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September 11, 2007
Hmong Crisis in Huay Nam Khao: Refugees Resist Repatriation efforts
Thailand (FFC) Since August 25, 2007, the Thai military in Huay Nam Khao has continued to put pressure on the Hmong leaders at the Lao Hmong refugee camp in Huay Nam Khao. The camp is completely fenced with barbed wires and controlled by Thai soldiers. Thai authorities have taken the Hmong leaders one by one to the military headquarter in Huay Nam Khao and pressured them to cooperate to attend the closed door meetings between Thai and Lao officials in Phitsanulok. Six out of the seven Hmong refugee groups in the Huay Nam Khao refugee camp refused to attend, fearing for their life and being forcefully repatriated to the very government they had escaped from. The Thai-Lao border committee held the meetings in Phitsanulok from September 2nd to the 4th. At the meetings, Lao officials handed a propaganda video to their Thai counterparts showing the “wonderful” preparation Laos has done to receive the Hmong. This propaganda video was given to Thai military officials at Huay Nam Khao.
To date, Thai military commanders continue to pressure the estimated 8,000 Hmong refugees in Huay Nam Khao. From August 25th to September 5th, Thai military have continuously taken the Hmong leaders one by one out to their headquarters, threatening and pressuring them to sign documents of willingness to return to Laos. The refugees in the camp have grown frustrated and angry, and distrust the Thai authorities who have been harsh and pressuring the Hmong refugee leaders. At 12:23 p.m. local time on Thursday, September 6, 2007, Thai authorities took four Hmong leaders out to their headquarter and pressured these leaders to go meet with Lao officials in Phitsanulok.
On Friday, September 7, 2007, Thai authorities started to force the Lao Hmong refugees group by group to watch the Lao PDR’s propaganda video. Thai authorities demanded Group A to go to the military headquarter and watch the video. Thai authorities’ plan was to make the group watch the video and sign a document declaring their willingness to return to Laos. The group refused to see the video and did not sign the document given by Thai authorities. In the morning of September 8, 2007, Thai authorities continued the tactic and rounded up Group B to go watch the video. Group B refused; therefore, under the standing commander of Colonel Manalin, Colonel Somchai, Colonel Bolouan, and Kha Khao police commander, the men led one hundred (100) soldiers into the Lao Hmong refugee camp and arrested seventy-one (71) families (334 people altogether), and they are being forced to repatriate to Laos. Therefore, the refugees gathered up about 4,000 people to form a fence perimeter to prevent the Thai army from taking the 71 families from the fenced Huay Nam Khao area. Being outnumbered, the Thai military withdrew and left the refugees alone.. As of this date (September 11, 2007), the refugee leaders have shared their deep concern about the safety and future for their family members. They do not know what the Thai military will do next but await to response to any actions the Thai military might take to force them to their death, knowing they are at high risk to face persecution upon returning to communist Laos.
The Fact Finding Commission is greatly concerned about the increasing pressure on the Hmong to voluntarily repatriate from the Thai and Lao authorities and the chaos that may occur in the upcoming days or weeks if it continues. FFC urges the international community, foreign diplomats, non-governmental agencies, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and the international media to closely monitor the inhumane activities Thailand is engaging in to force the Lao Hmong refugees at Huay Nam Khao to return to communist Laos. We ask the Thai military not to force these people back to Laos and cooperate with efforts of the international community to resolve this issue in a humanitarian manner. If Thailand succumbs to the pressures of the Lao government it will cost them a heavy price in their reputation with the international community.
The mission of the Fact Finding Commission is to bring the plight of the U.S. Secret War veterans and their families that are trapped in the jungles of Laos and suffer severe persecution at the hands of the communist Lao government.
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