US embassy cable - 05HANOI1683

UNCLAS HANOI 001683 
 
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, ETMIN, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: UNHCR MAKES SECOND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS VISIT 
 
Reftel: Hanoi 1184 and previous 
 
1. (SBU) UNHCR Officer-in-Charge for Vietnam Vu Anh Son made 
a second visit to ethnic minority returnees in the Central 
Highlands province of Gia Lai.  He told Poloff that the June 
22-25 trip went "very well" and that he has now met with 35 
of the 40 individuals voluntarily returned from Cambodia. 
Son reported being escorted only by two officials from the 
Provincial People's Committee during his trip.  He said that 
none of the returnees reported abuses, and that the five 
returnees in the most recent group spent only two days being 
instructed on government policies and their rights before 
returning home, down from five days for the first returnees 
(reftel).  The Vietnamese press carried accounts of the 
visit, which described the individuals as having been 
"invited by negative elements to unlawfully leave the 
country," but that they now vowed never to do as again. 
 
2. (SBU) Son noted that he had met with a returnee whom some 
foreign ethnic-minority "advocates" had claimed was arrested 
in late May.  The individual said that he had not been 
arrested, but rather asked by local authorities to 
participate in "making some propaganda" to dissuade others 
from going to Cambodia.  Aside from this example, Son said 
he found the local authorities very aware of the attention 
focused on the returnees and were treating them extremely 
generously as a result.  Many were given rice by 
authorities, and some said they had been offered cows free 
of charge. 
 
3. (SBU) Son had requested the visit on June 14 and received 
permission to travel on June 21.  "I was very surprised that 
the authorities approved the visit so quickly," he said. 
Son added that, upon his return to Hanoi, he received a call 
from the MFA asking when he plans to make a third trip.  Son 
noted that he does not plan to make another visit until more 
individuals have returned from Cambodia. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment:  We are pleased to see that the GVN is 
becoming more comfortable with UNHCR monitoring visits.  We 
will continue to support this trend and encourage the 
Government to allow an international participant on future 
visits.  End comment. 
 
BOARDMAN