VZCZCXRO8073
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBK #2109 2331023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211023Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8018
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2152

UNCLAS BANGKOK 002109 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, PRM/A, AND EAP/MLS 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM TH LA
SUBJECT: LAO HMONG AT PETCHABUN: RECENT MOVEMENTS INCLUDE 
SOME FORCED RETURNS TO LAOS 
 
REF: A. BANGKOK 2041 
     ¶B. BANGKOK 2042 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) In an unusual early morning repatriation on August 
18, 45 Lao Hmong men, women and children resident in the 
Petchabun camp were returned to Laos. Royal Thai Armed Forces 
(RTARF) personnel involved in the movement told RefCoord that 
all departed voluntarily. The NGO Catholic Organization for 
Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR), the only outside 
presence in the Petchabun camp, did not witness the 
repatriation due to the early hour of departure (4 a.m.) 
However, COERR reported that they did not subsequently hear 
allegations from remaining residents that force was used. 
Royal Thai Government (RTG) immigration officials said that 
the return was done as a "normal" deportation via the border 
control point at Nong Khai. Unusually, the group was moved 
directly from the camp to Laos, rather than stopping first at 
a military barracks 20 miles away used as a transit point for 
the previous 15 movements.  In some cases, the Lao Hmong had 
spend several weeks at the barracks before being sent across 
the border. RTARF officials were unwilling to say if this 
new, more direct procedure will be followed in future returns 
as well. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) We learned that there was an earlier, forced return 
of Lao Hmong belonging to the "Chao Faa" sub-group (the 
so-called "jungle Hmong".)  On August 9, local military 
commanders called police to arrest 7 male Chao Faa leaders 
who have been staying in a small area adjacent to the NGO-run 
food distribution warehouse.  The group has refused to enter 
the camp proper since May in protest of MSF's decision to 
leave the camp. (Comment: RefCoord spoke to the group on two 
prior visits, and was given a letter requesting UNHCR 
intervention. All said they did not wish to return to Laos. 
End Comment.)  Several of the Chao Faa group embarrassed the 
RTARF by shouting and waving banners during the recent visit 
by Lao Brigadier General Bouaxieng Champaphahn. (Refs.) COERR 
witnessed the movement of the men, several of whom sat down 
in protest and were lifted into a waiting truck by soldiers. 
COERR did not observe any physical abuse or tasering of the 
group, however, as alleged by U.S.-based Hmong advocacy 
organizations. The men were brought to an undisclosed 
location until their family members were located and sent to 
join them several days later.  According to COERR, the women 
and children entered the truck without any RTARF handling. 
Local RTARF personnel involved in the movement told RefCoord 
that a total of 25 Chao Faa Hmong were then deported to Laos, 
entering on August 12. Lao  officials told their Thai 
counterparts on April 18 that all had been sent to 
Borikhan,Laos. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  RTARF psychological operations designed to 
persuade the remaining 4,300 Lao Hmong in the Petchabun camp 
to return to Laos now feature a billboard at the entrance 
with PRM PDAS Sam Witten's and the DCM's photographs. (An 
earlier billboard counting down the days until the 
long-advertised September 30 closure of the camp has been 
taken down.)  A Hmong-language "quotation" next to the 
photograph states that the U.S. will not resettle any more 
Hmong.  In addition, at intervals during the day the RTARF is 
broadcasting (via loudspeaker) a similar Hmong language 
statement attributed to PDAS Witten. We will tell the RTARF 
that using the constructive visits by Witten and the DCM in 
this way is inappropriate and will ask that the posters be 
taken down, and the broadcasts stopped. 
JOHN