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HMONG REFUGEES IN THAILAND UNDER THREAT OF FORCED REPATRIATION TO BRUTAL REGIME IN LAOS:

Thailand Confirms Repatriation of All Hmongs and Camp Closure by Year's End
By Songrit Pongern
Bangkok, Thailand
13/08/2009
    
Songrit Pongern reported in Lao from Bangkok on 08/13/2009  - Download (MP3) Download
Songrit Pongern reported in Lao from Bangkok on 08/13/2009 

Thai authorities reaffirm that they will employ any possible measures, as appropriate, to repatriate all Hmong refugees from Huay Namkhao (HNK) detention camp to Laos and close the camp by the end of this year.

Kasit Pirom
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya
Colonel Pasithiphong Moundee , a consultant to the special unit of the Thai 3rd Regional Army, who is in charge of the Huay Namkhao temporary camp in the Khaokhor District of Phetchaboun Province in northeastern Thailand, confirmed that Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has set forth a policy, and commanded the special unit of the Thai 3rd Regional Army, to employ any possible measures, as appropriate, to return all Hmongs in HNK camp to Laos and to close the camp completely by the end of 2009.

He added that whatever measures his military will take will aim at achieving the goal of implementing the agreement reached by the Lao and Thai governments that they will work together to complete the repatriation of all Hmongs refugees by the end of this year.

Colonel Pasithiphong further said that, from now until the end of the year,
[insert caption here]
Hmong refugees at Huay Namkhao camp
those Hmongs who till have not made the decision to voluntarily go back to Laos will have to be considered as illegal immigrants. And that means that Thai authorities will apply immigration laws to those Hmongs, which will enable them to send them back to Laos immediately. He said that is the only measure Thai authorities can use in order to accomplish their goal of sending all Hmongs at HNK camp back to Laos.

Moreover, on August 7, a high-ranking Lao delegation led by Brigadier General Bouaxieng Champaphanh, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Lao Armed Forces, visited Huay Namkhao camp for the second time, to meet with key leaders of Hmongs refugees in an effort to persuade all Hmongs to voluntarily return to Laos.  He told the Hmong leaders that the Lao government has changed its policy regarding the Hmong refugees by forgiving them of any kind of crimes or offenses, and will take good care of them as well as guarantee the safety of all Hmongs who return to Laos.

However, even this visit is unlikely to bring a significant result considering that since his last visit, back in February, there have been only 1,000 Hmongs who returned to Laos, while there are more than 4,600 remaining in the camp.  It is apparent that these Hmongs do not believe in Brigadier General Bouaxieng's assurance; hence, they request that UNHCR representatives take part in the screening of the refugees' status to consider which group of Hmongs should be repatriated and which one should be allowed to stay.
 
 
Please Scroll Down for Additional Voice of America and United States Embassy, Thailand Articles

    
US: No Policy to Resettle Huay Namkhao Hmongs in America
By Songrit Pongern
Bangkok, Thailand
04/08/2009
    
Songrit Pongern reported in Lao from Bangkok on August 4, 2009 
Songrit Pongern reported in Lao from Bangkok on August 4, 2009 

A Hmong woman cries upon hearing that she will not have a chance to resettle in the United States.
High ranking U.S. officials reaffirmed, during a recent visit to Huay Namkhao (HNK) detention camp in Thailand, that currently the U.S. government has no policy to accept Hmong refugees for resettlement in America; meanwhile, HNK Hmong leaders continue to appeal to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to play a part in considering the HNK refugees’ status.

A delegation from the U.S. State Department led by Mr. Samanuel Witten traveled to the camp at Ban Huay Nam Khao, Khaokhor District, Phetchaboun Province, in northeastern Thailand,on July 30 to see how the Thai Military has been treating the Hmong refugees there, and met with a group of refugee leaders. After the meeting, a key leader - Mr. Chong Cher Lor - confirmed that his people now have no opportunity to resettle in America. Moreover, they have to return to Laos according to the plan set forth by the Lao and Thai governments that have agreed to complete the repatriation of these Hmongs by the end of this year.

However, he urged Lao and Thai authorities to allow UNHCR Hmong refugees at Huay Nam khao representatives to take part in the screening of the refugees' status. This is because, explained Mr. Chong Cher Lor, in reality the Hmongs at HNK camp comsist of two groups. The first group includes those who used to serve with CIA and who lived in the jungle of Laos, while the second group consists of ordinary Lao Hmong villagers, who fled to Thailand for economic reasons; therefore, the latter group can go back to Laos without any problem. On the other hand, he explained further, the first group, which numbers over two thousand members, would not be able to return because they were constantly under siege and persecution by Laos' armed forces. And that was their reason for taking refuge in Thailand.

For their part, Lao authorities have persistently maintained that there is no such siege or persecution of the Hmong people in Laos and allegations that such activities took place in Laos are just rumors made by those who live overseas and have bad intention, aiming to create a negative image of the Lao government on the international forum.

In addition, during his visit to the HNK camp last February, Brigadier General Bouaxieng Champaphanh, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Lao Armed Forces, told Hmong leaders at that the Lao government has changed its policy regarding the Hmong refugees by forgiving them of any kind of wrongdoings, and will take good care of all Hmongs who return to Laos.

 
Songrit Pongern reported from Bangkok on August 04, 2009. Listen to Songrit's report for more details in Lao. (English translation by Buasawan Simmala and Dara Baccam.)

    
Press Releases

Embassy of the United States of America
Bangkok
July 31, 2009

Visit to Laos and Thailand of Samuel Witten, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

Samuel Witten, a senior Department of State official, visited Laos and Thailand from July 27 – August 1, 2009.  Mr. Witten’s visit followed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meetings with senior Royal Thai Government officials on July 21-22, 2009, during which humanitarian issues were discussed in the context of Thailand’s historical generosity to persons fleeing conflict in neighboring countries.
 
The principal focus of Mr. Witten’s visit to both countries was the situation of certain Lao Hmong who have entered Thailand over the past few years.  At present, about 4,700 Lao Hmong remain detained in a Royal Thai Army-run camp in Petchabun Province, Thailand, and an additional 158 (which includes almost 90 children) are in long-term detention in an immigration detention center in Nong Khai, Thailand.

In his meetings with Lao and Thai civilian and military leaders, Mr. Witten emphasized the interest of the United States and the international community in finding a humanitarian solution to both protracted situations.  Of particular pressing humanitarian concern is the situation of the Nong Khai group, which has been identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as qualifying for international protection under its mandate.  Mr. Witten visited the Nong Khai immigration detention center and viewed a U.S.–funded project, implemented by the International Organization for Migration, to construct and run a temporary shelter adjacent to the detention center.  The U.S.-funded project relieves overcrowding in the small facility for parts of each day and also includes a nurse and teacher for the children confined at Nong Khai.  

Mr. Witten urged that the Nong Khai group, which has been detained by Thai authorities for over two-and-a-half years, not be returned involuntarily to Laos and should instead, for humanitarian reasons, be released immediately from the Nong Khai facility.

Mr. Witten also visited the Petchabun detention facility.  The United States funds several humanitarian organizations to provide food, water, sanitation and medical care for the 4,700 detainees at that location.  In his meetings, Mr. Witten noted the importance of an appropriate and transparent screening process to identify those detainees who may have protection concerns; those Lao Hmong who are found to be in need of protection should not be forcibly returned to Laos.  He also noted that the U.S. Government has no plans for a large-scale resettlement program for Lao Hmong in Thailand; however, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, as it does elsewhere in the world, will consider referrals on a case-by-case basis.     

In his meetings in Laos and Thailand, Mr. Witten also recognized Lao Government efforts to increase transparency regarding the welfare of repatriated Lao Hmong, and emphasized that transparency is the best way to build confidence about this ongoing process.

In a visit to Tak province along the Thai-Burma border, Mr. Witten viewed the joint U.S. - Thai humanitarian effort to offer third country resettlement for Burmese refugees in the established camps.  Over 14,000 refugees from the camps in Thailand will be resettled in the United States and at least another 4,500 Burmese refugees are expected to be resettled in the United States from other locations in the region this year.
 
Mr. Witten also visited Mae La refugee camp-- Thailand’s largest refugee camp.  In FY 2009, the United States intends to provide over $12 million to assist Burmese refugees in the region, of which over $10 million will go to non-governmental organizations to provide food, shelter, water and sanitation, health and gender-based violence prevention and response programs for refugees in camps in Thailand.

In June 2009, about 3,000 ethnic Karen Burmese refugees entered Thailand in nearby Tha Song Yang district, fleeing fighting in Burma.  Mr. Witten toured the temporary refuge area designated by the Royal Thai Government.  He met with Karen refugees and viewed assistance projects funded in part by the United States.  The United States is supporting a consortium of non-governmental organizations which provide emergency assistance to the Karen refugees, and very much appreciates the Royal Thai Government’s policy decision to provide temporary protection to this vulnerable group, which consists mostly of women and children.

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