Thais Deny Breaching Hill People’s Rights, Challenge U.S. to Accept More Refugees

Thai officials Thursday denied breaching the rights of hill people from Laos and challenged the United States to accept more refugees after Washington charged Bangkok with serious violations of refugee human rights over its handling of Hmong tribesmen.

William A. Brown, U.S. ambassador to Thailand, called at the Thai Foreign Ministry to “express strong concern” at the forced repatriation of at least 32 Hmong tribespeople to Communist-ruled Laos from Ban Vinai refugee camp on Sunday, the embassy said. Refugee officials put the number at 38.

Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Praphas Limphaphan told Brown that Bangkok is investigating the incident and that Thais were upset by the U.S. charges, spokesman Somphan Kokilanonda said.

A U.S. spokesman in Washington on Wednesday called the incident a serious breach of human rights and “possibly the most serious instance of forced repatriation from Thailand since 1979.”

Praphas challenged Washington, which has promised to resettle 9,000 Hmong refugees this year, to take half of the 50,000 in Ban Vinai camp, Somphan said.

“If the United States is so concerned with the human rights of 32 Hmongs, it must be even more concerned about larger groups,” Somphan said.

Opponents of Communism

The tribesmen, a minority hill people in Laos, are traditional opponents of communism and fought with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.

Somphan said the repatriated Hmongs were anti-Communist guerrillas, not refugees, and were given the choice of going to jail in Thailand or going back to Laos.

“Thailand does not want to be misunderstood by Laos . . . as helping the rebels,” Somphan said. “We don’t want to jeopardize improving Thai-Lao relations.”