US embassy cable - 04HANOI3341

UNCLAS HANOI 003341 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV and PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PREF, VM, CB, ETMIN, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: Charge Meets with UNHCR Regional Representative 
Utkan 
 
 
1. (SBU) The Charge met December 17 with UNHCR Regional 
Representative Hasim Utkan and UNHCR Vietnam Country 
Representative Vu Anh Son.  According to Utkan, he had had a 
productive meeting earlier in the day with MFA Director 
General for Consular Affairs Bui Dinh Dinh and had focused 
on three issues:  the UNHCR's in-country presence, the 
UNHCR's activities in Vietnam and a "high-level" UNHCR visit 
to Vietnam.  On the subject of the UNHCR's presence, Utkan 
said that the UNHCR had identified an international staff 
member to serve as its representative in Hanoi.  The UNHCR 
believed that "upgrading" its presence in this manner would 
send a positive message about the UNHCR's relationship with 
the GVN and commitment to programs in Vietnam. 
 
2. (SBU) On the subject of the UNHCR's activities in 
Vietnam, Utkan said that the UNHCR hoped to restart some of 
its non-Montagnard-related in-country programs.  He urged 
the GVN not to link these programs with any ongoing problems 
between the UNHCR and the GVN over Montagnards.  It would 
thus be in Vietnam's interest to have an in-country presence 
regardless of the state of play in the Central Highlands to 
take care of other areas of the UNHCR mandate, Utkan 
reportedly stressed.  For example, the UNHCR wished to 
resume its program assisting "stateless" Cambodians living 
in the south.  Finally, Utkan told the Charge that he had 
discussed with DG Dinh the desire to realize a "high-level" 
visit to Vietnam, perhaps by the High Commissioner, sometime 
in 2005.  Dinh reportedly responded that movement on all of 
these issues would depend on the state of the relationship 
between the UNHCR and the GVN. 
 
3. (SBU) Turning briefly to the question of Montagnards in 
Cambodia, Utkan said that a "better mechanism" was needed to 
facilitate the return to Vietnam of those Montagnards who so 
desired.  The difficult experience of dealing with the 13 
Vietnamese who had qualified for resettlement but who chose 
instead to return to Vietnam made clear that there must be a 
better way to handle similar incidents.  Utkan also said 
that, if all the parties concerned agreed, the UNHCR could 
establish a "more robust" UNHCR presence on the ground in 
Cambodian border provinces -- such as in the form of a field 
office. 
 
BOARDMAN