U.S. may accept Hmong refugees from Laos
Find a Conversation
| Fri, 12-19-2003 - 2:46pm |
Friday, December 19, 2003 · Last updated 5:45 a.m. PT
U.S. may accept Hmong refugees from Laos
By DANIEL LOVERING
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WAT THAM KRABOK, Thailand -- The United States, still dealing with one of the legacies of the Vietnam War, has said it may accept thousands of ethnic Hmong refugees from Laos for resettlement.
More than 15,000 Hmong people have been living for years around a Buddhist temple in Thailand after fleeing Laos following the communist takeover of the country in 1975.
The CIA enlisted the Hmong - tough tribal people from the harsh countryside - to spearhead U.S. efforts to subdue Laotian communists during the conflict in neighboring Vietnam. Many Hmong, fearing retribution, fled after the communists took over Laos.
U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Darryl Johnson traveled to Tham Krabok temple, 60 miles north of the capital Bangkok, to meet with 10 Hmong clan leaders Thursday before announcing the resettlement program.
Johnson told reporters that the United States has "long felt we had a special responsibility" to help the Hmong.
He said U.S. authorities anticipate that most people at Tham Krabok will be eligible and encourage those wishing to resettle in the United States to take advantage of the opportunity.
"We don't anticipate that there will be another such opportunity," he said.
Around the grounds of the temple, the Hmong live in corrugated steel shacks on a dusty plain.
"We stay here, we have no rights as Thai citizens," said Xiong Doua, 29, who fled Laos with his family in 1980 and lived at a Thai refugee camp before moving to Tham Krabok 12 years ago. "I think if we have a chance to go, we'll all be happy."
More than 300,000 people fled to Thailand after the communist takeover, and most resettled in third countries, the majority in the United States. Hmong formed a high percentage of those refugees.
For several reasons, including tighter immigration rules, other Hmong were left stranded in Thailand. More than 20,000 were repatriated to Laos, but many remained in limbo, with the biggest community forming at Tham Krabok temple.
A U.S. statement said the new resettlement program applies only to Hmong at the temple and to those who had registered with Thai authorities by August 2003. It said registration for resettlement would be open for a limited time, beginning in February next year.
Ambassador Johnson said he hoped the registration process, which will include medical exams and background checks, could be completed within six months. He said the United States has set no limit on the number of Hmong it's willing to accept.
cl-nwtreehugger
Co-cl: In The News http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=iv-elinthenews&nav=start
Community Leader - Sports Talk http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=iv-elsportstalk&nav=start

cl-Libraone