June 24, 2008 Contact: SEARAC: Helly Lee (202) 667-4690 helly@searac.org Contact: HND: Nou Vang (202) 797-9105 nvang@hndinc.org *837 Lao Hmong Sent Back to Laos from Thailand* *Washington**, DC* – On Saturday, June 21st, 837 Lao Hmong were deported from the Huay Nam Khao camp in Phetchabun Province, Thailand. Prior to the date of deportation, thousands of Hmong residents of the camp attempted a march to Bangkok in order to protest the impending deportations. However, the protesters were stopped by members of the Thai police and military, with an estimated 500 arrested and placed in provincial jails. The Thai government states that those who returned to Laos did so voluntarily. The population of almost 8,000 Lao Hmong in Phetchabun Province started to arrive in the region in 2004, many of whom arrived in Thailand seeking refuge as a result of the persecution they faced in Laos. While the Thai government claims that it has already completed its own screening process of the camp residents, because no international entities, including UNHCR, were allowed to be involved with the screening process, it is unclear whether the screening process used by the Thai government met international standards. The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) and Hmong National Development (HND) are concerned that many of the Lao Hmong deported to Laos did not do so voluntarily. In addition, we remain concerned that /bona fide/ refugees will be returned to Laos without an opportunity to be identified as refugees and eligible for third country resettlement. Doua Thor, Executive Director of SEARAC states, “We are troubled by the news of the mass deportations of Lao Hmong back to Laos from Phetchabun Province. No refugees should be forcibly returned to the country from which they fled, and we simply cannot be sure that there were no individuals and families in this group of recent returnees who would otherwise be recognized as refugees through an international refugee screening process. In addition, because there has been no participation of an international monitoring entity, we are concerned about the safety and well being of the population during the deportation process and once they arrive back in Laos.” “HND works to protect the welfare of the national Hmong community in the U.S. as well as the welfare of our neighboring Hmong communities overseas. We remain deeply concerned about the latest deportation and the way in which it was enacted upon by Thai officials. The sudden deportation of these refugees will have an immediate impact on inadequate access to services and nutrition during this period” states Nou Vang, Executive Director of HND. “We request that both the Thai and Lao governments allow the involvement of international agencies in order to ensure the well-being of these Lao Hmong refugees.” SEARAC and HND will continue to monitor this situation and advocate for the implementation of an internationally recognized refugee screening process for the Lao Hmong who remain in Thailand and the assured protection, including the use of international monitors, for those who are returned to Laos. We will also continue to provide updates as this situation progresses. ### **************************************************************************** SEARAC (http://www.searac.org) is a national nonprofit organization working to advance the interests of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans through capacity building, advocacy, and education. SEARAC is proud to work with a national network of over 180 Southeast Asian American grant-eligible organizations accessible at http://www.searac.org/maa/.   more »