Cambodia Police Continue Selling of Montagnard Refugees to Vietnamese Police

 

By Jeremy Reynalds (02/11/05)

Hundreds of Montagnards have fled Vietnam for Cambodia to escape ongoing persecution by the Vietnamese Government.

However, it appears that option is no longer available for the Montagnards, the indigenous people of Vietnam's Central Highlands.

The Montagnard Foundation (www.montagnard-foundation.org) has received information that Cambodian police are continuing to arrest and forcibly return Montagnard asylum seekers back to Vietnamese police for cash bounties.

According to a news release from the Montagnard Foundation, the latest incidents involve 21 Montagnard Degar refugees.

In early Feb. 2005 six Montagnard Degar people were arrested and handed over to Vietnamese police. They were arrested at Dat village in Ratannakiri Province, Cambodia, according to information received by the Foundation..

In late Nov. 2004 15 Montagnard Degar people were arrested and handed over to Vietnamese police. They were arrested at Dat village in Ratannakiri Province, Cambodia, according to information obtained by the Montagnard Foundation.

The bounty paid by Vietnamese government to Cambodian police for these refugees, the Montagnard Foundation reported, was 5 million Vietnamese Dong (about $335 US).

According to the Montagnard Foundation, the Cambodian Police officer in charge of the arrests, deportations and who also received the cash payments from Vietnamese authorities was (reportedly) Major Mao Son.

Montagnard Foundation President Kok Ksor said in a press release, "Human Rights Watch has already confirmed many of our people have been tortured and imprisoned when they are returned to Vietnam – and the international community needs to protect our people now."

Scott Johnson, the Australian- based advisor to the Montagnard Foundation said in the same release, "I have personally interviewed Montagnard torture victims in Cambodia and refugees in the United States and believe the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international donors, including the US and Australian governments, need to clearly take a stand on what is happening."

In the same news release, the Montagnard Foundation called on a variety of countries and entities that included the United States, the European Union, the Australian Government, the UNHCR and the Cambodian Government to immediately conduct an investigation into the alleged incident involving Major Mao Son.

Since 2001 thousands of Montagnards have fled to Cambodia to escape persecution by the Vietnamese government, the Montagnard Foundation wrote in the same news release.

Human Rights Watch agreed with the position taken by the Montagnard Foundation. In early Jan. 2005 Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division wrote "(www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/09/vietna9967.htm), "The Vietnamese government's mistreatment of Montagnards continues unabated ... Instead of closing its borders to asylum seekers, the Cambodian government should be working with the United Nations refugee agency to provide sanctuary to people escaping torture and arbitrary arrest."

An earlier press release from the a press release from the Montagnard Foundation said its officials are calling on the UNCHR(www.unhcr.org) "and donor nations to urgently protect the Montagnard Refugees in Cambodia and ensure they are not forcibly deported against their will to Vietnam, and that Vietnam and Cambodia abide by the UN Refugee Convention."

The Vietnamese government does not take kindly to public protests by the Montagnards about their mistreatment. On April 10 2004, thousands of Christian Montagnards conducted a peaceful prayer vigil inside Vietnam's Central Highlands calling for an end to the ongoing persecution.

Vietnamese security forces attacked the demonstrators. Human Rights Watch reported on May 28 2004, "Hundreds of demonstrators were wounded and many were killed on April 10 and 11 on key bridges and roadways."

Additional information about the Montagnard Foundation is available at www.montagnard-foundation.org/about-mfi.html