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| Thailand starts deporting Hmong refugees Amid secrecy, Thai troops move into camp to deport Hmong refugees who say they face persecution in LaosThailand began deporting more than 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers in secret today , drawing widespread international condemnation for sending members of the ethnic minority back to Laos.Soldiers kept journalists, UN refugee agency officials and human rights groups more than six miles away from the Huay Nam Khao refugee camp in Thailand's north as the government used nearly 5,000 troops to remove the 4,506 Hmong who are seeking refugee status.The Hmong people say they will face government persecution back in Laos, as they have for generations, dating back to when they fought alongside US troops during the Vietnam war.But the Lao government has denied they will face retribution, and the Thai government argues that the majority of the group are illegal economic refugees.The US has said it is "deeply dismayed" by the forced deportations, in a statement describing the Thai government's action as "a serious violation of international humanitarian principles". The UN high commissioner for refugees, António Guterres, said the expulsions "set a very grave international example".The operation to remove the Hmong began at 5.30am, when troops armed with batons and shields moved into the camp.Colonel Thana Charuyat, who co-ordinated the repatriation, said the troops did not carry guns or teargas out of concern for the safety of the women and children. He said the operation to clear the camp of all asylum seekers had progressed without incident.About 300 Hmong initially refused to leave the camp, including several family and community leaders, but they agreed to end their resistance after several hours of negotiations."They will be transported from the camp to the army camp in Lom Sak district before moving to immigration in Nong Khai [on the Thai-Laos border] and going to Laos," Thana said.The army expected to complete clearing the camp overnight.Despite promises from the Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, that the repatriations would be carried out in a transparent manner, no one from the group was allowed to meet UN refugee agency officials. Mobile phone signals into the area have been jammed for two days.The isolation was necessary to prevent resistance, or asylum seekers publicly self-harming in protest, a Thai government spokesman said.The government released selected photographs of the deportation through news agencies, showing Hmong children receiving medical check-ups and orderly queues of asylum seekers boarding buses.The US assistant secretary of state, Eric Schwartz, said: "We have made it abundantly clear that we are prepared to roll up our sleeves and work with partners in Thailand for a solution that is humane and responsible. Even at this late date we're fully prepared to do that."A separate group of 158 Hmong refugees in nearby Nong Khai camp have been met by UNHCR officials, who have classified them as "people of concern".They will also be returned to Laos, in the same deportation as the larger group, but the Laos government has agreed that they will be pardoned and resettled in a yet-to-be-determined third country within 30 days.Forgotten alliesHistorically a hill tribe in southern China who migrated across south-east Asia, the Hmong were recruited by the CIA to fight alongside US forces during the Vietnam war. After the war, they became known as America's "forgotten allies". When the communist Pathet Lao took power in Laos in 1975, thousands of Hmong fled, while others stayed behind, waging a low-level insurgency. Tens of thousands of Hmong have since resettled in the US.Joel Charny, acting president of the advocacy group Refugees International, said: "This forced repatriation would place the refugees in serious danger of persecution at the hands of the Laos authorities, who to this day have not forgiven the Hmong for being dedicated allies of the US during the Vietnam war.'' The Lao government has sought to allay international concerns about the repatriation from Thailand, with the military chairman of the Lao-Thai general border sub-committee "assuring the world of the returnees' safety", according to the state-owned Vientiane Times."The Lao government is ready to welcome back all the remaining illegal migrants and everything is in place for their return," Brigadier-General Bouasieng Champaphanh was quoted as saying.ThailandLaosUS foreign policyRefugeesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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