controlled church.
We are particularly concerned that such narratives may be used to launch further actions against MSFJ members who have been forced into exile in Thailand, as well as Montagnard Christian communities in Vietnam's Central Highlands, who have historically faced intimidation, surveillance, and collective punishment. Our June 11, 2023 public statement already forewarned such a tactic by the Vietnamese Government.
Call for Independent Verification
MSFJ respectfully calls upon international human rights organizations, diplomatic missions in Vietnam, independent legal observers, and the international news media to critically examine the broadcast discussed above, review the timeline of events, and seek independent verification of Y Quynh Bdap's admission. The only way for this to happen is to interview him in a safe environment outside of Vietnam.
MSFJ remains committed to nonviolence, transparency, and lawful advocacy, and supports any independent, impartial investigation conducted in accordance with international legal standards.
This press release is issued to correct the disinformation broadcast by VTV and reaffirm MSFJ's peaceful mission to promote human rights and religious freedom for all Montagnards in Vietnam.
Issued by:
Y Phic Hdok
Co-Founder, MSFJ (Người Thượng Vì Công Lý)
USA
