A/HRC/27/70 G. Emerging issues 1. Racism 52. Over the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur learned of various incidents and many public pronouncements that appear to have been motivated by racial factors. He is concerned by the undertone of anti-Vietnamese rhetoric in particular, which appears to have some resonance in society, fuelled by widely held beliefs about historical events. In a press statement issued on 16 January 2014, 5 he reiterated his call on the opposition party to refrain from making pronouncements that enflame such sentiments. 53. The Special Rapporteur reiterates his concern about anti-Vietnamese racism, which periodically results in attacks against persons thought to be ethnic Vietnamese. He recalled that most of the few acts of violence or high tensions on the day of the elections in 2013, such as the brutal mob attack against one man in the Steung Meanchey district of Phnom Penh and ethnic Vietnamese being physically prevented from casting their votes in Sa Ang district, Troeuy Sla Commune, in Kandal Province, were motivated by such racism. The Special Rapporteur also recalls that, on 3 January 2014, at the scene of violent clashes earlier that day near Veng Sreng road, several ethnic Vietnamese-owned establishments were reportedly attacked and looted. He calls upon all those in positions of leadership to lead the way in promoting racial harmony and mutual understanding and on all Cambodians to refrain from treating others with violence for any reason, particularly for reasons based on race. 2. Returning migrant workers from Thailand 54. During his mission in June 2014, the Special Rapporteur was alerted to the return during the preceding days of over 225,000 Cambodian migrant workers and their families from Thailand in less than two weeks, and the reports of several deaths in the process. He commended the prompt efforts by the Government of Cambodia, at both national and subnational levels, to transport people from the border areas back to their communities and to assist the returnees in the process reintegrating at home and obtaining legal re-entry into Thailand for those that seek it. 55. The Special Rapporteur expressed his view that the Thai authorities should investigate the reported deaths of the Cambodians in Thailand and ascertain the reasons behind the sudden return of such large numbers of Cambodians. He also called on the Thai authorities to similarly investigate another concern, namely the deaths of Cambodian loggers over recent years. 56. He notes the efforts of both Governments to facilitate the legal return to Thailand of the migrant workers who wish to do so in such a way as to better protect them against trafficking and other human rights abuses. He commended the specific measures taken to regularize the legal status of workers who wish to go abroad, which included reducing the costs of obtaining new passports and facilitating their issuance. 57. While other measures, such as the promotion of employment opportunities in Cambodia and the provision of vocational training to that end, appear to be measures for the longer term, he encouraged their implementation without delay to benefit those who may not wish to seek work abroad again. 5 14 Available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14175&LangID=E.