July 10, 2004

Thai Authorities Detain Lao Refugees

Laos (FFC) On Thursday, June 24, 2004 at about 6:00 p.m., 19 people, who are Lao citizens, were detained by Thai authority in Bangkok, Thailand.  These people reported themselves to the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugee in Thailand.  The UNHCR had issued legal documents for them to stay and wait for the interview process to be resettled in third country.  When Thai authority detained these 19 people, authority demanded them to turn in all their legal documents issued by the UNHCR in Bangkok, Thailand.  Now these 19 people don't have any UNHCR documents in their possession.  A marriage couple, Bee Her and Wa Vang, were separated by Thai authority from the group shortly after they arrived in the detained facility in Bangkok.  The group has never seen the marriage couple since they were separated.  Now they are afraid that they will be repatriated to Laos, and they all will be facing religious and political persecution and execution.   

They came to Thailand because they were arrested and imprisoned by LPDR government.  One Christian refugee was arrested and jailed for several times because of his religious practices.  They did not intend to continue residing in Thailand.  They wanted to be resettled in third country.     

In addition to the 19 people were detained on June 24, 2004, once they were taken to the detained facility, there were already 46 people detained by Thai authority in the same facility.  They are also Lao citizens.  Fact Finding Commission has no further information about those 46 people.