Hmong deportation plan backfires Surayud unnerved by fierce resistance

ACHARA ASHAYAGACHA & MONGKOL KANNIKA

Thailand halted the deportation of 153 Hmong refugees, including a newborn baby, yesterday after they put up fierce resistance and prompted the intervention of international organisations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh said the deportation order was cancelled after the government was reassured by third countries including the US, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada and some European nations that they would resettle all the Hmong, whom Thailand considers illegal immigrants.

Earlier in the morning, half of the Hmong refugees en route to Vientiane, mostly men, refused to get off the bus, although about 70 women were persuaded to prepare for the border crossing.

The men threatened to commit suicide saying they would eventually be persecuted by Lao authorities anyway.

Some chained themselves to a bus and refused to move out, causing the stand-off with the military and immigration officials which lasted until late in the afternoon.

Some human rights activists and media crews were barred from the scene.

But as evening approached, Prime Minister Gen Surayud Chulanont was said to have intervened against the deportation for fear that Thailand would be lambasted for violating human rights.

Thai authorities have arrested 152 Hmong believed to have escaped from Phetchabun's Ban Nam Khao holding centre, where around 8,000 Hmong have been staying pending a solution to the resettlement problem.

The 152 Hmong, most of them teenagers, had been arrested in Bangkok since Dec 19, 2006, and one gave birth while waiting at an immigration detention area in Nong Khai.

The General Border Committee agreed to deal with this particular group and to find a sustainable solution for the larger group at Ban Nam Khao in a transparent manner, officials said.

Laos also appeared more positive about solving the problem together with Thailand and allowing the presence of a third party such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the planned efforts.

However, the scheduled deportation yesterday was seen by NGOs _ including Hmong International Human Rights Watch and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, as well as the UNHCR _ as a move against the pledge and international obligations.

Giuseppe de Vincentis, UNHCR deputy regional representative in Bangkok, expressed concern to the Foreign Ministry, saying that if the deportation took place Geneva would issue a statement.

''The UNHCR has been engaging in preparation for resettlement of these refugees in third countries, and some of them have already completed the interviews and [are] in the process of leaving,'' said Mr de Vincentis.

Bangkok Post
Wednesday January 31, 2007