PHNOM PENH, (Khmer Times) – The Cambodian government is sending nearly 1,000 soldiers to protect its border. Media reports indicate that the soldiers are there to stop illegal immigration, and that the soldiers began manning their posts last week.
Since late last year many Vietnamese nationals, members of the ethnic Montagnard minority, have illegally crossed over to Cambodia to seek asylum. They claim to suffer persecution in their homeland.
Locals have helped them by supplying them with goods and Adhoc, the rights group, has managed to get over a dozen of them into Phnom Penh and helps them with their applications for asylum.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is quoted as saying that the sending of troops there does not contradict the Refugee Convention, the troops should be aware that they must give assist asylum seekers crossing the boundary.
PHNOM PENH, (Khmer Times) – The Cambodian government is sending nearly 1,000 soldiers to protect its border. Media reports indicate that the soldiers are there to stop illegal immigration, and that the soldiers began manning their posts last week.
Since late last year many Vietnamese nationals, members of the ethnic Montagnard minority, have illegally crossed over to Cambodia to seek asylum. They claim to suffer persecution in their homeland.
Locals have helped them by supplying them with goods and Adhoc, the rights group, has managed to get over a dozen of them into Phnom Penh and helps them with their applications for asylum.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is quoted as saying that the sending of troops there does not contradict the Refugee Convention, the troops should be aware that they must give assist asylum seekers crossing the boundary.