Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, March 13 (VNA) -- A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman today called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to fulfil the tripartite agreement which it signed with Viet Nam and Cambodia dealing with the repatriation of illegal Vietnamese migrants now in camps in Cambodia.

The spokeswoman, Phan Thuy Thanh, made the statement in reply to foreign reporters' questions on the results of a meeting for that purpose held by Viet Nam, Cambodia and the UNHCR in Ho Chi Minh City on March 12, which she described as frank and constructive.

Ms. Thanh said that all the three parties at the meeting agreed to fulfil the Jan. 21,2002 agreement, which provides for the repatriation of a number of Vietnamese ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands who had illegally fled to Cambodia, and to continue discussions on concrete measures necessary to put the agreement into reality.

She took this opportunity to recall the fact that the above-mentioned Vietnamese people had been incited and deceived into making the illegal crossing into Cambodia, violating immigration regulations of Viet Nam and Cambodia. They are, therefore, not refugees.

The Jan. 21, 2002 tripatite agreement serves as an important legal basis for the repatriation of those ethnic minority people, who illegally fled to Cambodia. The agreement has been highly valued by public opinion, she continued.

Under the agreement, the relevant parties have pledged to ensure safety and respect for human dignity during the repatriation.

"So far, Viet Nam has never forced anyone to repatriate. Viet Nam has always had a good-will and strictly abided by this agreement. Viet Nam has not only kept its commitment made in the tripatite agreement not to punish or discriminate against returnees for their fleeing, but has also decided to tolerate all the returnees under the Jan. 21, 2002 agreement. They will not be prosecuted, punished or discriminated against for their past activities".

Regarding the repatriation of illegal migrants, Ms. Thanh said, the UNHCR informed Viet Nam before its Lunar New Year festival (Tet) that more than 100 illegal migrants wished to come back.

In order to meet the desire of these migrants and their relatives as well as to realise the tripartite agreement, Viet Nam immediately arranged visits to the families of these people for UNHCR personnel.

It's regrettable that the UNHCR has so far repatriated only 15 illegal migrants to Viet Nam, the spokeswoman stressed. Being informed of the repatriation delay by the UNHCR and the country's exercise of non-discrimination against the returnees, a number of illegal migrants, who were fully aware of being deceived and were suffering hardships and diseases, left their makeshift camps to return home despite the delay.

"This obviously reflects the ardent desire of almost all illegal migrants to reunite with their families in the Central Highlands as soon as possible.

In the past, Viet Nam has closely cooperated with the UNHCR and it has continuously maintained close cooperation with Cambodia and the UNHCR in this most recent issue. We hope that the UNHCR will closely cooperate with Viet Nam and Cambodia in carying out the tripartite agreement in order to repatriate these illegal migrants, who are facing untold hardships at makeshift camps in Cambodia, to Viet Nam before the rainy season.

This is a humanitarian move conforming to the aspirations of these people as well as the objectives and principles of the UNHCR, an organisation entrusted with a humanitarian mission," the spokeswoman said.--VNA