US embassy cable - 05HANOI772

UNCLAS HANOI 000772 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND PRM, BANGKOK FOR REFUGEE 
COORDINATOR, GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PREF, VM, CB, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: GVN RESPONDS ON UNHCR MONITORING 
 
Reftel: A) State 57206, B) Hanoi 215, C) Hanoi 671 
 
1. (SBU) PolCouns and Poloff met with MFA Consular 
Department Deputy Director General Nguyen Minh Vu April 1 to 
deliver Ref A demarche on UNHCR monitoring of Montagnard 
returnees and the placement of permanent international staff 
in the UNHCR office in Hanoi.  Vu listened to PolCouns' 
points and responded that the issue of monitoring returnees 
is "very difficult and sensitive" to the GVN.  "Many people 
in our Government believe that some individuals working for 
the UNHCR organized Montagnards" to flee Vietnam.  In the 
2005 Tripartite Agreement (Ref. B), the GVN only agreed to 
"consider access" by the UNHCR to Montagnard returnees, 
depending on implementation of the agreement, Vu claimed. 
In that agreement, the GVN stated that returnees would not 
be punished, and the USG can "be assured" that the GVN will 
uphold its promise.  Responding to PolCouns, he said that 
the GVN has no timetable for when visits can be conducted, 
but it "could discuss" the issue. 
 
2. (SBU) Vu noted that three groups of returnees (totaling 
35 persons) have now come back to Vietnam, the most recent 
on March 31.  The GVN has some concerns about implementation 
of the Tripartite Agreement.  Specifically, it is not 
receiving sufficient advance notice of repatriations.  The 
GVN expects to deal with such issues at a three-way 
discussion of technical matters before any more Montagnards 
are returned, but Vu said he does not believe a date for 
such discussions has been set.  He asked the USG to expedite 
the processing of Montagnards in Cambodia, noting that the 
one-month decision period for those who had been offered 
resettlement but have not taken it was now up.  Vu 
acknowledged that the GVN does not know how the UNHCR is 
currently handling these cases. 
 
3. (SBU) On the issue of permanent international staff for 
the UNHCR office in Hanoi, Vu said that the GVN has received 
such a request, but thought that, "for the time being, the 
current situation is more appropriate."  The GVN will 
consider accepting international staff "based on the 
implementation of the Tripartite Agreement." 
 
4. (SBU) Separately, UNHCR Officer in Charge Vu Anh Son 
(protect) told Poloff that, subsequent to their last 
discussion (Ref. C), the UNHCR had made a formal request in 
writing to the GVN to visit the first group of returnees. 
The GVN refused this request.  The GVN also informed Son 
that he would be allowed to travel to the Vietnam - Cambodia 
border to witness the March 31 handover, but could not 
travel with the returnees to their home villages.  Son 
welcomed the Embassy's support in urging the GVN to allow 
UNHCR visits. 
MARINE