BANGKOK POST: BREAKING NEWS

Influential NGO demands halt to Hmong repatriation.

The French humanitarian aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres called on the governments of Thailand and Laos on Thursday to halt forced repatriations of ethnic Hmong to communist Laos, where they face possible political persecution.

An estimated 800 ethnic Hmong refugees from the Huai Nam Khao camp in Thailand's Prachin Buri province were forcibly returned to Laos by the Thai government last Sunday, and Thai authorities have threatened to repatriate another 6,700 soon.

The repatriations came after the Thai military rounded up about 5,000 refugees who had taken part in a protest march against an agreement between the Thai and Lao governments to send them back to Laos.

"Thai authorities claim that these were voluntary repatriations. It is hard to believe," said Gilles Isard, Medecins Sans Frontieres' head of mission in Thailand.

"Families have been torn apart. One of our Hmong staff members who joined the protest has been sent back to Laos without her children, and we know of other similar cases. Many of these refugees have expressed grave fears at the prospect of being sent back to Laos."

The aid group has been providing medical assistance to Hmong refugees in Thailand for the past three years. (dpa)

Hundreds of thousands of Hmong, an ethnic minority group that was used by the US military as a guerrilla force in their "secret war" against communism in Laos during the Vietnam War, have fled to Thailand since Laos went communist in 1975.

While many have been resettled in the United States, thousands of others have been rejected for resettlement or have chosen to stay in Thai camps rather than return to their homeland.

Thailand refuses to acknowledge the Hmong as refugees, classifying them as displaced persons or economic migrants instead.

It has been Thailand's policy to work with Laos in repatriating the Hmong remaining in Thailand to discourage further migrations.

The United Nations and humanitarian organisations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have opposed the policy on the grounds that the repatriations have been forced and there is no independent organisations monitoring the Lao government's treatment of the Hmong, a former enemy.

"MSF believes that the total lack of transparency surrounding the management of this crisis only exacerbates the problem," Isard said. "If the government of Thailand and Laos would accept an independent monitor, then this issue might be resolved."

When was this article written?

June 26th according to the date stamp on the AF entry. As it was Breaking News from the BKK Post, I assume it to have been written that day. The repatriation of Hmong from Petchabun province has been an ongoing issue for a long time, although it was looking like finally taking place with the colllusion of the Tha and Lao governments, but when MSF steps in, we probably should take notice, although the frontier along the Mekong is ironically the deciding issue here.

I'm not familiar with the political issues between Laos and Thailand. How is the Mekong frontier the deciding factor? I sure hope that help finds those Hmong who are being put out. I wonder if the Hmong being repatriated are Thai citizens or if they are refugees. ?

Laos and Thailand are good neighbours from as much as I gather. Moreso than it sometimes sems on this forum anyway. I cannot say for certain as I am neither Thai nor Lao in my own education as yet.

Many of my Thai friends from Loei and Nong Khai have Lao connections and they are some of the greatest people I have ever met. My best friend (from Nong Khai) even used to secretly carry his .38 revolver whenever he and I went out for the night to protect me if anyone started a fight with me (I don't look Thai) and I can't forget that kindness, even though it was never called for.

I reckon that Lao and Thai are good friends, but that's a generalisation based on personal experience, and it may not carry for all situations across the Mekong.

The Mekong frontier was related to Medecins Sans Frontieres being the French (pasa Farangset) term for Doctors Without Frontiers so there was a little irony in that, when I think about the repatriation of the Hmong across the border.

I believe that these are not Thai citizens but refugees. I would stand corrected if this is wrong, but Thai citizens are not likely to be deported from Thailand.

As much as there is a need to protect Thailand from the influx of too many foreigners, (we'd all be there if we had the chance), it is a question which must requre a great amount of research to accurately answer as to which place the refugees should establishe themselves, and Hmong people are rather a special kind of people from what I have read.

I just hope that MSF know what they are doing because they have a lof of sway with internatuional affairs and I hope that they have the best interests of Thailand, LAos and the Hmong people at heart, and know what they are doing.

It is beyond my own understanding to know the truth, but I just reported the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M69C0K2SOGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3KgowNSTE...feature=related

ELABORATE.

Welcome home my HMong brothers. Looking GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Thank you for your most insightful explanation.

We could work out what you are trying to say by reading your old posts but thank you for making that extra effort to push your point home, wherever that might end up being.

Seriously, refugee camps are not the right place for those Hmong women, and children, too danger. Thailand, Australia, US and the western governements don't really want to help 6,700 Hmong, otherwise they would do something. ONly NGO makes noise around here. So their best option for now is back to Laos.

So you refute the advice of MSF?

Thank you for your opinion on this thread.

I 'm seeing thing different here. MSF advice is not realistic, and both Thailand and Laos governments won't follow. So their best option would be going back to Laos and start over, refugee camps are not the right place for those women and children. In case you don't know war is already over, and let me repeat the fact: Thailand, Australia, US and the western governments don't really want to help 6,700 Hmong, otherwise they would do something long time ago. True is true.

True would be true if you did not distort the facts. Hmong are in the US and AU and TH, and the MSF advice is only realistic from the point of view of those still not expatriated nor repatriated. It seems that you have failed to understand the report at the top of this thread, but that is about your speed with anything here anyway, so it is acceptible that you are as always totally misguided and off on some tangent. Thank you for your opinion once again.

Yesh there are Hmong in the US and Australia, but i'm talking about 6700 Hmong. Here is the reality, they're still living in the refugee camps and some have repatriated back too Laos. These 6700 Hmong are not in the US nor AU.

That is what this thread is about. Either you agree with Thailand and want to see the repatriation, or else you agree with MSF and want to see them stay in limbo.

Of those two choices what do you believe? Persecution or limbo?

(numbskull with poor reading comprehension skills!)

haahhahahahaha, really ????, Dude read your own post below and i believe the thread tittle goes like this: "Influential NGO demands halt to Hmong repatriation., BANGKOK POST: BREAKING NEWS." Did you ask if either you agree with Thailand and want too see the repatriation ? either way is not realistic.

Just answer the phucking question, troll. Yes or no.

Either way is no realistic.

Thank you for your opinion on this matter.

Hmmm interesting conversation. Since we don't know the details of how Laos is receiving the repatriated Hmong, I'm not sure where to stand. Is Laos going to persecute the repatriated Hmong? I don't see why they should considering that most of the Hmong being repatriated may be second or third generation refugees who have little or no knowledge of the wars. The information that I have read about Hmong rejoining Lao society are all negative (with Hmong women and children in Laotian jails). Of course I also have limited media outlets here to give me a total picture so it is biased.

I think the problem with the whole issue is that the voice of the Hmong are not heard or have been repressed. Some Hmong may have willingly migrated back to Laos while others might not have (which I think is a more realistic situation).

I do agree with Buddhalove that something needs to be done because people "in limbo" (as SeanMoran puts it) is really a poor way of living that is unstable and disruptive to their societies and cultures. However, I also feel that Laos is not taking Hmong back for the betterment of the Hmong people but for other global political reasons.

I agree with Sean that we should watch closely as to how MSF will solve the delicate issues.



What is your ethnic background?

And, agreed with pretty much everything you've said in your post about the need for more information.

Ladyboys lover, Aussie.

You are just as deluded as always as it would appear.

The only reason why the Lao is willing to accept the Hmong is to kill them of course or make them work in labor camps. Think about, what is the advantage of the Lao country accepting Hmong people? There is none except labor. Now, how many Hmong are willing to do hard labor and be torn apart from their family? none of course. So if you think about the logical reason, laos only wants them to kill them of course.

dont say that its for a good reason. you must be stupid if you say that.