Cease Force Repatriation to Laos, Urges Human Rights Groups

Thailand, Laos Crisis: Samak Urged To Grant Amnesty to Hmong

WASHINGTON (Rushprnews)April 21, 2008 – Amnesty International, the Center for Public Policy Analysis and a coalition of Lao and Hmong human rights organizations urged Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak, and the government and military of Thailand, to immediately cease the forced and involuntary repatriation of Lao and Hmong refugees back to the regime in Laos that they fled. Sanctuary, political asylum and humanitarian assistance are being urged for the Lao and Hmong refugees in Thailand by human rights and humanitarian organizations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

“We commend Amnesty International for its urgent and important human rights and humanitarian appeal today on behalf of the suffering Lao and Hmong refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand that are now being brutally pressured and forced back to Laos by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and elements of the Thai military in cooperation with communist Lao military officials,” stated Philip Smith, Executive Director for the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) in Washington, D.C.

The following is the public statement issued on April 18, 2008 by Amnesty International about the current crisis in Thailand and Laos http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGASA390042008

Amnesty International urges the new government of Thailand to take a stand in support of Lao and Hmong asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand, including the detention center at Nong Khai. Amnesty states: “Over-crowding, lack of clean water, and constant fear of being sent back to Laos where they face human rights violations: life for 154 Lao Hmong refugees, in detention in northern Thailand since 2006, is intolerable. Amnesty International calls on the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to ensure that the group are immediately released from detention, and are issued with exit visas in order to allow them to be resettled in a third country.”

“The Lao government is using food as a weapon against the Hmong people in Laos,” stated T. Kumar, Advocacy Director and Asia Policy expert at Amnesty International in Washington, D.C. at a U.S. Congressional Forum on Laos held in January 2008 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The CPPA in cooperation with the Lao Human Rights Council and other human rights groups has new information about the fate of a recent group of 13 Hmong refugees forced back to Laos on February 27 and February 28, 2008 with Thai Army attack dogs prior to the visit of Thai Prime Minister Samak to Laos.

The brutal and bloody forced repatriation of this group of Hmong refugees immediately prior to Prime Minister Samak’s visit to Laos resulted in an international outcry by Lao and Hmong human rights organizations and advocates as well as statements of protest and concern by Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, Members of the United States Congress and others.   //rushprnews.wpengine.com/press/archives/1231650
http://ww.rushprnews.com/press/archives/1231662

Mr. Cha Lee, a Lao Hmong refugee recently forced back to Laos and imprisoned by communist officials, provided an eye-witness account and statement to the Lao Human Rights Council and the CPPA in Washington, D.C. He was forced back to Laos on February 27-28, 2008. Escaping Laos a second time across the Mekong River, he returned to Thailand a second time seeking political asylum.

Mr. Cha Lee was one of the 11 Hmong refugees (out of an original group of 13) forcibly repatriated to Laos on February 27 and February 28, 2008 with the help of Thai Army troops and Thai Third Army attack dogs. They were forced back to Laos prior to Thai Prime Minister Samak’s visit to Laos. Cha Lee recently escaped from Paksong Prison (Bach Sam Prison), following his forced repatriation to Laos. He fled a second time to neighboring Thailand where he contacted relatives in the United States and human rights organizations. Two other Hmong refugees in the group with Cha Lee that were forced back to Laos were so badly mauled and injured by Thai Third Army dogs in the bloody attack that they had to be hospitalized and were later sent back to Laos against their will (the total number of those forced back was 13 Hmong refugees).

Mr. Cha Lee stated: “The Laotian authorities told me that they will remove three of us (from Pakson Prison) to a new security facility where we know that they will take us there and kill us. Also, the Hmong boys that were with a group of 21 Hmong girls were told they would be moved to a new security facility, but they disappeared and never returned. They (the Lao government officials) told us that they will remove us to a new security facility, meaning they will kill us all. I decided to escape from Laos again, and the persecution in Laos, back to Thailand a second time.”

The following are excerpts of Mr. Cha Lee’s statement provided to the Lao Human Rights Council and the Center for Public Policy Analysis in early April of 2008:

“My name is Cha Lee. I am 26 years old. My family clan name is Lee. I am with the group of 11 that was abducted and forcibly repatriated by the Thai government officials from Ban Huay Nam Khao, Petchabun, Thailand back to the communist regime in Laos on February 27 and 28, 2008. Two others Hmong refugees were badly injured by Thai Army attack dogs on February 27 and were placed in the hospital because they did not want to be forced back to the regime in Laos that they fled, so the original total of our group was 13 Hmong refugees that the Thai Army wanted to force back to Laos.. That day, February 27, the Thai military told us to go outside of the refugee camp. I did not know why the Thai military officials were telling us to go outside of the camp, but when I went outside, the Thai soldiers forcibly apprehended me. When they forcibly apprehended me, the Thai military soldiers drove me to the main road first and then drove the Lao Hmong women and children refugees that they were forcing to go back to Laos, afterwards. The Thai soldiers put us into a bigger vehicle. They used two vehicles to try to force us back to Laos. They were helped by Communist Hmong soldiers from Laos who assisted the Thai soldiers to force us back to Laos.

They tried to push me into the vehicle but I refused and so they hit me a couple times. I could not do anything so I went into the vehicle.  Then they drove me for a long distance.

There were a total of 11 people there, including me it would be 12. The day they captured us was after 2:00 pm and almost 3:00 pm on February 27, 2008. That night, they took us to sleep at Khonkhaen in a larger building. They laid our places to sleep and grouped us in a corner jail cell. Early in the morning, they sent us away again.

One of the 11 Hmong refugees was crying and said that she was separated from her children and that her children was still in Thailand at the refugee camp at Ban Huay Nam Khao, so the officials said to leave her there and wait for her children. That Hmong refugee was left at khonkhaen Her name is Zoua.

When we left khonkhaen early in the morning, even before we reached the Mekong river, the Thai military and the Hmong communist Pathet Lao solders put the covering on the military vehicles so we could not see out. I told my two friends that they are not taking us to Laos, they are taking us to kill because if they were taking us to Laos, they would not cover the vehicle. The vehicles shipping us were Thai vehicles; however, the officials receiving us were Lao communists. The Lao commuist officials met us with vehicles of their own that sent us to Pakson prison. Initially, they told us they were taking us to a place where our relatives would be able to come visit us; but when we stopped, we saw a building that was not the place they had told us. It was a large prison. It had thick white walls surrounding it with barbed wire fences and 3 sets of doors; one at the main entrance, one at the entrance of the building, and one at the entrance of the cells.

They did not harm us on that first day, but early the next day, they took us individually to question and interrogate. They took me to the farthest room near a tree to question. The others told the Lao officials the names and villages of their relatives in Laos and their interrogation session did not last long; however, I did not know how to answer them and told them I was from the jungle of Laos therefore, they took much longer to question and interrogate me. The Lao officials told the other Hmong refugees that they will be sent to a new place. However, I was afraid and I said that that new place would be frightening and I would not know how my life would be in that new place. That is when I made up my mind that I would not stay in Laos. I spoke with the other two men that were in our group and asked them if we should go to the new place. I told the other Hmong refugees with me that those who were captured and sent to these prisons were often never heard from again. I said that the Lao officials were just using that excuse to take us to another place to do harm to us or kill us.

One of our sisters in our group of 11 had two sisters come visit her. I escaped when they came to visit her. At that time, I was sleeping, but I slept near a barred window that could see out to the main entrance, and the guards, and the 3 sisters talking. I was only wearing a pair of pants, so I grabbed a shirt, my shoes, and an extra pair of pants and pretended to get a drink. When I started up, I snuck past the 2 guards, and walked out the doors but I did not know there was another guard outside. I walked a few yards when they noticed me and I dropped everything except my shoes and ran. While I was running, I heard them calling to the other guards to grab their guns because a prisoner had escaped and I heard them order to kill me if they can. I thought that if they did catch me, then my punishment would be severe, so I kept running. I ran all night and when the morning came, I finally lost the guards who were chasing me. The day I escaped was March 13, 2008 and it took me three days for me to reach Thailand on March 16, 2008.

I do not know the conditions of the 11 people that I left behind in the prison. But when I was there, the Lao officials had said that no one can escape; if one person escaped then they will punish the remaining group severely. Also, if they catch the one that had escaped, they will kill him. Because of that I am very frightened but if I had a choice of dying today or tomorrow, I will choose tomorrow. My ex-wife and children were captured all together with us. When I escaped, they were still in the prison in Laos.

I am very frightened for my life. I am pleading to all of the human rights organizations and the world community to help us.”

Vaughn Vang, Director of the Lao Human Rights Council stated:

“The Hmong at the refugee camp in Thailand were once denied by the Lao government as one of their own. Now the Lao government wants to claim them back and is offering 10,000 baht for each individual to return to Laos. Additionally, they have hired some corrupt elements of the Thai government and military to capture and repatriate Hmong refugees to the Laos. However, the individuals that have accepted the bribery have been imprisoned in Paksong Prison (Bach Sam Prison), which is the same prison that housed the 21 Hmong girls that were repatriated in 2005. Cha Lee has escaped from that particular prison at Paksong (Bach Sam) because the Lao government plans to first kill the 3 male Hmong refugees that were recently repatriated from Thailand to the prison. The Hmong that have been repatriated from Thailand to Laos are scheduled to be killed.

Vaughn Vang concluded: “ It is also important to point out that the Lao and Thai military have hired Hmong-Lao and Hmong-Thai police officers and secret police, who speak the Hmong language, to lure the Hmong refugees at the refugee camp in Thailand with false promises and threats to return to Laos. It is likely that the Hmong refugees will be persecuted or killed; many of the ones who have already been repatriated are in line to be killed. Lao and Hmong refugees in Thailand should not be repatriated back to Laos where the Lao military is engage in a process of extermination and starvation of thousands of innocent people. The international community and human rights organizations should immediately intervene so that the lives of these Lao and Hmong refugees as well as those unarmed civilians under attack in the jungles and mountains can be saved from the continued attacks by the Lao military.”

Contact:

Anna Jones

Center for Public Policy Analysis

2020 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.  No.#212

Washington, D.C.  USA 20006

Tele. (202) 543-1444  Fax (202)207-9871

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbethttps://bsport.fithttps://onbet88.ooohttps://i9bet.bizhttps://hi88.ooohttps://okvip.athttps://f8bet.athttps://fb88.cashhttps://vn88.cashhttps://shbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88

Share This Post

More To Explore

How to Craft a Severance Package for Your Business
Business

How to Craft a Severance Package for Your Business

Creating a standardized severance package ensures that departing employees are treated fairly and consistently, irrespective of their position or circumstances. Companies uphold transparency and fairness