US embassy cable - 04HANOI2864

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13 Montagnards Return to Vietnam

Identifier: 04HANOI2864
Wikileaks: View 04HANOI2864 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Hanoi
Created: 2004-10-21 10:12:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: PREL PHUM PREF VM CB ETMIN HUMANR
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HANOI 002864 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PREF, VM, CB, ETMIN, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: 13 Montagnards Return to Vietnam 
 
Reftels:  A) Hanoi 2485 and previous; B) Phnom Penh 1629 and 
 
previous 
 
1. (SBU) UNHCR Vietnam Country Representative Vu Anh Son 
reported to us October 18 that the 13 Montagnards who had 
originally sought resettlement from Cambodia but ultimately 
decided to return to Vietnam -- with or without UNHCR's 
assistance -- had indeed returned to Vietnam.  According to 
Son, the 13 decided to strike off on their own from Phnom 
Penh rather than wait for UNHCR and the GVN to reach an 
agreement on the modalities of their repatriation.  The 13 
Montagnards crossed into Vietnam on October 12 and UNHCR was 
currently unaware of their welfare and whereabouts, Son 
said. 
 
2. (SBU) According to Thai Xuan Dung, Deputy Head of the 
External Consular Relations section of MFA's Department of 
Consular Affairs (the office in charge of this issue), the 
13 had "returned home safely."  Dung told us October 21 
that, thanks to the assistance of local authorities, the 13 
had been able to be reunited with their families.  In a 
separate conversation, ConGen HCMC DPO raised the return of 
the 13 with an official in Ho Chi Minh City's External 
Relations Office.  At the time, the official had no 
substantive response but noted that, if the 13 had crossed 
into Vietnam "illegally," they would be in "big trouble." 
Earlier, GVN officials had announced that Montagnards that 
chose to return voluntarily would not/not be punished. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment:  We will attempt to confirm MFA's 
assertion that the 13 have returned home safely, but this is 
often easier said than done.  Our experience has been that 
getting any information at all from central government and 
provincial authorities on Central Highlands migration 
questions has been difficult.  Previous inquiries related to 
this issue have been studiously ignored, we believe because 
the GVN considers the Central Highlands a matter of 
"national security."  End Comment. 
 
MARINE 

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