On Sunday your paper reported that Thailand will begin using the Army to repatriate several thousand Hmong refugees back to Laos. The story deserves more coverage than you gave it.
It is a very sad situation that people are being forced at gunpoint back to a place they want to leave. In the midst of this sad story, however, a real tragedy is taking place - one that brings shame to both America and Thailand.
First, remember that the Hmong were the Lao mountain soldiers who fought on behalf of the USA and Thailand during the Vietnam War. They were highly regarded as fighters, and they played a major part in keeping Laos in the control of our allies until the end.
Among the present Hmong refugees is a small group known as the "Jungle Hmong" who will be going back to predictable brutality and likely death. They are a rebellious group that remained in the jungle after the communist victory and refused to assimilate or cooperate. They thought of themselves as patriots, and awaited the day when they might help free their country from their old enemy - likely with ongoing encouragement from some Hmong who escaped to other countries. Over the years, the Lao government, regarding them as criminals and traitors, has been systematically exterminating them. Many, maybe most, of them would now like to find a way to assimilate, but, with good reason, they believe they will be jailed and/or killed if they come under the control of Lao officials.
The Jungle Hmong in Thailand (mostly women, children, and old men) have been officially and properly designated as political refugees, and other governments have stated a willingness to accept them. Last April it appeared that common sense and compassion might prevail when the Thai foreign minister announced that Thailand would facilitate the resettlement of 158 of the Jungle Hmong held at Nong Khai. A month later, however, Laos insisted that they be sent back, and Thailand caved in. A couple of months ago, Laos became a party to an important UN human rights accord, but many observers believe that the communists' hatred for the Jungle Hmong is so deep and strong that, in spite of the now official policy, those Hmong will likely be brutally received if returned to Laos.
Thailand and America have both paid some lip service to resettlement of the Jungle Hmong, but both governments have been fundamentally spineless. They know that the Jungle Hmong are legitimate political refugees, they know that they are terrified to return to Laos, they know that they have good reason to so feel, they know they are our former allies, and they know that most of the persons in Thailand pose no possible threat to anyone. Nevertheless they will not do what it takes to move them on. One wonders if the Afghans will notice this sense of ongoing commitment that America has for former military allies.
In a related story, the legendary old Hmong general, Vang Pao, announced a couple of weeks ago that he would like to travel back to Laos to see if he could ease the tensions between his followers and the present government. The Lao government, however, expressed contempt for the idea by saying he must serve his death sentence first.
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