HMONG CHILDREN: UNICEF HITS IMPASSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000374

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM-RGREENE; EAP/BCLTV-JWEYER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREF UNICEF LA TH
SUBJECT: HMONG CHILDREN: UNICEF HITS IMPASSE

REF: A. VIENTIANE 179 AND PREVIOUS

B. STATE 24364

Classified By: AMB. A WOLFF, U.S. DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
TO THE UNITED NATIONS,FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D


1. (C) Summary: USUN econoffs met February 23 with UNICEF
Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam to review ways to break
the current impasse over reunification of 27 Hmong refugee
children incarerated in Laos whose parents remain in Thailand
(reftels). Gautam noted there would be no movement without a
gesture from the RTG, which had broken its own laws in
expelling the Hmong children. He also suggested that an
assurance to the GOT that the Hmong refugees could be
resettled in a third country might move both sides towards
resolving the political problem that lies at the root of this
humanitarian issue. End summary.

UNICEF CONVERSATION WITH LAOS


2. (C) UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam, who
previously has served in high-level UN capacities in both
Bangkok and Vientiane, told Econoffs that in his separate
February 17 meetings with the Laotian and Thai PermReps, he
found the Laotian well-informed about the Hmong children,
whereas the Thai PermRep was only "vaguely aware" of the
situation. PermRep Kittikhoun of Laos "vented frustration"
to Gautam about what Laos saw as unfair and one-sided
criticism, particularly from the U.S. Spouting the "party
line" that the GOL was trying to find the children,
Kittikhoun complained about lack of official notification of
the children's deportation from Thailand. He claimed that
the Thai ambassador in Vientiane had not provided details to
the Lao Foreign Ministry when asked. According to Gautam,
Kittikhoun would appreciate UNICEF efforts to get the RTG to
provide the details on where, when, how and who, exactly,
were sent to Laos. Kittikhoun claimed that "not even the
Americans" had provided those details. Gautam told us he
stressed to Kittikhoun that "no one will win" if the
situation remains unresolved.

UNICEF CONVERSATION WITH THAILAND


3. (C) Recalling his conversation with Thai PermRep
Laohaphan, Gautam said she declared that Hmong who were
illegally in Thailand would face consequences if they did not
"follow the rules." Gautam countered that the Thai Child Act
of 2003 required proper treatment of children, regardless of
their ethnic background. He told Laohaphan that the RTG had
violated its own laws by holding the children in detention
for more than 48 hours and expelling these minors. Thai
actions, he told her, are also inconsistent with the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC),and pointed out
that a Thai minister recently assured the CROC treaty body in
Geneva of the RTG's proper and equitable treatment of all
children. Laohaphan, whom Gautam characterized as poorly
briefed on the situation, took this on board with some
consternation.

FEW WAYS FORWARD


4. (C) Gautam confided to Econoffs that Thailand, as a
democracy, is concerned with its image and needs to live up
to a higher standard. He suggested that the launch of an RTG
investigation into the illegal expulsion of the 27 Hmong
children might be enough to put the ball back into Laos'
court. He further mused that well-respected Thai human
rights activists might discreetly put pressure on the RTG to
work out this problem with the GOL. Gautam posited that a
third-country promise to resettle the Hmong families might
help move the RTG to act.


5. (C) Econoff noted that she had orally briefed UNICEF
officials on precisely the information the Laotians claimed
not to have, drawing from Vientianes's suggested demarche
points of February 3. Gautam stated he was not in a position
to share such details with the Lao PermRep, as Laos would be
suspicious of any information coming from the U.S. UNICEF
would be willing to act as a broker and convey any
information to the GOL received from the RTG, using it as
leverage to get the GOL to "find" the children. The UN
Country Team in Bangkok may consult with Embassy Bangkok on
the best way to approach the GOT to obtain information that
might move the GOL out of this impasse.
BOLTON