Cambodia says only 'voluntary' refugees allowed

Cambodia will take in only voluntary refugees from Australia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Wednesday.

"We will only receive refugees who voluntarily agree to come to Cambodia, not by force," he said in a response to questions raised by journalists. "This is the most important principle of Cambodia."

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop requested Cambodia to accept some refugees from Australia during her visit to Cambodia in February, and early April, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison flew to Cambodia to further discuss the issue with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.

"The Cambodian government, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has accepted the request and is examining it," Hor Namhong said, adding that Australia will send a number of refugees from the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru to Cambodia.

He said both sides have not determined the number of refugees Australia will send to Cambodia.

Under the offshore processing scheme, which Australia says is aimed at deterring people-smugglers, any asylum-seeker arriving by boat or intercepted at sea is transferred to detention centers in Manus island of Papua New Guinea or Nauru for processing.

If their asylum claims are approved, they will only be allowed to settle outside Australia.

Cambodia announced last month that it had agreed "in principle" to take asylum-seekers bound for Australia despite controversy at the prospect of them being taken to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

Under its hard-line policy, Canberra currently denies would-be refugees resettlement by sending them to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

A deal has yet to be inked with Cambodia.

Hor Namhong said Phnom Penh was studying the proposal in detail, including the number of refugees.

Australia last week dismissed concerns that money given to Cambodia to resettle refugees could end up in the pockets of corrupt officials.

It has declined to say how much money it is offering Cambodia.

Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy has strongly criticized the idea, saying his country was not able to provide for its own people, let alone refugees headed for Australia.

Refugee advocates and the Australian Greens have criticized the government's asylum-seeker policy, which includes turning back boats.

In its budget last week, Canberra estimated its tough policies to prevent illegal boat arrivals would reap savings of A$2.5 billion ($2.3 billion) over five years, with detention centers in Australia now being closed down.

It also announced that A$86.8 million would be given to Indonesia, where many of the boats originate, to help it manage its asylum-seeker population.

Xinhua-AFP

(China Daily 05/29/2014 page12)