URGENT ACTION ALERT!!!
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TODAY
HMONG REFUGEES IN THAILAND NEED YOUR HELP
For more information contact: Doua Thor (202) 463-2118
On Wednesday, August 25, 2004 an estimated 1,550 Lao-Hmong from Wat Tham Krabok,
Thailand were involuntarily relocated by the Thai government. Many of these
are Hmong refugees who are not eligible for resettlement because they did not
register with Thai government for fear of repatriation, relocation, or losing
their lives. Others had sought shelter at the Wat hoping for resettlement in
the U.S. more recently. That same day, this population was later returned back
to the Wat with community members reporting extreme fear of future efforts
to be removed or repatriated to Laos. Since the return to the Temple grounds,
the
fate of this population is extremely uncertain.
The Hmong are known for their close relationship with the U.S., serving as
paramilitary soldiers in Special Guerrilla Units with the CIA during the Vietnam
War. After the war, the communist Pathet Lao sought to obliterate the Hmong,
and thousands fled to find refuge in Thailand. Earlier this year, some 15,000
Hmong-Lao refugees in Thailand, primarily
northeast of Bangkok at Wat Tham Krabok, were given the opportunity to seek
resettlement in the United States. However, this process left out thousands
of other Hmong refugees many of whom also left the refugee camps, including
Ban Vinai, for fear of repatriation, and found relative sanctuary in Wat Tham
Krabok, a Buddhist temple in central Thailand.
Recommendations:
* The U.S. government should intervene on behalf of the community. The Hmong
American community needs assurance that relocation and repatriation are not
solutions for this population. Further decision regarding the residual population
must be decided through
discussion and transparent planning.
* A durable solution for the remaining population should include an integration plan with full rights to work and the ability to travel within Thailand.
Action: Call, Write, Fax, or Visit your U.S. Representative and ask him/her
to contact the U.S. State Department and the Administration with these recommendations.
You can find your Senator and Representative's phone number by contacting the
capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. You can find their contact information
at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.
All Representatives have local offices in their districts to serve all constituents.
Call and make an appointment to ask for their support TODAY.
**************************************************
Doua Thor
Policy Advocate
Hmong National Development
1112-16th St. NW Ste. 110
Washington, DC 20036
202 463 2118
202 463 2119 Fax
www.hndlink.org