[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 129 Introduced in House (IH)]
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 129
Expressing the sense of Congress that Thailand should release the 6
Hmong/Lao refugee camp leaders arrested for refusing to repatriate to
Laos in 1994 and that Thailand should allow resettlement of eligible
Hmong refugees in Thai refugee facilities at Ban Na Pho, Sikhiu and
Phanat Nikhom.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 27 (legislative day, December 22), 1995
Mr. Dornan submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that Thailand should release the 6
Hmong/Lao refugee camp leaders arrested for refusing to repatriate to
Laos in 1994 and that Thailand should allow resettlement of eligible
Hmong refugees in Thai refugee facilities at Ban Na Pho, Sikhiu and
Phanat Nikhom.
Whereas Hmong and Lao combat veterans under the command of Major General Vang
Pao, Commander of Military Region II of the Royal Lao Army, fought with
courage and valor to protect their homeland and the national security
interests of the United States and Thailand from invading North
Vietnamese Communist forces during the Vietnam war;
Whereas Hmong forces saved downed American and Thai pilots and guarded top
secret United States intelligence facilities in Laos that allowed the
United States to conduct all-weather and night bombing of North Vietnam;
Whereas the Hmong were targeted with genocide and ethnic cleansing in 1975 and
thereafter when the North Vietnamese military and Communist Pathet Lao
guerrillas consolidated their control over Laos and established the Lao
Peoples Democratic Republic, a one-party Communist regime;
Whereas for over 2 decades, Thailand, in cooperation with the United States and
the international community, has generously provided sanctuary and
assistance to many of the Hmong asylum seekers and refugees fleeing
Laos;
Whereas Hmong refugees repatriated to Laos from Thailand in recent years have
disappeared or have been murdered (in Laos), including the disappearance
of Hmong clan leader Vue Mai following his voluntary repatriation and
the murders of Gnia Chuc Her and Kou Her by Pathet Lao forces;
Whereas Thailand has taken steps to close the Hmong refugee camps within its
borders, but has pledged officially not to force Hmong refugees or
asylum seekers back to the Communist government in Laos;
Whereas returning to Laos remains an undesirable option for many Hmong/Lao
refugees because its economic and social policies violate the basic
human rights of its people and restrict freedom of speech, freedom of
assembly, freedom of religion and other basic human liberties, and
prohibits independent human rights organizations from entering the
country and monitoring returned Hmong refugees;
Whereas former Chairman Lee Hamilton and current Chairman Ben Gilman sent a
House Foreign Affairs Committee staff delegation to Thailand in August
1994, to report on the status of Hmong refugees in Thailand;
Whereas despite significant United States funding for Hmong refugee care and
transfer, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee staff
delegation was denied entry to Ban Na Pho repatriation camp to
investigate and report on the status of refugees;
Whereas 6 Hmong/Lao refugee camp leaders from Ban Na Pho, Blia Thai Xiong (BV-
3834), Vang Bee (BN 4259), Xay Hua Yang (BV-871), Fai Yee Xiong (ST-
991), Kham Pham (NP-15439), and Tong Xee Yang (BV8677), were arrested
and imprisoned on September 22, 1994, by Thai Ministry of the Interior
(MOI) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
officials after the 6 sent out of the camp to Congressmen Hamilton and
Gilman a petition signed by thousands of their fellow Hmong refugees
declaring opposition to forced repatriation and communicating their
desire to resettle in a non-Communist third country;
Whereas the 6 refugee camp leaders were moved following their arrest from Ban Na
Pho refugee repatriation camp to the Suan Phlu Detention Center in
Bangkok where the conditions were reported to be deplorable by various
human rights organizations;
Whereas Ruprecht von Arnim, UNHCR Representative in Thailand, responded in a
December 7, 1994, letter to Congressmen Gilman, Leach, and Gunderson
that the 6 prisoners were ``in good health and are receiving
preferential treatment, including English classes. They are only
complaining of boredom;'';
Whereas on December 31, 1994, a fact-finding mission to Thailand, which included
congressional staff and representatives of the Lao Veterans of America,
visited the 6 Hmong camp leaders in Suan Phlu in Bangkok, Thailand,
where they found poor, cramped conditions in which the 6 slept on the
concrete floor with many other people and found largely untrue the
stated assertions of Ruprecht von Arnim; and
Whereas the 6 Hmong/Lao leaders were moved from Suan Phlu to another detention
center at Sikhiu where they are still under arrest and imprisoned with
their families: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) Thailand should immediately release the 6 Hmong/Lao
camp leaders and their remaining family members in Thailand so
that they may leave Thailand and rejoin their families in the
United States and elsewhere;
(2) Thailand should immediately open Ban Na Pho
repatriation camp and Sikhiu Detention Center and permit all
eligible Hmong combat veterans and refugees there to leave
Thailand for resettlement in third countries;
(3) the President and the Secretary of State of the United
States should use every diplomatic means available to ensure
that the maximum allowable Hmong refugees are accepted for
admission into the United States in 1995-1996; and
(4) the President and the Secretary of State of the United
States should use every diplomatic means available to ensure
the protection of the safety and human rights of the Hmong
refugees in Ban Na Pho refugee repatriation camp, Sikhiu
Detention Center, Phanat Nikhom refugee resettlement camp, the
Buddist temple of Wat Tham Krabok and elsewhere in Thailand.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives should transmit copies of
this resolution to the Foreign Minister of Thailand in Bangkok, to the
Prime Minister of Thailand in Bangkok, to the Embassy of Thailand in
the United States, to the President of the United States, to the United
States Secretary of State, and to the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees.
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