The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Cambodian authorities left for Ratanakkiri early on October 20, on a joint mission to locate 60 Montagnards believed to be hiding in the jungle and also return 12 Cambodian citizens who had posed as Montagnards.

The UNHCR said it was concerned that some of the 51 Cambodians found to be posing as Montagnards this year may have paid large sums of money to human traffickers in an attempt to gain resettlement.

So far this year, 407 Montagnards have been resettled in the United States, Finland and Canada, with an additional 16 people due to depart for Canada on October 24, said the October 20 statement from the UNHCR.

There are 314 Montagnards currently under UNHCR protection in Phnom Penh.