July 11, 2007

 

Thai Military Actions Questioned

 

 

THAILAND (FFC) – Two incidents at the new refugee camp at Huay Nam Khao cause concern over actions taken by the Thai military.

 

On Tuesday morning, July 10, 2007. the Thai military requested the parents of 13 Christian girls who had recently returned from Laos after being abducted a year and a half ago, to turn the girls over to the military.  The parents complied after being assured the girls would be taken care of.  No specific reason was given for their detention.

 

At 9:00 AM local time on Wednesday, July 11, 2007, Thai military in Huay Nam Khao allegedly beat a Hmong refugee to death.  Xai Chou Vang, 58 years old, was reportedly  beaten by Sergeant Seari.  Xai Chou Vang's daughter, Blia Vang, age 15, was also injured from the beating and taken to the hospital.  According to the reports Mr.Vang's body remained untouched outside of the military fence that had recently been set up around the perimeter.  Mr. Vang is originally a Hmong Lao refugee who escaped the communist retribution in 1980 for his alliance and services with the United States against the communists during the Secret War in Laos.  At that time Mr. Vang took his family as refugees into Thailand.  He has been identified as a Hmong from the refugee village at the Buddhist temple Wat Thamkrabok, which was closed two years ago. 

 

Mr. Xai Chou Vang's family was taken from the initial Huay Nam Khao site to the new location established by the Third Military Region.  Upon screening, Mr. Vang's family was told to leave the area and were forced out of the new site by the military. He and his family had no where to go and stayed around within the perimeter seeking help.  The military continued to push him out.  Mr. Vang told the military that he didn’t  know where to go nor did he know of people where he could go to.  After three days the Thai military took physical action against him and his family.  At last report Mr. Vang's body lay untouched outside of the military perimeter.  The condition of his 15 year old daughter is unknown.  The condition of his immediate family is also unknown at this time. 

 

 

 

The Fact Finding Commission is dedicated to exposing the plight of the veterans of the U.S. Secret War who have hid in the mountains and jungles of Laos for the past thirty years to escape the retribution of the communist Lao government for their loyalty services to the United States during the U.S. Secret War in Southeast Asia.

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