Last Group of Laotian Refugees Repatriated

   KUNMING (Dec. 10) XINHUA - Chinese officials repatriated 
the  17th and final group of 49 refugees from the People's 
Democratic  Republic of Laos today in Kunming.
   Today's repatriation effort marked the end of the 
repatriation of  Laotian refugees in the country, according 
to a Chinese official with  the State Council's Indo-China 
Refugee Reception and Settlement Office.
   A total of 3,293 Laotian refugees have been repatriated 
in line with a  bilateral agreement signed in October 1991.
   Since the 1980s, China accepted a large number of Laotian 
refugees  under the auspices of the United Nations High 
Mission for Refugees. The  refugees mainly resided in 
southwest China's Yunnan Province.
   "All refugees have expressed a desire for repatriation," 
according to  Zhang Shaoyun, the local Yunnan official in 
charge of the repatriation  program.
   An official from Laos said his government will strive to 
create  favorable living and working conditions for 
returning refugees. Reports  indicate that previous 
repatriated Laotians are leading a normal life.