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As Thailand Forcibly Returns One Thousand Hmong to
Laos, UN Actions Questioned
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
June 28 -- In Thailand last week,
over 800 ethnic Hmong were forcibly returned to Laos. While outgoing UN
Human
Rights Commission Louise Arbour issued a statement of concern, Hmong
sources
tell Inner City Press that the UN's Department of Political Affairs,
while
polite, has declined to participate in meetings by Hmong leaders
seeking to
avert these forced returns, and that the UN Development Program has
declined to
meet with Hmong, saying it is outside of the mandate, which involves
engaging only
with governments, whether in North Korea, Myanmar, Zimbabwe or Laos.
Sources in
the region name, among those returned last week, Mr. Neng Moua, who tried to negotiate with
Lao officials
before being forcibly returned on June 21. On June 24, 147 more Hmong
were
returned, and some 5755 remaining in the camp.
Hmong in Thailand per UN, forcible return to
Laos not shown
At
the UN's
noon briefing on June 27, spokesperson Michele Montas announced that UNHCR
"has written to the
Government of Thailand to express concern over the repatriation of 837
Lao
Hmong last Sunday, following a protest by thousands of refugees who
broke out
of a camp run by the Thai Army. UNHCR says the lack of transparency
surrounding
the repatriation raises doubt about whether the returns were voluntary. The agency is particularly concerned that a
group of eight leaders and their families appear to have been deported
against
their will without any determination of whether they needed
international
protection. UNHCR is also concerned that
families may have been separated in the process. UNHCR says it stands
ready to
help both the Lao and Thai Governments."
Inner
City Press asked Ms. Montas
Can you find out whether the
Hmong representatives have sought to meet with the Department of
Political
Affairs and been rebuffed? That is what
I have heard. That the Hmong on this
very problem have asked DPA, and that DPA said we only meet with
Governments. If that is not true, I would
love to know
it. But can you…?
Spokesperson: Of course, we can
find out. But I don’t know…
Inner City Press: Here in New
York.
Spokesperson: Here in New York. I will ask for you, but I am not aware of
this issue at all.
[The reporter was later informed
that DPA staff had in fact met with Hmong representatives on many
occasions.]
What the
Spokesperson's Office sent was more detailed than the denial
inserted into the transcript in brackets --
"Regarding
your question
about whether Hmong representatives tried to meet with staff at
the
Department for Political Affairs but were rebuffed, I can confirm
that
information is not correct. I've spoken with DPA staff who have
met with
Hmong representatives many times over the past several years. In
particular, Geir Pedersen, who was at the time the head of
the Asia and
Pacific Division of DPA, visited the Lao People's
Democratic Republic in
December 2004, and at that time brought up the situation of the
Hmong with
the authorities there. Since then, DPA has continued to monitor
the
situation of the Hmong and has supported the work of the UN
country teams
in the Lao PDR and Thailand, which are dealing with the situation.
DPA
staff also continue periodically to meet with Hmong
representatives."
But
a well-placed
source, asked by Inner City Press about the above, states that
"UNDP in
NYC did not want not
meet Hmong 'leader' delegation ever, to hear the Hmong proposal,
or engage
with discussing it. The focal point of UNDP said they can't meet and
talk
directly with Hmong on this initiative - it wouldn't be their
'Mandate'. During the PFII week
in April 2008, the Hmong simply went to Anne-Marie Ibanez's office
in the
Department of Political Affairs without an appointment, to reach her,
to
encourage her to come to a very important meeting, in which states
and UN
agencies were hoped to come and participate. After we left,
again,
no response to the follow up e-mail to remind her to please be
there at
the joint meeting, nor did she attend the meeting."
Then over
800 Hmong were forcibly returned to Laos. UNHCR put out a statement,
but where
is UNDP? Where is Ban Ki-moon's Department of Political Affairs? Watch
this
site.
* * *
These reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
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