Thailand's Forced Return of Hmong to Laos

End to Thailand's Forced Return of Hmong to Laos Urged

Center for Public Policy Analysis

A major Congressional letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the Lao Hmong refugee crisis in Thailand and Laos is slated to be sent today by some 25 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan U.S. Congressional letter urges increased diplomatic efforts by the United States to end the Thai military's forced repatriation of Lao Hmong political refugees back to the one-party Communist regime in Laos that they fled.

"Indeed, thousands of Lao Hmong political refugees and asylum seekers, including many veterans who served with U.S. clandestine and special forces during the Vietnam War, are now facing forced repatriation by the Thai military back to the brutal Stalinist regime in Laos that they fled," stated Philip Smith, Executive Director for the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) in Washington, D.C. "This important new bipartisan Congressional letter to Secretary of State Clinton regarding the Laos Hmong refugee crisis was spearheaded by U.S. Congressmen Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) and massively backed by leading Lao Hmong organizations and communities across the United States in opposition to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit's deplorable and cruel forced repatriation policy against the Laotians and Hmong."

"First, we ask you to directly urge the Prime Minister of Thailand and senior Thai military officials to halt the forced repatriation of the Hmong at Huay Nam Khao and allow independent third-party access to the refugees to ensure all protection claims and repatriations are resolved in accordance with international standards. As you know, there are currently about 5,000 Hmong refugees at Huay Nam Khao who claim to have fled violence and persecution in Laos," the U.S. Congressional letter says.

In May, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Doctors Without Borders, withdrew from Ban Huay Nam Khao detention camp in Thailand, because of Thailand's forced repatriation policy and abuse of the Lao Hmong refugees. The camp is the last remaining Lao Hmong refugee camp in Thailand. MSF was the only Non Governmental Organization (NGO) providing food and medical support to some 5,500 Lao Hmong political refugees at the camp. Another 158 Hmong political refugees are being detained in harsh conditions at Nong Khai, Thailand.

"First, it should be noted that the recent protest by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF- also known as Doctors Without Borders) is historical," said Dr. Jane Hamilton-Merritt, author of the award-winning book "Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, The Americans, and the Secret Wars for Laos" and Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her human rights work on behalf of the abused in Laos. http://doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=3627&cat=press-release

Hamilton-Merritt said further: "This organization deserves another Nobel for its courageous protest--perhaps its first--to give voice to the suffering voiceless behind razor wire in Thailand. Many of the refugees in Thailand were our staunchest allies. Secretary Clinton should acknowledge this heroic act by Doctors Without Borders by reading the carefully documented reports of medically certified abuses, Thai mistreatment, and forced repatriation. Read the reports about the fear of those who are about to be forcibly returned to their abusers in Laos. Know their stories: Hear their cries."

Dr. Hamilton Merritt concluded: "Resolving this humanitarian crisis and protecting our former allies from harm is clearly a national security priority-or it should be if the U.S. hopes to attract or maintain alliances in the future. Those who are knowledgeable on this issue all agree that resolution is possible and frankly not complicated. This Congressional Letter succinctly describes the problem and the actions needed for resolution."

"In my experience, as a former political refugee, I am strongly urging Mrs. Clinton to work with the Royal Thai Government to stop the force repatriation of the Hmong refugees back to Laos; and at the same time open the refugee camp for NGOs and third countries to go in there and screen those refugees who want to resettle in third countries including those in Nong Khai detention center," said Col. Wangyee Vang, National President and founder of the Lao Veterans of America Institute (LVAI) in Fresno, California, the largest Hmong and Lao veterans organization in the United States.

ENDS

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