HANOI - The U.N. refugee agency said on Friday Vietnam had refused to allow it access to monitor a voluntary repatriation of more than 300 minority people who fled to Cambodia from a crackdown on anti-government unrest.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional representative Jahanshah Assadi told Reuters he was disappointed by Vietnam's stance at three-party talks in Hanoi involving his agency and officials of the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments.
"They just said that at this time, we can't agree to access," Assadi said, adding that without access to Vietnam's Central Highlands area the UNHCR would not agree to a repatriation.
"Access is a pre-condition," he said. "We would not return them if they were not safe."
Assadi said the Vietnamese side, which included representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security and the Immigration Department gave no reason for their refusal to allow the agency access to area.
The Vietnamese government had no immediate comment.
A recipient of substantial aid from U.N. and other international agencies, Vietnam had told the UNHCR in previous talks it would allow the "safe, dignified and voluntary" return of asylum seekers from Cambodia.
Assadi said the Cambodian delegation had been very supportive of UNHCR's efforts and added: "The implication is they will have to continue to give temporary asylum."
Around 400 minority people have been living in makeshift refugee camps in remote northeastern Cambodia since fleeing a government crackdown in the Central Highlands earlier this year after protests by minority people.
Assadi said the number covered in the repatriation discussions was about 320.
On Friday, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch criticised the UNHCR for withdrawing protection from 107 of the minority people after they failed to meet criteria.
Cambodia said on Wednesday an initial group of 72 of these "screened out" people would be deported back to Vietnam.
Human Rights Watch said there was no way to monitor the condition of those being sent back and said it continued to receive reports of intimidation and surveillance of ethnic minorities in Vietnam.
The protests in the Central Highlands in February and March over land and religion were the worst to hit communist Vietnam for years and clearly rattled authorities intolerant of open displays of dissent.
05:26 07-27-01
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