Vietnam Says Montagnards May be Forced to Return from Cambodia

(ABC Radio Australia ) – Vietnam says ethnic minority Montagnards seeking refuge in Cambodia have left the nation illegally and will be forcibly returned if they are not accepted by a third country within one month. Despite confirmation from aid workers in Cambodia , Vietnam ‘s foreign ministry says it has no information verifying the presence of Montagnards in the country. However, the ministry says even if there are Montagnards who have crossed the border to Cambodia , they have done so illegally and should not be seen as political asylum seekers. A Cambodian human rights group says 123 Montagnards have been lured from their hiding places in the country’s jungles by United Nations officials. They escaped to Cambodia after Vietnamese security forces put down anti-government protests over Easter against religious persecution and land confiscation. The New York-based Human Rights Watch says hundreds of Montagnards were wounded and dozens were killed in the Central Highlands over the April 10-11 weekend. However, the Vietnamese government says only two people died.