Statement by the MOFA Spokeswoman on return of ethnic people
Today, 19 February 2002, on the basis of the 21 January 2002 tripartite agreement between Vietnam, Cambodia and the UNHCR, the first group of the ethnic people from the Central Highlands, who illegally crossed the border to Cambodia due to deception by malefactors and hostile forces, has returned to their homes, reuniting with their families.
Prompted by good will and the aspiration to soon welcome back the ethnic compatriots, who are leading a makeshift life in Cambodia, Vietnam finds it imperative to draw the UNHCR's attention to its delay in repatriating the ethnic compatriots to Vietnam, thus failing to fulfill its commitments of 11 February 2002 on implementing the first repatriation without any official reasons, in particular the UNHCR repatriated only 15 people on 19 February 2002, despite their own earlier notification to Vietnam that more than 100 people had wanted to come back right on this first batch. This awfully disappoints the would-be returnees' families and frustrates the local people and authorities, who have made thorough preparations to welcome back the returnees.
It is necessary to assert that the 21 January 2002 tripartite agreement is sensible and rational and highly valued by public opinion. This is an important legal basis to resolve the repatriation of those ethnic people from the Central Highlands who had illegally crossed the border to Cambodia.
The UNHCR is an important international organization empowered with humanitarian mission. Vietnam and the UNHCR have entertained cooperative relations for many years. The two sides successfully implemented the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) during the 1989-1996 period. This was a very successful program credited by the UNHCR as a model of cooperation between a UN organization and a developing country.
In this spirit, Vietnam is of the view that the UNHCR should be independent in its activities in conformity with its motto and objectives without external manipulation and should seriously implement the 21 January 2002 tripartite agreement, make expeditious arrangements for the ethnic compatriots who illegally crossed the border to Cambodia to soon reunite with their families, thus meeting the aspiration of the returnees themselves and their families in Vietnam. Such an act conforms to the humanitarian mission of the UNHCR.
Hanoi 19 February 2002
