UNHCR: "NO GENERAL THREAT" IN VIETNAM CENTRAL HIGHLANDS;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 003070 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND PRM, BANGKOK FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR, GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM HUMANR PREF CB VM SUBJECT: UNHCR: "NO GENERAL THREAT" IN VIETNAM CENTRAL HIGHLANDS; REFUGEE STATUS RECOGNITION RATE DROPPING Ref: Hanoi 188 HANOI 00003070 001.2 OF 003 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) At a December 15 briefing to Hanoi-based diplomats, UNHCR highlighted that the overall environment for Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands was improving, despite an increase of arrivals to Cambodia in 2006. Refugee status recognition rates have dropped significantly in the last one and a half years while training of local Vietnamese authorities has improved in a general atmosphere of increased openness. UNHCR visits with Central Highlands returnees in December show many seek family re-unification while a lack of knowledge and understanding of U.S. visa programs and regulations are pervasive. End Summary. UNHCR BRIEFS HANOI DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On December 15, UNHCR Senior Policy Officer Giuseppe de Vincentis and Vietnam Chief of Mission Vu Anh Son briefed Hanoi-based diplomats on the results of their December 6 - 12 monitoring trip to Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Dak Nong provinces in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. UNHCR has an objective goal of one hundred percent returnee monitoring, and it will return to Gia Lai Province in January 2007 for further monitoring visits. The UNHCR stated that there is currently "no general threat" of systemic discrimination against ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. In addition, De Vicentis provided extensive case detail on the 2006 arrivals of Vietnamese ethnic minorities into Cambodia. VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS TO CAMBODIA INCREASE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As of early December, UNHCR reported that 228 Vietnamese ethnic minority individuals from the Central Highlands had arrived in Cambodia during 2006. This is a sixteen percent increase of Vietnamese ethnic minority arrivals compared to the year prior. Forty percent of the arrivals traveled directly to Phnom Penh, also a significant increase from 2005 (NFI). Upon UNHCR examination of these 228 individual cases, the following determinations were made: -- 70 individual cases were rejected for refugee status by UNHCR after their first interviews; -- 38 individuals were rejected refugee status as the final determination; -- 58 individuals are currently awaiting a final status determination; -- 37 individuals were recognized as refugees (of these, three have already gone to the United States and one died of heart failure); and -- 25 individuals voluntarily returned to Vietnam. ¶4. (SBU) Of those individuals refused refugee status by UNHCR, most were refused under the "lack of well founded fear" clause in determination guidelines. Currently, those cases that have been "rejected" are under review by the USG. In November 2006, a first tranche of three individuals were deported to Vietnam after their cases were reviewed and rejected both by the UNHCR and by the USG. A second tranche of twenty-two deportations occurred on December 18. UNHCR reports that these involuntary returnees did not resist deportation. REFUGEE STATUS RECOGNITION RATE FOR VIETNAM DROPPING -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) UNHCR told us that the overall refugee recognition rate for Vietnam has dropped from one hundred percent to sixteen percent over the last year and a half. UNHCR does not want to classify this as a "general trend" yet, because they still want to look at individual cases. However, UNHCR reports a definite trend of more openness in Vietnam, especially given the desire in Vietnam for WTO accession and the hosting of the APEC Summit. In addition, it has been more than one year since UNHCR received any Vietnamese referrals from the NGO Human Rights Watch. Nevertheless, the UNHCR officials commented that the gap between rich and poor is growing in Vietnam, and this is causing, in part, more Vietnamese ethnic minority individuals to want to leave, as well as a desire by many to join relatives in the United States. UNHCR will continue to monitor this trend to see if the declining refugee rates continue. GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA CONCERNED WITH CURRENT INFLUX HANOI 00003070 002.2 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) According to UNHCR, the Government of Cambodia (GOC) is concerned about the recent influx of Vietnamese and believes that UNHCR itself, along with various NGOs, may be encouraging the exodus. The GOC is currently sending all incoming Vietnamese arrivals to the UNHCR-administered camp site. In addition, UNHCR told us that since October 10 GOC officials are observing the UNHCR's Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process. UNHCR described this as a positive development, as the GOC is "building capacity" while not interfering in the process. UNHCR says it has "received complaints" as to why it still maintains a refugee site for Vietnamese in Cambodia, when Vietnamese can "live so well now" in Vietnam. UNHCR MET WITH OFFICIALS IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) UNHCR representatives traveled to Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Dak Nong provinces in the Central Highlands in December to meet both with local officials and recent ethnic minority returnees. With regard to local authorities, UNHCR was pleased that training for GVN authorities down at the commune level (below district level) is occurring. Local authorities are receiving training on UNHCR mandates for returnees. UNHCR reiterated a general feeling of "more openness" on this trip and a better filtering of information from national to provincial to local government levels, due in part, UNHCR believes, to WTO accession and APEC Summit preparations. Nevertheless, UNHCR reported several problems in their discussions with local GVN officials: -- Local officials often complained that returnees have developed a "sense of immunity." Returnees know they have "protected" status. As a result, they are quick to make claims of government "harassment." -- Local officials also complain that because of this "sense of immunity" there is a delay in returnees' re-integration into society. -- Local officials have also begun to complain because they are required to provide compensation for workdays missed by returnees because of UNHCR interviews. Local officials now want UNHCR to provide compensation to the returnees. ¶8. (SBU) UNHCR found the atmosphere more relaxed at the provincial level. For example, when they met with Gia Lai Province People's Committee Chairman Pham The Dzung, who was previously uninterested in developmental assistance, he actually suggested three new micro-project proposals to enhance the integration of returnees. He also asked UNHCR to cover transportation costs for the returnees from the border after adamantly rejecting this two years ago, when the original MOU with UNHCR was signed. (Note: the GVN did not initially want UNHCR involved in providing assistance to returnees. It is unclear to what extent these comments by locals reflect a shift in that GVN policy.) REQUEST FOR MORE USG VISA PROGRAM INFO -------------- ¶9. (SBU) UNHCR reported that almost everywhere they traveled in the Central Highlands, local GVN authorities asked for improved information dissemination on all USG family reunification and visa programs and expressed a desire to avoid illegal immigration. In particular, several local authorities complained to UNHCR about the USG VISAS-93 Program and "complicated regulations." Authorities reported to UNHCR that some Vietnamese had "sold their houses" only to find out that they did not qualify for participation in the U.S. Government VISAS-93 Program. UNHCR also suggested to us that the U.S. Government do more information dissemination on the VISAS-93 program and other U.S. immigrant visa and family reunification programs at the local levels. (See Comment below.) RETURNEE INTERVIEWS NOT ALL SMOOTH -------------- ¶10. (SBU) With regard to ethnic minority returnee interviews, UNHCR did see some resistance from lower level officials in permitting private interviews of returnees. There were usually local policemen present during UNHCR returnee interviews. UNHCR noted that a separate EU Mission earlier in the year reported government officials disguised as local village elders. MANY SEEK FAMILY REUNIFICATION IN THE UNITED STATES HANOI 00003070 003.2 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Many of the ethnic minority individuals interviewed by UNHCR stated that they returned to Vietnam voluntarily because life in Cambodia had been more difficult than they had expected. In Dak Lak, UNHCR investigated why a group of ethnic minority individuals suddenly left Vietnam in July and August. UNHCR said its investigation showed that, for the most part, their exodus it was linked to a desire for family re-unification and resettlement. UNHCR found that many returnees had relatives in the United States and thought that going via Cambodia, they could get around the more time-consuming and uncertain U.S. visa process. ¶12. (SBU) In the case of four Vietnamese ethnic minority students currently in Phnom Penh, interviews with their respective families in Dak Lak revealed very different reactions. However, once again, the stated desire of all four students is to immigrate to the United States or to join relatives in the United States via the refugee process in Cambodia. One student is from a very well-off, coffee farming family. All of the ethnic minority families of the four students reported that they had been treated well by local Vietnamese authorities and faced no problems with harassment. In fact, during this particular investigation, local authorities actually informed UNHCR about the families and led them to their homes. UNHCR DEBRIEFS WITH GVN MFA -------------- ¶13. (SBU) As follow-up to their Central Highlands monitoring visit, UNHCR met with GVN MFA Consular Department Director General Bui Dinh Dzinh, who covers refugee and re-settlement issues at the MFA. Dzinh told UNHCR that he is pleased with the situation in the Central Highlands. The UNHCR training courses are improving "provincial competency" at the commune level. In addition, Dzinh told UNHCR that the GVN wants to comply with its tri-partite (GVN, GOC, UNHCR) MOU but does not object to ethnic minority individuals leaving Vietnam if they so desire. These ethnic minority individuals are, nevertheless, welcome back to Vietnam. Dzinh explained to UNHCR that deportation is the GVN's "least preferred method" for handling these cases, because the GVN does not like "forcible returns" and the publicity that they generate. COMMENT -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Mission Vietnam concurs with UNHCR's assessment of a gradual improvement in conditions for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. Our field work also supports the UNHCR assessment that a solid majority of those attempting to cross the border are motivated by economic or family reasons and not by generalized government oppression in the Central Highlands. We are pleased with reports of increased training for local authorities at the district and commune levels and will track this to see if it is sustained. We continue to monitor emigration of ethnic minorities from the Central Highlands to Cambodia and visit with returnees. ¶15. (SBU) Comment Continued: We have heard the complaint from Central Highlands officials about "confusion" in the VISAS-93 family reunification process before. Our sense, based on extensive interviews of VISAS-93 applicants is that this complaint is exaggerated and is used as a "talking point" to portray the United States as responsible for "hardship" or "disunity" in the ethnic minority communities in the Central Highlands. While we cannot guarantee that every applicant will follow our instructions, our procedures clearly spell out that no prospective immigrant should sell their property or take any other life-changing action until their U.S. petition is approved and until they have received a Vietnamese passport. End comment. ALOISI