BAJARAKA

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BAJARAKA was a Montagnard separatist movement formed in 1955 by the Bahnar, Jarai, Rade, and Kaho groups to protest discrimination in the Central Highlands under the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). It later became a predecessor of the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO).

Context and aims
- After the Geneva Conference in 1954, South Vietnam’s government ended the special Crown status in the Central Highlands and folded the region into the country’s main territories. Montagnard customary law lost its official standing and national law took its place.
- The new policy claimed to promote equality, unity, and development, but many Montagnards felt threatened by assimilation and loss of traditional rights.

Government changes and impact on Montagnards
- The Republic of Vietnam created offices to oversee development in the Central Highlands, and hundreds of thousands of people from the north moved south, with some Montagnards being displaced into the mountains.
- Montagnard civil service ranks were abolished starting in May 1958, under Ngô Đình Diệm’s policy that people should be judged by education and ability, not ethnicity. This toppled some Montagnard privileges.
- Land reform stripped Montagnard families of hereditary land, fueling resentment. Feudal Montagnard courts were dissolved in favor of national law, eroding traditional dispute resolution and increasing friction with the government.

Formation and early actions of BAJARAKA
- In 1955, the Highlanders Liberation Front (FLM) emerged in Đắk Lắk, led by the Rade, to protest government policies. With support from other groups, it adopted the name BAJARAKA, reflecting the four main ethnic groups involved: Bahnar, Jarai, Rade, and Kaho.
- The leadership included Y Bhăm Êñuôl (Rade founder), Siu Síp (Jarai), and other prominent Montagnards such as Y Dhơn Adrong, Y Nuin Hmok, Y Nam Êban, and Paul Nưr, who formed the Central Autonomous Committee based in Pleiku to direct the movement.
- In May 1958, BAJARAKA sent protest letters to the French embassy, the United States, and the United Nations, accusing the South Vietnamese government of discrimination and asking major powers to intervene for Montagnard independence.
- Protests in August and September 1958 spread to Kon Tum, Pleiku, and Buôn Ma Thuột. The government cracked down, and many leaders were arrested.

War context and shifting alliances
- From 1956 to 1962, American military advisers joined Montagnard villages, equipping local groups to fight the communists and helping form Civilian Indigenous Defense Groups (CIDG) and Special Forces.
- During the Vietnam War, some Montagnards sided with the National Liberation Front (NLF) or the South Vietnamese government, while others aligned with different ethnic and regional groups. In Phnom Penh, Cham and Khmer Krom groups formed rival fronts that influenced Montagnard mobilization.

Road to broader autonomy and secession
- On 19 May 1961, a Communist-led gathering of Central Highlands ethnic delegates created the Central Highlands Autonomous Movement to work with the Communist army.
- After the First Republic was overthrown, imprisoned BAJARAKA leaders were released with U.S. help, strengthening the movement in the Highlands.
- In March 1964, BAJARAKA’s leadership formed the Central Highlands Liberation Front (FLHP), shifting focus from autonomy to secession. The FLHP split into factions, including a militant Highlands Separatists group that fled to Cambodia and set up bases near Mondulkiri.

Uprising and crackdown in 1964
- A congress of 55 moderate Montagnards met in Pleiku on 26 August 1964, and by 19 September 1964 the rebels launched an uprising. They captured and controlled several outposts and roads, attacked key sites, and called on Montagnards to establish an independent nation.
- Martial law was declared on 20 September 1964. ARVN forces and U.S.-backed units regrouped to retake the positions. As the rebels faced defeat, the United States urged negotiations.
- Y Bhăm Êñuôl, a leading moderate voice, negotiated on behalf of the rebels and then fled to Cambodia. The FLHP began to link up with other groups, signaling a broader push for Montagnard independence.

Summary
BAJARAKA started as a united protest by four Montagnard groups against discriminatory policies in South Vietnam. It evolved into a major movement seeking greater autonomy and eventually secession, intertwining with the wider conflicts of the Vietnam era and the region’s FULRO-related efforts.