VZCZCXRO0459
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1303 2891035
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161035Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1633

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 001303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PRM AND EAP/MLS 
BANGKOK FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT AGREES TO POSTPONE MONTAGNARD 
DEPORTATION 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) went above 
and beyond expectation today when it decided to postpone 
deportation of 20 Montagnards.  The 20 individuals were 
scheduled to be repatriated to Vietnam tomorrow, October 17, 
because they had been denied by the U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Service 
(USCIS).  However, the 20 individuals are still within a 
USCIS 90-day window to submit new information on their cases 
that could merit a change in their determination, called a 
request for review. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On October 16, the Ambassador sent a letter to 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Long Visalo 
requesting that the RGC refrain from deporting the 
individuals until after the 90-day time limit expires on 
November 22.  The letter was also sent to Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong who gave 
the final approval for the deportation postponement. 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials were cooperative and 
sympathetic given the fact that the individuals on the 
deportation list are no longer considered refugees by the 
UNHCR and technically are subject to deportation under the 
Cambodian immigration law, as well as the 
Cambodia-Vietnam-UNHCR MOU.  The RGC had already organized 
logistics with Vietnamese authorities and the UNHCR for both 
the departure from Cambodia and the repatriation into 
Vietnam.  All plans were postponed at the last minute. 
Presumably, this caused some friction between the RGC and 
Vietnamese counterparts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Comment.  This quick and cooperative action is a 
welcome development.  In part, we believe the Cambodians are 
trying to be helpful as we move to implement the spring U.S. 
decision not to process separately in Cambodia those 
Montagnards screened out by UNHCR.  As the immediate 
situation has passed, we can now focus on ensuring that all 
parties have the same understanding of how both Montagnards 
who arrived before May 1 and after May 1 are to be treated. 
End comment. 
MUSSOMELI