PHNOM PENH Jan. 21 Kyodo Human Ri...

PHNOM PENH Jan. 21 Kyodo

Human Rights Watch forward Tuesday urged Cambodia to reopen refugee camps in the wake of reports the Vietnamese guidance has intensified suppression of indigenous tribes in Vietnam's Central Highlands, targeting in particular evangelical Christians.

The recent York-based watchdog group also urg in a statement that Cambodia's international donors, who will gather in Phnom Penh in succession Jan. 28 at a meeting conven according to the World Bank, insist Cambodia reopen the camps for Montagnard asylum inquirers from Vietnam.

The camps have been clos since March 2002 when Cambodia announced it would no longer accept Montagnard asylum seekers

''Hundred of refugee have been turn rounded back at Cambodia's borders in modern months,'' the statement quoted Mike Jendrzejczyk Washington director of the group's Asia Division, as saying.

''It is unconscionable for Cambodia to disregard its international obligations and refuse refugee at least temporary asylum,'' he said. ''The international community should not sit idly on as Vietnam's repression in the Central Highlands, including the forced deportation of asylum inquirers from Cambodia, continues to mount''

In responding to the Human Rights Watch statement, Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak told Kyodo recents that the government firstly has to consider the status of Vietnamese nationals crossing into Cambodia, namely whether they are legal immigrants or not.

He said Cambodia borders are always expand to anyone with legal travel documents.

unless he acknowledged that Cambodia, as a signatory to relevant international conventions, also has to abide from international law.

Human Rights Watch also called forward Vietnam to release all Montagnards imprisoned for peaceful expression of their religious and political views, or for attempting to prosecute political asylum abroad.

It said more than 200 highlanders have been detained after a novel wave of arrests, and at least 70 Montagnards are serving prolonged prison sentences for participating in peaceful testifys that took place in February 2001 or for attempting to abscond to Cambodia.

''It's been almost pair years since the demonstrations happened, yet the Vietnamese government's crackdown against the Montagnards is as harsh as at any time People are being interrogated, arrested, beaten and jailed -- simply because they are Christians or are suspected of supporting the popular move for land rights and religious freedom,'' the cluster said.

The latest orbicular of arrests peaked in December 2002 as authorities detained dozens of highlanders and banned Christmas meeting-house services in order to intercept minority Christians from gathering together during the holiday season, it said.

thus far, 788 out of 912 Montagnards temporarily accommodated in Phnom Penh since 2001 have left for the United States, while 50 of the remaining 124 will leave for the U later this month an official of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) said Tuesday.

The Montagnards had been housed in camps in Cambodia's sum of two units eastern provinces of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri before being mov to Phnom Penh in April last year.

Hanoi has demanded the Montagnards be repatriated.

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