[Tlc] TL-Hmong refugees

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin


2009-0205 - ABC Radio Australia - Hmong refugees face repatriation to Laos

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/200902/s2483078.htm

Hmong refugees face repatriation to Laos

Updated February 5, 2009 12:04:20

In central Thailand Phetchabun's Province over five thousand Lao Hmong refugees are facing the prospect of repatriation back to Laos.

Some are returning voluntarily, but others say they will resist any repatriation that Thai Government hopes to have completed by mid-year.

Presenter: Ron Corben
Speaker: Gilles Isard, Medicins Sans Frontieres Thailand country director

CORBEN: The Lao Hmong have been in the Huay Nam Khao camp in Phetchabun province, 370 kilometres north from Bangkok for almost two years. But the plight of the Hmong has gained little sympathy from successive Thai governments which have left the responsibility for the repatriation squarely with the Thai military through a joint border agreement with the Lao military.

Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, and foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, both recently reconfirmed the Hmong would be sent back to Laos. But human rights groups fear a repeat of protests that occurred last year and violence as the deadline for repatriation nears.

Medicins Sans Frontieres Thailand country director, Gilles Isard, says while there is calm in the camp at present, many of the Hmong are deeply fearful over the future.

ISARD: People are very worried and especially since they see that ... I mean there is many volunteer leaving back to Laos. There is no news about those people who returned back to Laos - this is what - really worried about going back.

CORBEN: When you say people are feeling fearful - what's the likelihood of protests?

ISARD: There are people that say that they will never accept return. And what are they ready to do is not clear but they claim they will do anything but they will not return to Laos.

CORBEN: As the numbers decrease and there's a growing sense of panic, do you think there would be a repeat of the sort of protests that we saw last year -- the attempted march towards Bangkok?

ISARD: It is difficult to guess. But it can happen; it can happen because some of the people are really desperate and there is a rumour that something like this, yes, could happen again in the camp.

CORBEN: The government is basically leaving it up to the joint border committee --- which is the military representatives from both sides. There is some concern held among human rights groups that the military may adopt a heavy handed approach - is that your concern?

ISARD: I think it is possible that ... and we are concerned about this. By staying in the camp - I mean MSF - can be a little bit - play the role of the witness - about what is going on there. So I think as much as possible the Thai government, the Thai military wants to manage this repatriation without violence and without forced repatriation. But it can be that at the end ... when most of the volunteer will have returned it will be remaining some people that definitely will not accept to be volunteer and for those people I don't know how the Thai Army will manage to send them back so - are they going to use violence? We'll see .......

CORBEN: Is there any likelihood at all of these people having access to either UNHCR or other agencies?

ISARD: So far it is clearly not. UNHCR I know have been requesting access to these people for the past three years, on several occasions from what I understand. But so far the Thai government always deny access to UNHCR.

CORBEN: The current atmosphere at the moment, how would describe that?

ISARD: Very tense, very tense. People live in fear, live in fear of being arrested for any minor reason, you can be arrested for minor reason and the punishment might be to be sent back to Laos. So people live in fear because of that. The problem is that there is no transparency at all in the management of this situation. There is no transparency in the way Thailand manage the people from Thailand and there is no transparency in Laos - or what happens to the people. When the Lao Government say they are giving guarantee to the Thai government about the situation of the people upon return we have no idea about what are these guarantees.
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Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu