Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05HANOI921
2005-04-20 09:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
NO UNHCR VISIT TO CENTRAL HIGHLANDS; GVN CONFIRMS
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 200937Z Apr 05 ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DS-00 OIGO-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 OIC-00 PA-00 FMP-00 BBG-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-00 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /000W ------------------E16CE2 200955Z /38 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7391 INFO USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
UNCLAS HANOI 000921
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
SUBJECT: NO UNHCR VISIT TO CENTRAL HIGHLANDS; GVN CONFIRMS
MID-TERM REVIEW POSTPONEMENT
Reftel: A) Phnom Penh 632
This is a joint Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City Cable
UNCLAS HANOI 000921
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
SUBJECT: NO UNHCR VISIT TO CENTRAL HIGHLANDS; GVN CONFIRMS
MID-TERM REVIEW POSTPONEMENT
Reftel: A) Phnom Penh 632
This is a joint Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City Cable
1. (SBU) Summary: The UNHCR's representative in Hanoi told
us that he had not received permission to travel to the
Central Highlands. A GVN official confirmed that the late
April dates for the mid-review conference will not work for
Vietnam. In the meantime, we continue to seek confirmation
of allegations of mistreatment of returnees. End Summary.
2. (SBU) UNHCR Hanoi Office-in-Charge Vu Anh Son told us
April 20 that, contrary to what UNHCR Phnom Penh reported
(Ref A),he had not been approved by the MFA to take a trip
to the Central Highlands. He expressed hope that a trip
"will be permitted soon." Son further noted that the GVN
will "likely postpone" the April 28-29 meeting in Geneva.
Although Son's GVN interlocutors have not said anything
officially yet, they have told Son that the late April dates
are "not convenient." Regarding a recent Vietnam News
Agency article that reported that Vietnam, Cambodia and the
UNCHR had agreed that the 75 screened-out Vietnamese ethnic
minorities must return to Vietnam, Son was nonplussed. "I'm
not sure why that article came out," he said. Son added he
believes that there is no specific plan or deadline to
return the 75.
2. (SBU) We also spoke on April 20 with Thai Xuan Dung,
Director of the MFA Consular Department's Overseas Consular
Affairs Section. He confirmed that Vietnam needs to
postpone the late April mid-term review and added that the
GVN has not yet decided who will lead Vietnam's delegation.
3. (SBU) A ConGen HCMC contact in the Central Highlands
province of Gia Lai told us April 14 that he had not heard
of any mistreatment of the ethnic minorities returnees,
although he had not visited them himself. His experience
with voluntary returnees in 2003 was that local police
interviewed these individuals immediately upon return and
then would periodically hold follow up discussions with
them. The frequency of these follow-up interviews decreased
over time as local authorities grew confident that the
returnees were not involved in a "Dega" autonomy movement.
In mid-March, Gia Lai and HCMC officials told ConGenOffs
that the first group of returnees had returned safely to the
province and gave assurances that they would not be
mistreated.
MARINE
NNNN
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
SUBJECT: NO UNHCR VISIT TO CENTRAL HIGHLANDS; GVN CONFIRMS
MID-TERM REVIEW POSTPONEMENT
Reftel: A) Phnom Penh 632
This is a joint Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City Cable
1. (SBU) Summary: The UNHCR's representative in Hanoi told
us that he had not received permission to travel to the
Central Highlands. A GVN official confirmed that the late
April dates for the mid-review conference will not work for
Vietnam. In the meantime, we continue to seek confirmation
of allegations of mistreatment of returnees. End Summary.
2. (SBU) UNHCR Hanoi Office-in-Charge Vu Anh Son told us
April 20 that, contrary to what UNHCR Phnom Penh reported
(Ref A),he had not been approved by the MFA to take a trip
to the Central Highlands. He expressed hope that a trip
"will be permitted soon." Son further noted that the GVN
will "likely postpone" the April 28-29 meeting in Geneva.
Although Son's GVN interlocutors have not said anything
officially yet, they have told Son that the late April dates
are "not convenient." Regarding a recent Vietnam News
Agency article that reported that Vietnam, Cambodia and the
UNCHR had agreed that the 75 screened-out Vietnamese ethnic
minorities must return to Vietnam, Son was nonplussed. "I'm
not sure why that article came out," he said. Son added he
believes that there is no specific plan or deadline to
return the 75.
2. (SBU) We also spoke on April 20 with Thai Xuan Dung,
Director of the MFA Consular Department's Overseas Consular
Affairs Section. He confirmed that Vietnam needs to
postpone the late April mid-term review and added that the
GVN has not yet decided who will lead Vietnam's delegation.
3. (SBU) A ConGen HCMC contact in the Central Highlands
province of Gia Lai told us April 14 that he had not heard
of any mistreatment of the ethnic minorities returnees,
although he had not visited them himself. His experience
with voluntary returnees in 2003 was that local police
interviewed these individuals immediately upon return and
then would periodically hold follow up discussions with
them. The frequency of these follow-up interviews decreased
over time as local authorities grew confident that the
returnees were not involved in a "Dega" autonomy movement.
In mid-March, Gia Lai and HCMC officials told ConGenOffs
that the first group of returnees had returned safely to the
province and gave assurances that they would not be
mistreated.
MARINE
NNNN