Forced Repatriation for Thailand's Hmong
The government of Thailand commenced a repatriation campaign on Monday, 28 December to return more than 4,000 ethnic Hmong, including families with children, to their native home in Laos. The Thai army, assisted by civilian authorities, carried out the operation to remove the immigrants, who have been classified as illegal economic migrants. Before starting the action, which was carried out over a 24-hour period, the Thai government assured that it would be conducted in a humanitarian manner.
Refugee or Illegal Immigrant?
Thailand has been the traditional avenue of escape for the hundreds of thousands of Hmong who have abandoned Laos since the communist takeover in 1975. The Thai government officially closed Hmong refugee camps in the 1990s, although unofficially, they were allowed to stay in country. In 2003, however, the government cracked down. Since 2004, thousands more Hmong have crossed the border into Thailand and settled in a camp in Phetchabun province, north of Bangkok; this camp was Monday’s target.
While the United Nations suggests that they should be regarded as refugees who are entitled to seek asylum, Thailand regards the Hmong as illegal immigrants. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, undertakes to ensure that all people in the world can find safe refuge in the face of political disputes.
Hmong Resistance in Laos
The Hmong people have their roots in southern China among the Miao, one of China’s largest ethnic minorities. Members of the cultural group began to migrate south into the mountains of Laos, Burma and Thailand in the 1700s. Today, the Hmong are recognized as a unique Asian ethnic group. When communist troops from North Vietnam began to pressure them in the 1960s, community leaders engaged in active resistance.
During the Vietnam War, many Hmong in Laos worked with the CIA in support of US interests in the area. They began to flee their native land in 1975 when a communist government was put in place; several thousand relocated to the US over the years. Their resistance activities continue to put them in jeopardy of reprisals from the communist government of Laos.
Hmong leaders in the US have asked President Barack Obama to intervene with the government of Laos on behalf of the newly repatriated Hmong. Nearly 190,000 ethnic Hmong were counted in the 2000 census, and community leaders suggest this number might under-count the group by as much as 50 percent.
Resources used in this article
“In Pictures: Forced Expulsion of the Hmong,” BBC, 31 December 2009. Accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8434973.stm
“Thailand says Hmong repatriation imminent,” Reuters, 27 December 2009. Accessed at http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BQ0FH20091227
“Miao nationality,” TravelChinaGuide.com. Accessed 2 January 2010 at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/nationality/miao
“Who we help: Millions of vulnerable people around the world,” UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Accessed 2 January 2010 at http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c11c.html
Brad Branan, “Hmong leaders write to Obama,” The Fresno Bee, 31 December 2009. Accessed at http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1766350.html
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Last Updated on 03 January 2010
Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.