ICC Note: Montagnard Christians fleeing religious persecution in Vietnam are afraid of imminent deportation, as they see heightened police presence outside their homes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Cambodian government has repeatedly pledged to return the 29 Montagnards – an ethnic, mostly Christian minority from Vietnam’s Central Highlands after rejecting their refugee status last year.

04/06/2018 Cambodia (Phnom Penh Post) – Montagnard refugees living in limbo in Phnom Penh worry the heightened police presence outside their home for the past two weeks could signal imminent deportation to Vietnam, where they fear they will face persecution.

Since around March 20, a regular police guard of one or two men often has swelled to eight or even 10 outside the Montagnards’ home in Cham Chao commune, refugee Y Rin Kpa said. He said about five stood guard on Friday.

“So many police of Cambodia came to guards us … about ten people and so many their cars. So we are very worry about that,” he said in a message. “We are very worry about deporting to Vietnam.”

The Cambodian government’s Refugee Department Director Tan Sovichea on Thursday deflected questions about increased police presence.

“Why do you want to know?” he asked, before hanging up.

Reached again on Friday, he once more declined to comment, saying: “Is it your business to know?”

The government has repeatedly pledged to return the remaining 29 Montagnards – an ethnic, mostly Christian minority hailing from Vietnam’s Central Highlands – after rejecting their claims for refugee status last year.

The UN refugee agency, however, said they have well-founded fears of persecution and has urged Cambodia to send them to a safe third country, rather than breach the international law of non-refoulement.

UNHCR spokesman Keane Shum on Friday said the refugee agency was aware of the situation. “We understand the extra officers are still there, but are not aware of how long they will remain,” he said.

Grace Bui, of the Bangkok-based Montagnard Assistance Project, said Montagnards at the Phnom Penh site had also informed her that the area was being “heavily guarded” and that police had taken many photos at the site.

“The Montagnards were very scared so they stayed inside,” she said. “When the asylum seekers left the house, they had to sign out.”

Cham Chao Commune Police Chief Ros Sarady, however, denied any increase in police in the commune.

“There is no police training or immigration police doing anything in my area,” he said. “It’s quiet.”

The news comes as Amnesty International released a list of Vietnam’s prisoners of conscience. Of the 97 featured on that list, many of whom face years in prison, almost a third are ethnic Montagnard Christians.

Six human rights activists on that list, although they are not Montagnards, were on Thursday convicted of attempting to overthrow the government in a high-profile trial. The US Department of State said it was “deeply troubled” by the case, which it said was part of a “disturbing trend of increased arrests, convictions, and harsh sentences of peaceful activists”.

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For interviews with Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].