King urges protection of Montagnards

King urges protection of Montagnards

CAMBODIA: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk has urged the
government and United Nations to protect any Vietnamese
Montagnards seeking refuge in the kingdom, after violent protests
in their homeland last weekend.

Cambodia has stepped up security along its border with Vietnam
to prevent any ethnic minority Montagnards fleeing into Cambodia,
after security forces quashed the weekend demonstrations in the
Central Highlands.

"Today, I call on the Royal Government of Cambodia and the UN
to protect the Montagnards and not to expel, or let be expelled,
from Cambodia, these unfortunates seeking shelter in our home,"
Sihanouk said in a brief message posted in French on his website
on Wednesday.

According to Human Rights Watch, thousands of Montagnards
attempted on Saturday to enter Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of
Vietnam's Dak Lak province, to protest religious persecution and
land confiscation.

Clashes erupted when police used tear gas, electric
truncheons, and water cannons to prevent the demonstrators from
entering the city, arresting dozens of people, the New York-based
group said.

It said it had received eyewitness reports of protesters being
beaten to death by security forces outside the city and
unconfirmed reports of police casualties. --AFP