As Royal Thai Government and the Government of Lao People’s 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.[3] The reason leads to termination of MSF’s 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 MSF’s medical clinic, force MSF to cut off food distribution[4] 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.