Scott,
here is some news regarding the current group of Montagnards about to be granted visas.
uw
The Cambodia Daily, Saturday, April 13, 2002; page 3
National Briefing
Montagnards to be Moved to Phnom Penh
Preparations are being made to move the 905 Montagnard refugees under UN
protection from camps in the provinces to Phnom Penh over the Khmer New
Year. Officials say the move could be made Sunday. The Montagnards are
expected to be housed in an unused garment factory near Olympic Stadium
while they are processed for resettlement in the US. The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees expects to drive more than 500 Montagnards out
of its Mondolkiri camp, while the more than 300 refugees in Ratanakkiri
will be flown to the capital, one observer said Friday. The Montagnards
are part of a larger group that began fleeing Vietnam's Central Highland
last year and have since demanded to go to the US. Cambodia only
recently agreed to let them seek asylum overseas after attempts by the
UNHCR to repatriate them failed. Following the move, the UNHCR's camps
will be closed and no other asylum seekers allowed across the border --
an order that has drawn heavy fire from human rights groups, who say it
violates human rights conventions. (Seth Meixner]
locally this info was sent to us from Lutheran Family Services...
LATEST NEWS
MONTAGNARD ARRIVALS
Yard Net Friends!
We will need volunteers, sponsors,dentists,
physicians, drivers, storage space,
welcome committees, donations, clothing,
furniture, temporary and permanent housing, soon.
Please alert all
SF, SOG, and other Veterans' networks.
Information on contact people at end of this message.
Our Montagnard friends are getting closer to
freedom. Keep them in your heart and prayers,
(along with our Embassy staff,journalists,
and the UNHCR)
as this weekend the Mondolkiri group makes the long
journey on the muddy road to Phnom Penh.
The following comes from Friday's meeting
12 April in
Raleigh, NC with the State Dept., national
voluntary agency reps, state volags, county
and state social services, Montagnards,
health depts.
First Arrivals expected second week of
May. (probable numbers to U.S. 800-900
refugees) Arrivals to end after six or
eight weeks.
Resettlement Agencies:( State Dept.
may add more)
1. Lutheran Family Services Raleigh, NC/
Greensboro, NC
2. Catholic Social Services Charlotte, NC
3. World Relief High Point,NC
4. HIAS Hebrew Immigration, Refugee Service
Charlotte, NC
5. Interfaith Refugee Ministry
New Bern, NC
6. Church World Service (partnering with
LIRS/Lutheran Family Services)
Numbers of refugees assigned to each area
are still being negotiated.
We are working closely with the State Dept,
Carl,(in Cambodia) and the Montagnard community here in
efforts to get relatives and village connections
matched up so that the refugees can indicate a
preference of the community where they wish to
live. INS interviews begin April 22,and there will
be one week turn arounds for "assurances"
and flights to most likely be booked with
clusters of refugees arriving, rather than
chartered flights with large groups of 200 or
more. I anticipate that most of the refugees will
get INS approval. Lautenburg criteria will be
used rather than standard INS criteria( from
what I heard in today's meeting)
Once I have arrival info., I will post it
on the Net for those folks interested in
welcome committees at the airports. We
are attempting to communicate more closely with IOM and
the RDC(Refugee Data Center) as well as
the local volags of LFS,. CSS and others so we
should have a better heads up on flight
schedules.
There was a fabulous response at today's
meeting with NC Health Departments,
social services reps and the volags who have
all shifted into high gear for the new arrivals.
Extra funding will be provided by ORR,
the Office of Refugee Resettlement, to assist
with health care follow-up and screening.ORR
also indicated it will accept proposals for
special education, acculturation and mental
health services for this special population.
CONTACT NUMBERS:
will update as we know more:
STMP "Save the Montagnard People"
Ret.Col.David "Bulldog"Smith
336-475-3908
Lutheran Family Services,Raleigh
Refugee Director Jeremy Eggleton
919-832-2620
LFS Greensboro, Director (Ms.)Pat Priest
336-378-7881
Catholic Social Service, Charlotte,NC
Cira Ponce 828-255-0146
Montagnard Human Rights Organization
Raleigh Montagnard Community
Rong Nay 919-469-8866
Montagnard Dega Association
Greensboro, NC 336-373-1812
Resettlement Agencies are expected to provide
Case Management, ESL, Employment services,
Translation and Social Adjustment, but they urgently
are going to need help. Will keep you informed. Don't hesitate to
phone the individual voluntary agencies and ask how
to get involved. Thanks all!
Kay
VHAP, Vietnam Highlands Assistance Project
LFS |
