The United Nations refugee agency has pulled out of an agreement on the voluntary repatriation of hill-tribe people from Cambodia to Vietnam. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers has sent letters to the foreign ministers of both countries Friday, announcing the withdrawal. The move follows an incident Thursday, in which more than 400 Vietnamese arrived at a refugee camp in Cambodia's northeast Mondulkiri province and threatened and manhandled refugees and U.N. staff. 

Both countries deny there was any intimidation or violence. Vietnam says the intruders were relatives of people staying at the camp. 

Mr. Lubbers says the United Nations can no longer be part of a process that does not conform with its mandated principles governing voluntary repatriation. He says the refugee agency had no choice but to disassociate itself from the repatriation agreement. 

The agreement that Cambodia and Vietnam signed in January calls for the return about 1,000 refugees who fled Vietnam's Central Highlands last year, during an army crackdown on hill-tribe protests. Since then, the asylum seekers have been living in two border camps in Cambodia. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters. 

Email this article to a friend.
Printer Friendly Version