The Degar people, or more commonly known as Montagnards, are a Southeast Asian tribal people native to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Their history goes back thousands of years. Although they live in Asia, their genetics and language are more closely related to Malayo-Polynesians and for this reason (among others) they are often discriminated against by the ethnic Vietnamese where most of them used to reside.

The Montagnards are made up of dozens of tribes, each with their own dialect and customs, such as the Rhade, Jarai, and others. Although the majority lived in Vietnam, they are not closely related to ethnic Vietnamese, and were treated poorly and forced into the central highlands, away from the more heavily-populated and hospitable coastal areas.

It is notable that during the Vietnam War, over 40,000 Montagnard men fought for the US Army against the invading North Vietnamese communists. They had a well-earned reputation for bravery and skill in combat, and fought alongside American Special Forces and SOG teams in crossborder operations in neighboring Asian countries. However, after the US withdrew from Vietnam due to the Marxist ambitions of the Democratic politicians and "peace" movement, the Montagnards were left to fend for themselves when the communist North took over the South in 1975. Thousands were murdered by the invaders for a multitude of reasons (one of them being that most Montagnards adhered to some form of Christianity; religious practice is strongly...