LIKE-MINDED GROUP FAVORS INDIVIDUAL DEMARCHES ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENTIANE 000453 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017 TAGS: LA PGOV PHUM PREF PREL TH GE SUBJECT: LIKE-MINDED GROUP FAVORS INDIVIDUAL DEMARCHES ON RECENT HMONG RETURNEES REF: A. STATE 72843 ¶B. VIENTIANE 288 ¶C. VIENTIANE 110 ¶D. VIENTIANE 205 ¶E. VIENTIANE 442 Classified By: Mary Grace McGeehan, Charge d'Affaires a.i. Reason: 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary: At a May 30 meeting of representatives of like-minded countries, the Charge proposed a joint demarche requesting international access to recent Hmong returnees from Thailand per Ref A. The other embassy representatives agreed that these concerns should be raised with the Lao government, but they preferred separate efforts rather than a joint demarche, which they thought would be counterproductive. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Charge and Acting DCM joined representatives of the UN Resrep's office, the EU, and the embassies of Germany, Poland, Sweden, and France on May 30 at a meeting hosted by the German Ambassador to discuss recent developments, including the May 25 deportation from Thailand to Laos of 30 or 31 ethnic Hmong. As instructed in Ref A, the Charge proposed a joint demarche pressing for international access to and monitoring of Hmong refugees, including this group. Access to this group and others, she said, would bolster international confidence in the Thai-Lao General Border Committee approach to dealing with the larger population of Hmong at the Petchaboon settlement. ¶3. (C) German Ambassador Peter Wienand, who has assumed the leading role among Europeans here on human rights issues during the Germans, EU presidency, expressed agreement with these concerns. He said that he had even considered requesting an emergency meeting over the weekend but had decided that would not be necessary given the limited options available to the international community once the May 25 deportation had taken place. In his view, a joint demarche would be counterproductive. Last year's attempt to deliver a joint demarche to express concern about 26 Hmong children detained by the Lao following their irregular deportation from Thailand went "terribly wrong." (Note: The Foreign Minister refused to allow the ambassadors to deliver the demarche. End note.) The GOL, he said, sees joint demarches as a sign of distrust. Over the last year, he said, "we can't deny the positive moves" that the GOL has taken. This includes allowing diplomats access to groups of former insurgents resettled among the general population (Refs B, C) and the "identification" of the 21 girls among the group of 26 (Ref D) (although, he noted, their situation while in detention was "not all rosy"). Other participants agreed that individual approaches would be more effective than a joint demarche. ¶4. (C) Ambassador Wienand said that he will raise these concerns during a June 1 meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Yong Chanthalangsy, who has been the international community's most important interlocutor on refugee and resettlement issues. He also plans to meet with Vice Foreign Minister Phongsavath Boupha soon and will raise the issues with him as well. He proposed that other embassies also take advantage of opportunities to raise these concerns. The Acting DCM noted that he has requested an appointment with Mr. Yong. ¶5. (C) In order to ensure that the international community delivers a consistent message, Ambassador Wienand proposed a common set of talking points that would serve as guidelines in the missions' bilateral meetings with the GOL. There was a discussion on what points should be included, which Ambassador Wienand summarized as follows in an e-mail he sent after the meeting: 1) Recognition of the positive steps and the changed attitude of the government with regard to the Hmong refugee problem. (Note: This is a reference to the Lao government's reversal of its previous blanket opposition to accepting ethnic Hmong for resettlement.) 2) Emphasis on the importance of a solution of the refugee problem for the human rights image of Laos. 3) Demand of humane treatment of returned refugees. 4) Demand for regular access to returned refugees, and resettled "remote people" for the international community and/or a specialized international organization like UNHCR VIENTIANE 00000453 002 OF 002 (not very likely at the moment). (Note: The Lao government closed the UNHCR liaison office here in 1999.) 5) Offer of assistance for resettlement programs for returned refugees, and resettled "remote people." (Note: The Charge noted during the meeting that countries other than the U.S. are best positioned to provide this assistance, since the Lao government would be unlikely to accept assistance from the U.S.) 6) Arguing for a face-saving and humane solution for the 156 refugees in the Nongkhai detention center (quiet release and travel to host countries). (Note: During the discussion, the Charge and Acting DCM noted that the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC), which is already quietly working with the Lao Red Cross to provide assistance to resettled people, is best placed to play the role envisioned in point #4. We will ask Ambassador Wienand to revise this point to include a specific mention of ICRC.) ¶6. (C) Comment: Given the lack of support for a joint demarche, we will seek opportunities to raise our concerns regarding the recent returnees with the Lao government, following up on the broader concerns expressed by Ambassador Haslach during her farewell call on Foreign Minister Thongloun (Ref E),which took place before the May 25 deportation. End comment. MCGEEHAN