AMBASSADOR RAISES MISSING HMONG MINORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 001343

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL TH LA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES MISSING HMONG MINORS

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR BOYCE, REASONS 1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) Summary. During a March 3 meeting with Thai FM
Kantathi Suphamongkol, the Ambassador raised the issue of the
missing Hmong minors. He encouraged Kantathi to respond to
the Lao argument that the Thai needed to take the next step
and provide the Lao with basic facts about the deporation of
the minors to Laos. The Ambassador also suggested that the
Thai find an interlocutor who could help resolve the current
impasse. Kantathi responded that he would look further into
the issue and discuss it again with Lao DPM Somsawat. In a
separate discussion, Thai National Security Council chief
General Winai indicated that he believed the larger issue of
the Petchaboon Hmong created a human rights problem that
needed to be addressed by the RTG. End summary.


2. (C) Ambassador, accompanied by Refcoord, raised the issue
of the missing Hmong minors with Thai FM Kantathi during a
March 3 meeting. The Ambassador started off by noting the
good cooperation on refugee issues over the past couple years
and the USG hope that this would continue. The Ambassador
said he had been in contact, including sometimes almost on an
hourly basis with Thai National Security Council chief
General Winai a couple of weeks previous, in an effort to
find a solution to the issue of the 26 Hmong minors deported
by Thailand to Laos. Those efforts had not come to fruition
due to new conditions raised by the Lao government at the
time.


3. (C) The Ambassador continued that the Lao government was
telling other governments and the United Nations that the RTG
needed to take the next step in order for the minors issue to
be resolved. The Lao were thereby scoring points at the Thai
expense. Kantathi responded that he also looked forward to
continuing the good cooperation on refugee issues with the
United States. He said the RTG had stated its willingness to
reunite the Hmong minors with their parents in Thailand.
When it looked at this issue, the RTG was concerned about the
pull factor which the U.S. resettlement program for the Hmong
at Tham Krabok had contributed to. Kantathi asked if the USG
was prepared to take any more Hmong.


4. (C) The Ambassador responded that the Lao were saying
that the next step the Thai needed to take was to provide an
official RTG communication that set out the facts regarding
the deportation of the minors. The RTG should consider
providing such a communication to put the ball back in the
Lao court. The Ambassador also suggested that the RTG find
an interlocutor, perhaps a current or former Thai or Lao
government official, trusted by both sides, who could help
find a way out of the impasse. Refcoord stated that the USG
position was that there would not be another Hmong program,
but the USG was prepared to consider resettlement for
individual Hmong cases referred by UNHCR.


5. (C) Kantathi said that he had discussed the Hmong minors
issue with Lao DPM Somsawat and indicated Thai willingness to
work together. Somsawat had responded by criticizing the
tone taken by the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane on the issue.
Kantathi said that he would look more into the issue,
including having another discussion with DPM Somsawat.


6. (C) In a subsequent telephone conversation with NSC head
General Winai, Ambassador also raised the Hmong minors issue.
Winai said he had told his counterparts in other RTG
agencies that a continuation of the larger situation of the
Petchaboon Hmong was not good and created a human rights
problem. Winai said the RTG would be meeting to discuss this
issue next week and that establishing some kind of camp might
be the way to resolve the situation.
BOYCE