BANGKOK—Vietnam says it is willing to consider the third-country resettlement of Montagnard refugees who fled to neighboring Cambodia aftera crackdown in Vietnam's Central Highlands.
"For anyone who volunteers to go to a third country and is accepted, we're willing to discuss the matter with the Cambodian government and UNHCR [U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees] to settle the matter," said ForeignMinistry spokesman Le Dung.
Dung said Vietnam was also prepared to accept any refugees who wanted toreturn home. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has made clear thatCambodia does not want to be "to be turned into a refugee camp," he said.
About 100 of the mainly Protestant Montagnards from Vietnam's Centralhighlands have managed to reach the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. Humanrights groups say at least 200 more are hiding in the region. Many are illand all have been subsisting on roots, leaves, and other junglevegetation.
Dung quoted Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying the Montagnards hadfled to Cambodia as a "pretext to cover activities that aim to jeopardizesecurity" in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Cambodian troops have reportedlyrounded up some Montagnards and handed them back to Vietnamese borderguards, but how many that might be and how many may have already died inthe jungle was unclear.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong quoted Hun Sen as saying the UNHCRwould be given a month to process the asylum seekers and find a thirdcountry to accept them. Failing that, Cambodia would send them back toVietnam.
The current exodus of ethnic hill tribespeople from Vietnam's CentralHighlands began in April following massive demonstrations against religious repression and land confiscation by the Vietnamese government.
Those protests, which drew an estimated 10,000 people to the streets inDaklak and Gia Lai provinces, turned violent as Vietnam's police andsecurity forces clashed with demonstrators.
Human rights groups have said that at least 10 people died and dozensothers were injured, while Vietnam maintains only two were killed.
Vietnam has accused the U.S.-based Montagnard Foundation, led bya former guerrilla leader allied with America during the Vietnam War, withorganizing what it called an "uprising" to call for a separate state.
Related Links:
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
Montagnard Foundation