i'm not sure if i should post this in the thai section, but it's about us hmong too....so i'm just sharing in here...
At dawn on August 25, hundreds of armed Thai soldiers surrounded the encampment of Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok in central Thailand and started loading about 1,500 Hmong refugees from Laos on to trucks. The refugees were transported without their belongings to local Thai government offices and told that they must return to their “homes�.
After intervention by advocacy groups--including Hmong-Americans and Refugees International--and the American Embassy in Bangkok, the military returned the refugees to Wat Tham Krabok. For the time being they are safe, but they face an uncertain future.
Hmong refugees began seeking refuge at the Wat more than ten years ago, when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees closed its camps in Thailand. Many of the Hmong who settled in Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist temple compound in central Thailand, were afraid to return to Laos and reluctant to go to third countries.
The United States government is currently in the process of resettling up to 15,000 Hmong from Wat Tham Krabok to the U.S. (see Hmong Refugees Arrive in the U.S.: The latest Chapter in a Long Odyssey). The resettlement program only covers Hmong refugees who were registered by the Thai military last year.
The Hmong rounded up by the military had not been registered. However, many of people in this group have lived at the Wat for some time, and others have close relatives in the U.S.
After hours at the Thai government offices, the refugees were finally permitted to return to Wat Tham Krabok, but it is not clear what the future holds for them. For a BBC report on the roundup, go to Hmong ordered from Thai Camps.
From the start of the U.S. resettlement initiative, Refugees International has asked Thailand and the U.S. to define a long-term, durable status for the remaining Hmong. The recent roundup highlights the urgency of resolving status of the Hmong who are not being resettled.
RI has monitored Hmong refugees in Thailand since our inception 25 year ago and we will continue to track these developments closely.
credit to asiafinest
At dawn on August 25, hundreds of armed Thai soldiers surrounded the encampment of Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok in central Thailand and started loading about 1,500 Hmong refugees from Laos on to trucks. The refugees were transported without their belongings to local Thai government offices and told that they must return to their “homes�.
After intervention by advocacy groups--including Hmong-Americans and Refugees International--and the American Embassy in Bangkok, the military returned the refugees to Wat Tham Krabok. For the time being they are safe, but they face an uncertain future.
Hmong refugees began seeking refuge at the Wat more than ten years ago, when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees closed its camps in Thailand. Many of the Hmong who settled in Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist temple compound in central Thailand, were afraid to return to Laos and reluctant to go to third countries.
The United States government is currently in the process of resettling up to 15,000 Hmong from Wat Tham Krabok to the U.S. (see Hmong Refugees Arrive in the U.S.: The latest Chapter in a Long Odyssey). The resettlement program only covers Hmong refugees who were registered by the Thai military last year.
The Hmong rounded up by the military had not been registered. However, many of people in this group have lived at the Wat for some time, and others have close relatives in the U.S.
After hours at the Thai government offices, the refugees were finally permitted to return to Wat Tham Krabok, but it is not clear what the future holds for them. For a BBC report on the roundup, go to Hmong ordered from Thai Camps.
From the start of the U.S. resettlement initiative, Refugees International has asked Thailand and the U.S. to define a long-term, durable status for the remaining Hmong. The recent roundup highlights the urgency of resolving status of the Hmong who are not being resettled.
RI has monitored Hmong refugees in Thailand since our inception 25 year ago and we will continue to track these developments closely.
credit to asiafinest
