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Kingdom failing Vietnam

asylum seekers

Vietnam continues to jail the faithful, burn
churches and force conversions, according to
a recent US religious freedom report, with
refugee advocates yesterday pointing the

finger at Cambodia for often failing the scores
of asylum seekers who have fled to safety
across the border.

The US Commission on International


Religious Freedoms (USCIRF) annual report, (USCIRE)
published last week, noted modest

improvements but also severe religious
freedom violations in Vietnam, as a country
of particular concern worse than
Afghanistan, Iraq and Egypt.

There is a disconnect between the central


governments overtures to improve religious


freedom conditions and the ongoing actions
taken by local officials, public security, and
organized thugs to threaten and physically
harm religious followers and their houses of

worship.


The report comes in the wake of Cambodias
return of some 25 Montagnards a

predominantly Christian minority in
Vietnams Central Highlands after two years

in limbo.


[S]ome [Montagnards] are prevented from
holding religious ceremonies, many are

summoned to meet with local authorities and
pressured to cease practicing their faith, and
pastors are harassed or punished, according
to the report. [A]uthorities reportedly

harassed followers of Montagnard Pastor
Xiem Ksor, who died on January 14, 2016,
after public security physically assaulted him
on Christmas Eve 2015.

In 2016, USCIRF received a report that in
one incident, authorities arrested at least Xiem Ksor
seven Montagnard Christians from the
Central Highlands after police reportedly

instructed the individuals to stop believing in
God.

The report also cited that Cambodia had USCIRE


returned 16 Montagnards to Vietnam last July,

and that aside from a group of 13
Montagnards sent to the Philippines, no
others have been granted refugee status.


Cambodias Refugee Department has since
suggested only three others will be classed as
refugees, out of some 200 asylum seekers.


Its from this hostile environment, argues

Grace Bui of the Montagnard Assistance
Project, that asylum seekers fled, and she said
Cambodias response to their plight was
wanting.

The 25 people that were sent back ... the
Vietnamese government is watching them

really tightly. They are not allowed to leave


the house, she said.

Cambodia doesnt want to jeopardise the


friendship with Vietnam, she said, Vivian Tan UNHCR

suggesting that politics could taint the


outcomes of refugee status interviews, which
are conducted by government officials, not

the UN.
Refugee officials could not be reached
yesterday, but Sos Mousine, an

undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Cult

and Religion, said Cambodia merely
followed the law.


We dont encourage those Montagnard
people to come to our country, he said. We
Phil Robertson

let the authority deal with them case by case
and we also respect international law. We Human Rights Watch
keep our relationship with Vietnam.


Vivian Tan, of the UNHCR, stressed that
Cambodia was party to the Refugee
Convention and had taken over the processing
of asylum claims from the UN since 2009.


Refugee status determination is a serious
undertaking and countries that have taken it
on are fully aware of the importance of

assessing asylum claims based on the

individual merit of each case, she said.

She said some of the Montagnards seeking


asylum in Cambodia had cited religious
persecution or restrictions, as well as land

confiscation, as reasons for leaving their
villages.

The UNHCR has assisted in the repatriation


of more than 100 Montagnard asylum seekers

from Cambodia since July 2015.

Phil Robertson, of Human Rights Watch, said
asylum seekers were better off when the UN Cao Dai
handled their claims.

Cambodias treatment of refugees is a mish- Thach

mash of incompetence and political Thuol


interference, wrapped up in a defensive
assertion of sovereignty and interminable Cao Dai
delays designed to sap any hope from asylum

seekers, he said, via email.
He said asylum seekers from both Vietnam PS/ NS
and China like a group of Uighurs deported in
2009 had little chance of success in
Cambodia, as their home nations began to
pressure Phnom Penh.

Additionally, he said, Vietnams compulsory


registration of religions and houses of
worship has led to greater control of religion
by the state.

Other targeted groups included the


independent Cao Dai faith, which has a
following in Cambodia. The Cao Dai noted
less government repression last year, but
feared it could resurface.

The report also mentioned the Khmer Krom,


ethnic Khmers living predominantly in
southern Vietnam. Khmer Krom Buddhist
monk, the Venerable Thach Thuol, remains a
prisoner of conscience.

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