Vietnam's government has decided to allow local and foreign journalists to visit the country's troubled Central Highlands region, to talk to people who have been repatriated from Cambodia, where they fled last year after a crackdown on unrest.

A Foreign Ministry statement Thursday said journalists will be allowed to spend several days in two Central Highlands provinces in the second half of next month. The statement followed requests by foreign reporters to visit the region.

Hundreds of refugees fled the area last year, following an army crackdown on a series of protests among the region's mainly Christian hill people over land rights and religious freedom. Under an agreement reached with Cambodia and the United Nations refugee agency this month, about one thousand of the hill people are to be repatriated.

U.N. refugee officials made their first visit to Vietnam's Central Highlands on Thursday. They say their purpose is to make sure the rights of those being repatriated are protected.

Some information for this report provided by AFP.

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