approximately 38 Degar Catholic believers attempted...

approximately 38 Degar Catholic believers attempted to travel in canoes to a sacred place to conduct a prayer vigil. As was their custom, Catholic Christian took canoes to cross to the other side of the lake to pray at this particular site, which is close to their old village of Ploi Hamong Katu. But, when they were still in their canoes, the Vietnamese security police (who also encouraged Vietnamese civilians to do so) began throwing rocks at them. Two of Christians, A Lat, 61, and A Brin, 46, were hit by heavy rocks on their heads and both men fell into the lake and died. Both of the men are from the village of Plei Kuk Gyer, commune of An Thanh, district of Dak Bo in the province of Gia Lai. The families wished to bury their dead at that site where Mary came to them in a vision because the men were killed for their Christian faith. The Vietnamese security forces however, forced them to carry the corpses back to their village for burial.