GVN RESPONDS ON UNHCR MONITORING

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