The recent but few reports of a crackdown on thousands of ethnic Hmong Christians along the border of Vietnam and Laos, in the North West of the country is distressing to say the least.

With such little reporting or information available, it is hard to know what is really going on, but the Centre for Public Policy Analysis has reported 14 extra deaths overnight Sunday, bringing the death toll to 63.

With foreign journalists barred form the region, it’s hard to verify whether these figures are correct.

VOA News.com reported Hmong Advance group said hundreds of protesters had been wounded and dozens killed since the crackdown began in late April in Dien Bien province.

The article read ”Hmong Advance spokeswoman Christy Lee said the crackdown was launched April 30 in the Vietnamese border town of Muong Nhe, when about 8,500 Hmong gathered to pray and demand land reforms and expanded religious freedoms. Lee said hundreds of protesters were arrested, with some of them transported to locations in Vietnam and nearby Laos.”