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Rights Group Slams Thailand's Lao Refugee Return


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Posted

Rights group slams Thailand's Lao refugee return

BANGKOK, December 22, 2011 (AFP) - A leading rights group on Thursday criticised Thailand's "callous disregard" for human rights after it handed a registered refugee back to officials in Laos despite fears of persecution on his return.

Ka Yang and his family, of the Hmong ethnic group, were forcibly handed over at the Thai-Laos border on Saturday despite United Nations recognition of his refugee status, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement.

He was one of 158 registered Hmong refugees who were forcibly repatriated by Thai troops in December 2009, along with more than 4,000 others whose needs for international protection the United Nations was never allowed to assess.

Thailand said the group were illegal economic migrants but the mass deportation sparked global outrage for violating international refugee law.

Ka Yang, who has been accepted for resettlement in the United States, subsequently fled Laos and returned to Thailand, HRW said, where he was detained with his family earlier this year at Bangkok's immigration centre.

A senior immigration policeman in the Thai capital denied they were aware of the refugee status of Ka Yang, who was repatriated at the same time as more than 50 Laotians accused of illegal entry.

But the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Bangkok had asked Thailand for the refugee's release from detention and requested that he not be deported, according to its spokeswoman Kitty McKinsey.

"We have taken a number of steps to try to protect him," she told AFP.

"Since we found out that he was deported we have protested to the Thai government and now we're trying to find out where he is exactly, to find out if there's anything we can do for him now."

HRW said the US embassy in Bangkok also asked officials not to return Ka Yang, although no representative there were immediately available for comment.

The Hmong group's fear of retribution from the Laotian regime is a remnant of the Vietnam War, when members of the ethnic hill tribe fought in a US-funded irregular army as the conflict spilled into Laos.

"The Thai government has shown callous disregard for the most basic right of refugees not to be returned to face persecution," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of New York-based HRW.

"By twice returning Ka Yang to Laos, which has long mistreated its Hmong population, Thailand is saying it cares little about protecting refugees and respecting their basic rights."

The rights group has been unable to establish the location of Ka Yang and his family in Laos.

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-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-12-22

Posted

The Hmong groups which have returned to Laos have been treated very well by the Lao government. Not far from where I live they have been given land, houses and micro loans to help them start small businesses. They seem to have resettled well. Last year they held a traditional Hmong New Year party in the village near me. No persecution from what I could see.

Posted

My father in law viseted me from the states...just this week....in laos.....

he needs to get a visa and is no exeption to other immigration rules which aplies to foreigners.

refugee status and US citizen now he has no troubles at all moving around in laos and had a private (invited)meeting with the village chief in our village in Laos.

My wife is a former UNHCR registered refugee, and so was her whole family.

Her brother granted a japanese scholarship which resulted in a bachelaors degree in civil engineering currently doing what his father refused to do..................working in bokeo province in the most poor end remote areas providing basic facilities like water and housing development to develop his country..

all funded by the Lao governement.

I do not advocate nor judge, but as far as my personal experiences are with reconsiliation efforts by the present Lao government, the Thai goverenment can learn something about reconciliation!

Posted

Sparebox 2 FYI As was widely reported at the time the USA Europe and Australia all offered to accept the Hmong but the Thai Govt refused to let them go insisting instead that they be sent to Laos.

Posted

Human Rights Watch. If you care for the refugee so much, why don't you take some home to USA, Europe & Australia?

I originally came to Thailand 9 years ago to help resettle Hmong. Subsequent to then the US took more than 14,000 Hmong, registered at Wat Tham Krabok. Some went to Europe and Australia.

There is no defense for these UN registered refugees to have ever been sent back to Laos. This happened under the Abhisit government and IMO it is one of the greatest black marks against it. I hope the earlier poster is correct that they are assimilating well in Laos.

Now, I want to talk about the UNHRC. I absolutely hate these m******f***ers. They are totally indifferent to the people they are meant to serve and once while at Wat Tham Krabok I had to pull 150 names of refugees out of a trash can. They are haughty disinterested bastards and it's a f***ing shame the plight of so many refugees and migratory peoples have their life's outcome in the hands of these people and this organization.

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