By Tim Johnston in Bangkok
Financial Times (UK)
Thailand began to deport more than 4,000 ethnic Hmong asylum seekers back to Laos yesterday, defying pressure from the UN, the US and human rights organisations that say the group could face persecution on their return.
About 5,000 troops and officials entered the Hmong camp in Thailand's central Petchabun province in the morning to load residents on to buses to take them over the border, a process that a military official said might take 24 hours.
The Thai government said the communist authorities in Laos had given assurances that the people would be well treated and given amnesty. But the migrants say they are at risk from discrimination because they backed the US during the Vietnam war.
Many were soldiers or relatives of soldiers who fought in a secret army set up by the US both to try to cut supply lines to communist forces in south Vietnam, and to fight Laotian communists who eventually took over the country in 1975. Hundreds of thousands fled Laos after the communist takeover.
Colonel Thana Charuwat, who led the operation, said 2,100 residents of the camp had agreed to leave voluntarily and the army was trying to persuade the rest, but the authorities blocked media access and mobile phone connections to the camp, making it difficult to confirm his comments.
By evening, Human Rights Watch reported the camp had been emptied and 130 people judged to have resisted removal had been put in police trucks to be handed direct to the Laotian military at the border.
The US and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees urged Thailand to suspend the deportations. "We deeply regret this serious violation of the international humanitarian principles that Thailand has long been known for championing," said the US state department.
Panitan Wattanayagorn, a Thai government spokesman, said Bangkok was also planning to deport 158 Hmong who have been held for three years in a detention centre. This group, whose members have been identified as being in -danger by Bangkok, were being interviewed by representatives of Australia, Canada, the US and the Netherlands, with a view to giving them permanent sanctuary.
"Our plan is to send them back to Laos and that within a month they should be sent out to the third countries," Mr Panitan said.
The Thai government has denied international access to residents of the larger Hmong camp in Petchabun, insisting they are economic migrants rather than political refugees.
"Based on the evaluation of our officers, these people are illegal immigrants," said Mr Panitan.
But the UN High Commissioner said the Thai authorities originally informed them that some of the Hmong did need protection.
Médecins Sans Frontières, the French charity, was working in the camp until May when it pulled out, saying the army was trying to use its food and medical distributions to encourage the Hmong to return to Laos.
Amnesty International said some women and girls who were sent back in 2005 were detained for 18 months and another group of six, who returned at the same time, were still unaccounted for.
In the past, tens of thousands of refugees from Burma and Cambodia were given sanctuary in Thailand, but a year ago, the army was accused of towing back out to sea hundreds of Burmese refugees who had arrived by boat, leaving them with inadequate food and water. human rights groups say hundreds died.
About 5,000 troops and officials entered the Hmong camp in Thailand's central Petchabun province in the morning to load residents on to buses to take them over the border, a process that a military official said might take 24 hours.
The Thai government said the communist authorities in Laos had given assurances that the people would be well treated and given amnesty. But the migrants say they are at risk from discrimination because they backed the US during the Vietnam war.
Many were soldiers or relatives of soldiers who fought in a secret army set up by the US both to try to cut supply lines to communist forces in south Vietnam, and to fight Laotian communists who eventually took over the country in 1975. Hundreds of thousands fled Laos after the communist takeover.
Colonel Thana Charuwat, who led the operation, said 2,100 residents of the camp had agreed to leave voluntarily and the army was trying to persuade the rest, but the authorities blocked media access and mobile phone connections to the camp, making it difficult to confirm his comments.
By evening, Human Rights Watch reported the camp had been emptied and 130 people judged to have resisted removal had been put in police trucks to be handed direct to the Laotian military at the border.
The US and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees urged Thailand to suspend the deportations. "We deeply regret this serious violation of the international humanitarian principles that Thailand has long been known for championing," said the US state department.
Panitan Wattanayagorn, a Thai government spokesman, said Bangkok was also planning to deport 158 Hmong who have been held for three years in a detention centre. This group, whose members have been identified as being in -danger by Bangkok, were being interviewed by representatives of Australia, Canada, the US and the Netherlands, with a view to giving them permanent sanctuary.
"Our plan is to send them back to Laos and that within a month they should be sent out to the third countries," Mr Panitan said.
The Thai government has denied international access to residents of the larger Hmong camp in Petchabun, insisting they are economic migrants rather than political refugees.
"Based on the evaluation of our officers, these people are illegal immigrants," said Mr Panitan.
But the UN High Commissioner said the Thai authorities originally informed them that some of the Hmong did need protection.
Médecins Sans Frontières, the French charity, was working in the camp until May when it pulled out, saying the army was trying to use its food and medical distributions to encourage the Hmong to return to Laos.
Amnesty International said some women and girls who were sent back in 2005 were detained for 18 months and another group of six, who returned at the same time, were still unaccounted for.
In the past, tens of thousands of refugees from Burma and Cambodia were given sanctuary in Thailand, but a year ago, the army was accused of towing back out to sea hundreds of Burmese refugees who had arrived by boat, leaving them with inadequate food and water. human rights groups say hundreds died.
8 comments:
To USA Govt,
Hmong were fighters for USA against communist in Laos and Thailand get military aid from USA and also use this millitary equipments to deport those Hmong fighters back to their countries without informing USA and UNCHR.
We appeal to US Govt to check all military aid to Thailand. If USA allow its allie to do like this, at the present or in the future USA has no influence more for freedom fighters and that is politic lose for USA and also the west countries.
Former Gen. Lon Nol's Soldiers
What is up with Thailand now?
First conflict with Cambodia at the Preah Vihear and now deports all Hmong aways from their country, without asking the USA, UNCHR and the international law.
Oh God, I respect Thailand for a long period ago and but now I am not sure at all.
Hey you shouldnt be surprised at all about the Thai government. These bastards has no compassion toward the refugee people who needed help. They did the same thing to the Cambodian people in 80's. Perhaps you should know more about their twist history.
twisted history
This is Thailand's strategy to contain Cambodia. Immediately after they sent troops to occupy Preah Vihear, they sent Tej Bunnag, assistant to the privy counsellor to the King of Thailand to Laos and organized a state visit by Laotian Leaders.
By isolating Cambodia from Laos and Vietnam, the Thai will resolve the border issue with Cambodia. Who care for Cambodia in ASEAN?
By breaking this CLMV solidarity, the Thais will have an upper hands in dealing with Cambodia.
Mr. Sam Rainsy is smart by trying to undermining the Cambodian government and attacking Vietnam. Border issues are both political and technical: based on international law, demarcation, they should also focus on where Cambodia gains more territory as a result of this exercise, put everything on the table. By undermining the Cambodian government, Mr. Sam Rainsy is playing the Thai cards.
Deporting the Hmongs is part of the strategy to isolate Laos from Cambodia. They know that the Laotian government always concerns about the Hmongs, it is not new. They US State Department will not issue any public statement. We live in a world full of double standards.
Don't blame Cambodians too much. Look back just to the 1980s and 1990s, you can see that our teachers violated blatantly human rights.
9:40AM,
Those military hardware were bought and paid for by Thailand so, U.S have no right to tell us what to do or not what to do.We are an independence country not like our neighboring country Cambodia who received order from HANOI .Case and point ,look at khun SAM RAINSY who will receive punishment at the order of Vietnamese P.M Nguyen Tan Dung.Same on you ah khmen.
It's time for the US to wake up and stop helping those crocodile Thais.
Khmer helped those crocodile Thai bastards until Khmer lost almost the entire Khmer land.
Thailand is full of Shit! Khmer will teach them a big lessons....watch!
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