Refugees International: Articles: Resettlement Processing Begins for the Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand

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Resettlement Processing Begins for the Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand

03/10/2004

Refugees International has followed the situation for Hmong refugees from Laos since our founding in 1979. RI president emeritus Lionel Rosenblatt recently returned from a trip to Southeast Asia, which included several visits to Wat Tham Krabok in central Thailand, where Hmong found refuge after the closure a decade ago of the last camps established by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Having monitored the situation for years, RI is gratified that the U.S. government has agreed to begin a resettlement process for Hmong residing at the Wat. The following is an update on the current situation:

The Hmong, a highland ethnic people, were the key military allies of the U.S. in Laos during the Vietnam War. They bore the brunt of the ground war along with contingents from smaller highland groups. When the war ended in 1975, about 150,000 Hmong fled to Thailand and entered refugee camps established by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). When these camps closed about ten years ago, the Hmong were given a choice between resettling in the U.S. and returning to Laos. Most of the remaining refugees dispersed in Thailand and some who fled began new lives at Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist temple in central Thailand with a welcoming abbot. Hmong refugees found refuge there and supported themselves with craft and metalwork production and employment at the nearby quarries, in jobs so hazardous that they were not sought by local Thais. Before long the Wat grounds resembled a UN refugee camp, except that the refugees themselves created their community, often with the help of remittances from their relatives resettled abroad. With the death of the abbot some years ago, Thai government pressure grew to move the refugees. The U.S. government recently offered to resettle the Wat refugees in the United States. RI president emeritus Lionel Rosenblatt linked up with senior State Department refugee official Kelly Ryan when she visited the Wat and they met with the refugees. Many of the refugees were visibly moved, some crying with happiness. There was also considerable skepticism, given rumors over the years that resettlement in the U.S. was imminent. Several refugees asked if this offer of U.S. resettlement was “real.” Ms. Ryan said they could see that resettlement was real by the construction already going on in the processing area of the Wat and the interviewing that would soon begin. The visit demonstrated clearly the immediate need to hire Hmong-Americans to answer refugee questions about U.S. resettlement and to dispel the many rumors. As a direct outgrowth of the visit, Ka Ying Yang, a bilingual Hmong-American experienced in refugee affairs, was hired by the International Organization for Migration; within days she began work at the Wat, where she is making a vital difference in bridging the gap between the refugees and U.S. and international refugee program officials. Resettlement processing began in early March and the challenge will be to accept flexibly and inclusively as many of the Hmong as possible who wish to come to the U.S. This in turn will induce the best possible outcome for the residual population --- those Hmong who cannot or will not come to the U.S. At the very least they should not be left in a worse situation than they have carved out for themselves over the years. There are also an unknown number of Hmong refugees in Thailand outside the Wat. Ideally, as they have the same refugee history as those in the Wat, they should also have a chance to accept the U.S. resettlement offer. While many Hmong fled Laos as refugees to Thailand, other Hmong fought on in Laos. Over the years, rumors of a Hmong resistance would circulate and it was known that the Lao government was engaging them with air and artillery and some ground operations. The acute suffering of at least some in the resistance was revealed last spring in a press article which included pictures of fighters in rags, suffering from war wounds, disease and severe malnutrition. Now ten months later some of the resistance members and their families are descending into the lowlands and receiving assistance from Lao government officials. This seems to be a positive, but fragile, development which should be followed closely by the international community. As these last chapters unfold --- at the temple in Thailand and in the hills of Laos --- RI and others will continue to track the Hmong saga in the hope that there will at last be a more honorable conclusion for our allies of more than 30 years ago.

Recommendations:

Resettlement processing for the Hmong at Wat Tham Krabok began some days ago and is a work in progress involving UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the State Department/U.S. Embassy and the Department of Homeland Security. Though it is too early to know the precise sticking points, problems should be addressed flexibly in a manner designed to maximize the number of refugees who are able to resettle in the U.S.
A significant number of refugee families at the Wat have members outside the Wat; other refugee families formerly resided there. Refugees International favors a generous policy toward such cases for resettlement and eventual consideration of other Hmong refugees from Laos formerly in UNHCR camps but with no prior or current connections to the Wat.
The Thai government has indicated that the Wat will be closed following the American resettlement program. The extent to which most of the refugees are able to leave for the U.S. will in turn make it easier to assist the residual population of Hmong who do not quality for resettlement. The minimum end goal for the residual refugees should be to insure that they remain at least as well off as they were before this U.S. resettlement initiative began.
The international community should encourage the government of Laos to continue to assist those Hmong who surrender and, if treatment is good, to provide support and funding.