The Nation / 24 August 1998

Politics
Thais seek UNHCR aid over Hmongs

By Marisa Chimprabha
   THAILAND is seeking assistance from the UN High 
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in determining the 
citizenship of hundreds of Hmong living in a controversial 
Saraburi monastery, partly to smooth relations with Laos, 
an informed source said Sunday.
   The UNHCR's Bangkok office is awaiting a decision from 
its New York headquarters on whether to comply with the 
Thai request or not, the source said.
   "The request to the UNHCR is in accordance with Laos' 
position that the screening of the Hmong in the Thamkrabok 
monastery should be conducted by the UN agency -- with 
cooperation from Thai and Laotian authorities," he said.
   In 1993, the UNHCR rejected a Thai request to implement 
the registration and screening of Hmong in the monastery. 
It claimed that many Hmong in the monastery did not have 
refugee status and had already decided not to join UN-
organised programmes to be resettled in a third country.
   "At that time, many of them refused to reside in Thai 
camps where the UNHCR organised resettlement programme for 
them. Instead, they went directly to the monastery. Some 
escaped from the camps to the monastery after they failed 
the blood test due to narcotics substance," the source 
said.
   However, the UNHCR will reconsider Thailand's latest 
request for screening because it is aware that its presence 
could gain Laos' confidence about the process.
   Laos has repeatedly refused to receive the Hmong from 
the monastery, claiming that they were not born in Laos and 
that they are members of an anti-Laos movement disguised as 
ordinary Hmong.
   It has also criticised Thailand for allowing the 
movement to use the territory as a base to attack Laos.
   "However, Vientiane had informed Bangkok in a meeting 
that it would leave the door open if the UNHCR steps in to 
screen the Hmong," the source said. "If the UNHCR conducts 
the screening, we strongly hope that Vientiane will accept 
the result of the process and negotiate on how to deal with 
result."
   The Interior Ministry last week began registering the 
Hmong, who numbered 13,725 when registered last year. The 
registration process is expected to finish on Sept 4.
   An interior ministry source said the Hmong are being 
divided into three groups: those who were born in the 
monastery, those who came from the northern highlands of 
Thailand and those who were not born in Thailand.
   "Those who claim that they were born in the monastery 
have to prove it with the necessary documents, while the 
second group will have to show their identity card from 
their provincial authorities," she said.
   Those who cannot prove that they belong to either group 
are considered to be from Laos. The government must then 
decide how to deal with the third group, she said.
   Meanwhile, a senior government security source said that 
leaders of the anti-Laos movement no longer live in the 
monastery as they were given asylum and citizenship by 
other countries, including the US.
   Referring to a report that some 200 members of the 
movement are still the monastery, the same source said that 
they were only families and relatives of the movement's 
members.
   "They are not members of the movement. They are not 
active and have no activities relating to the movement," he 
said.
   If Laos still refuses to receive the Hmong, it is 
possible that the monastery inhabitants will be allowed to 
stay in Thailand under the same status as highlands 
citizens.
   "If Thailand agrees to allow the Hmong to stay in 
Thailand as Laos refuses to take them back, Laos should not 
criticise us of sheltering anti-Vientiane government 
movement in the future," the source said.