Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following urgent appeal from the Cross Culture Foundation (CrCF) to call for Royal Thai Government to immediately stop involuntary repatriation of Lao Hmong, to terminate using of all coercive tactics without regards to humanitarian principle and undermine human dignity of the Lao Hmong, an ethnic community has been refugee from Laos, and to grant access for Lao Hmong to the UNHCR process of refugee status determination.
For more information, please contact the organization by e-mail, at
yadadear@gmail.com or take a look at its website: www.crcf.or.th
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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THAILAND: Call for Royal Thai Government to immediately stop involuntary repatriation of Lao Hmong
Released on 22nd May 2009
Urgent Appeal
Call for Royal Thai Government to immediately stop involuntary repatriation of Lao Hmong, to terminate using of all coercive tactics without regards to humanitarian principle and undermine human dignity of the Lao Hmong, and to grant access for Lao Hmong to the UNHCR process of refugee status determination.
As Royal Thai Government and the Government of Lao Peoples Democratic Republic have agreed on repatriation of all 4,000 displaced Laos Hmong, taking shelter in Huay Nam Khao camp in Phetchaboon province in the north east of Thailand, back to Laos within September 2009. Since February 2007, Thailand and Laos have collaboratively repatriated over 2,000 Lao Hmong back to Lao including elderly, women and children.
Recently on 20th May 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF, the only organization providing humanitarian aid in Huay Nam Khao camp has officially declared withdrawal of their mission after 4 years operating as medical service provider for the displaced Lao Hmong. The reason leads to termination of MSFs work, according to their statement, is the Thai military restriction and coercive tactics which bars them from working independently such as force patient to go through military check point and control to access MSFs medical clinic, force MSF to cut off food distribution etc. These tactics are used to pressure the MSF to terminate their medical relief program and leave the camp. Other tactics are also used to pressure the Lao Hmong from trying to apply for refugee status or arbitrary detention of influential Hmong leaders to pressure others into voluntary return. The great concern is that without MSF presenting in the camp would ease Thai government in carrying out more oppressive operation against the Hmong.
Lao Hmong flee from Laos and began gathering in Huay Nam Khao camp in 2005. Over 7,000 Lao Hmong took sheltered at the camp. However, UNHCR has never had access to provide humanitarian aid or to carry out process of determining the refugee status up until now. Moreover, the continue quiet diplomacy between Thai and Laos governments and the repatriation operation have always been done without any monitoring process or check and balance by independent third party and with no transparency.
Therefore, we call for Thai government to immediately stop involuntary repatriation of Lao Hmong and terminate using of all coercive tactics without regards to humanitarian principle and undermine human dignity of the Lao Hmong. We urge Thai government to keep in mind that sending the Lao Hmong back where they may face persecution or threatening against liberty and security of person is a violation principle of Non-Refoulement which legally binds Thailand as customary international law.
We call for Thai government to review the status of Lao Hmong in Huay Nam Khao Camp by granting access to process of refugee status determination by United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR.
We call for Thai government and Lao government to grant access to international community especially United Nations and ASEAN to monitor any operation regarding Lao Hmong especially the voluntary repatriation process in order to ensure transparent manner based on internationally accepted human rights and humanitarian norms in which Thai government and ASEAN have always reaffirmed with spirit.
Sincerely yours,
Cross Cultural Foundation
PLEASE SEND URGENT APPEAL LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva
Prime Minister
c/o Government House
Pitsanulok Road, Dusit District
Bangkok 10300
THAILAND
Fax: +66 2 288 4000 ext. 4025
Tel: +66 2 288 4000
E-mail: spokesman@thaigov.go.th or abhisit@abhisit.org
2. Mr. Peeraphan Saleeratwipak
Minister of Justice
Office of the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice Building
22nd Floor Software Park Building,
Chaeng Wattana Road
Pakkred, Nonthaburi 11120
THAILAND
Fax: +662 502 6699/ 6734 / 6884
Tel: +662 502 6776/ 8223
E-mail: om@moj.go.th
3. Mr. Kasit Piromya
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affair
443 Sri Ayudhya Road
Bangkok 10400
THAILAND
Fax: +662 643 5318
Tel: +662 643 5333
E-mail: om@mof.go.th
4. Mr. Chawarat Charnweerakul
Minister of Interior
Office of the Ministry of Interior
Atsadang Road
Bangkok 10200
THAILAND
Fax: +662 226 4371/ 222 8866
Tel: +662 224-6320/ 6341
Email: om@moi.go.th
5. Gen. Anuphong Phouchinda
Supreme Military Commander
Military Headquarter
127 Moo. 3 Changewattana
Thungsonghong Laksi Bangkok 10210
6. Secretary-General NSC
Office of National Security Council
1 Government House
Pitsanulok Road, Dusit District
Bangkok 10300
THAILAND
Tel: +66-2-629-8000
Fax: +66-2-629-8056
7. Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
Office of The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
The Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty the King’s 80th BirthDay Anniversary 5th December, B.E.2550 (2007)
120 Chaengwattana Road
Laksi District
Bangkok 10210
THAILAND
Fax: +662 143 9576
Tel: +662 141 3800, +662 141 3900
E-mail: interhr@nhrc.or.th or saneh@nhrc.or.th
8. Mr. Homayoun Alizadeh
Regional Representative for Asia-Pacific of OHCHR
UNESCAP
UN Secretariat Building, 6th Fl., Room A-601
Rajdamnern Nok Ave.
Bangkok 10200,
THAILAND
Tel: +662 288 1496
Fax: +662 288 3009
Email: OHCHR.Bangkok@un.org
9. Mr. Raymond Hall
Regional Representative for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and Regional Coordinator for South East Asia
3rd Floor, United Nations Building, Rachadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 288 1234
Fax: +66 2 280 0555
Email: thaba@unhcr.org
10. Surin Pitsuwan
Secretary General
ASEAN Secretariat/ Member of Tripartite Core Group
70A, Jalan Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta 12110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 7262991/ 7243372
Fax: +62 21 7398234/ 7243504
E-mail: public@aseansec.org; termsak@aseansec.org; amelia.b@aseansec.org
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
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