Thailand Prepares To Deport 152 Hmong Refugees To Laos

[george]

Thailand prepares to deport 152 Hmong refugees to Laos

HANOI: -- Thailand is to deport 152 people of the Hmong minority back to Laos even though most of them are recognized as refugees by the United Nations, Laos officials and Amnesty International said Saturday.

The group of 152 were arrested in mid-November and detained at the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in the border city of Nong Khai.

Most of them have already been recognized as refugees by the UN High Commissionerfor Refugees (UNHCR).

"Lao officials have been allowed to interview and photograph members of the group in Nong Khai, to verify that they are Lao nationals, preparatory to returning them to Laos," Amnesty said in a statement.

"Three buses are reportedly parked outside the IDC ready to transport them."

Laos foreign ministry spokesman Yong Chantalangsy confirmed the planned repatriation but said he could not say when it would take place.

"We are in the process of identification," he told AFP.

"This is part of the process by the two countries to solve the Hmong issue. We will take back those who were caught entering Thailand illegally and proved to be Lao nationals."

-- AFP 2007-01-20