Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHIANGMAI103
2009-07-17 01:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Chiang Mai
Cable title:  

HMONG IN NORTHERN THAILAND ARE ASSIMILATING AND NETWORKING

Tags:  EAGR ECIN ECPS EINT EIND ELAB ETRD EINV PHUM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9654
PP RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHCHI #0103/01 1980156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 170156Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1108
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 1190
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CHIANG MAI 000103 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ECIN ECPS EINT EIND ELAB ETRD EINV PHUM
PBTS, SCUL, SMIG, TH, LA
SUBJECT: HMONG IN NORTHERN THAILAND ARE ASSIMILATING AND NETWORKING
WITH HMONG WORLDWIDE

CHIANG MAI 00000103 001.2 OF 003


Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly.



-------------------

Summary and Comment

-------------------



UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CHIANG MAI 000103

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ECIN ECPS EINT EIND ELAB ETRD EINV PHUM
PBTS, SCUL, SMIG, TH, LA
SUBJECT: HMONG IN NORTHERN THAILAND ARE ASSIMILATING AND NETWORKING
WITH HMONG WORLDWIDE

CHIANG MAI 00000103 001.2 OF 003


Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly.



--------------

Summary and Comment

--------------




1. (U) Over the past twenty years, the Hmong in northern
Thailand have accepted a sedentary lifestyle and continue to
assimilate into Thai society. Today, there are many
agricultural Hmong communities in northern Thailand where trade
in handicrafts and other products is growing. These Thai-Hmong
communities are slowly creating global networks by using modern
technology to connect with Hmong elsewhere. Their progress
sharply contrasts with the situation of those Hmong residing in
the de facto camp in Petchaboon Province or at immigration
detention centers.




2. (SBU) Comment: The northern Thai-Hmong have a history of
being on the move and selling opium. Nowadays, they live in a
similar fashion to rural Thais, focusing on agriculture and the
production and sale of local handicrafts. Even though the
market for Hmong handicrafts is not significantly large, the
industry is providing another means for Hmong to make money.
Since the Hmong are now staying in one place, they have better
means to accumulate goods and trade for profit. To grow their
businesses, the Thai-Hmong are beginning to connect with other
Hmong populations worldwide to find the cheapest inputs and sell
to wider markets. Additionally, remittances and investments
from abroad (also not significantly large) assist some families
in meeting basic needs. Based on visits to Hmong communities,
it seems like the Hmong in northern Thailand are adapting to

their new lifestyle and will continue to evolve in Thai society,
becoming more productive as they continue to learn new
technologies and adjust to a market economy. End Summary and
Comment.



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Settling In

--------------




3. (U) The Hmong in Thailand are descendants of the Hmong/Miao
who began migrating from Southern China over 200 years ago.
There was an uptick in the Hmong population in Thailand after
the American withdrawal from Vietnam in the mid 1970s. Some of
these political refugees, mostly Lao-Hmong, were placed in camps
while others settled in various Hmong communities in the North.
The Hmong in Thailand have often been characterized by outside
observers as swiddeners who specialize in producing opium.
Since the mid 1970s, the Hmong in Thailand have significantly
reduced their dependence on the opium trade and now live
sedentarily as non-poppy-based farmers and artisans.




4. (U) Today, there are approximately 154,000 Hmong living in
Thailand in 260 villages. Ninety percent of Thai-Hmong have
Thai citizenship, allowing them to legally own property, vote,
receive health care, and send their children to school.
Furthermore, Hmong communities can receive vocational training,
funding from central government grants, and assistance to
promote tourism. Nonetheless, the conversion of many highland
areas into national parks and forest preserves and other
restrictions on construction remain challenges for the Hmong and
highlanders in general. Hmong communities continue working to
develop the tourism sector as foreign interest in observing hill
tribe communities increases and expatriated Hmong come back to
visit their native land.



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Citizenship equals assimilation

--------------


CHIANG MAI 00000103 002.2 OF 003





5. (SBU) An ethnic Thai-Hmong professor at Chiang Mai
University stated that the Hmong in Thailand are assimilating
into Thai culture and face minimal discrimination from Thais.
He also noted numerous instances of Hmong/Thai intermarriages.
ConGenOffs observed this assimilation by visiting two separate
Hmong communities, where local populations successfully
transitioned from a swidden culture to a sedentary agro-centric
lifestyle similar to surrounding Thai villagers. Hmong
Communities are growing small plots of rice and other produce,
mainly for local consumption with the excess being sold at
market.



--------------

More than agriculture

--------------




6. (U) Although the Hmong typically work in the agriculture
sector, some act as merchants and produce local handicrafts.
Hmong populations that live near tourist areas are able to
produce clothing and handbags to sell to foreigners and Thais
alike. ConGenOffs talked to numerous Hmong traders who said
they do not have any specific style of handicrafts, rather, the
Hmong evolve with market demand and will produce products that
sell, not necessarily products that are endemic to Hmong (unless
for personal consumption).




7. (U) Additionally, Hmong products are rarely handmade
anymore. A Hmong trader we spoke with stated that many
producers are using more technology and marketing techniques,
such as textile design software, sewing machines, business cards
and websites to increase sales and efficiency (although most
marketing and design services are outsourced to ethnic Thais).
Unfortunately, the global economic crisis has slowed demand for
Hmong products and local revenues are down in comparison to
previous years, stated a Hmong trader.




8. (U) The Thai-Hmong do not have a specific style to their
products; they are trying to diversify by creating hemp products
that ethnic Thais do not produce. At one village we visited,
there was a sewing and batik group that imported hemp cloth from
Hmong-Chinese. This group either resold the cloth for profit
after dyeing it or produced hand bags and other apparel after
decorating it. Villagers reported that they could make between
300 and 400 THB (9-12 USD) a day producing hemp products.




9. (U) Aside from handicrafts, surprisingly, the movie business
is growing in Thai-Hmong communities. We met with a Hmong movie
producer in Phayao Province who creates films that show
traditional Hmong life, specific celebrations, Hmong music
videos, etc. and sells them abroad. He said he receives funding
from Hmong-American investors who pay the initial costs of a
production in return for the final product sent to the U.S. for
distribution. The movie producer has a high-quality video
camera and interesting scripts, while actors and actresses can
make 30,000 THB (900 USD) per movie.



-------------- --------------

Common language and culture helps trade for stateless Hmong

-------------- --------------




10. (U) Since the Thai-Hmong are entering commercial markets
and have a long history of migration, ConGenOffs asked whether
they have trade networks abroad. The professor at Chiang Mai
University and a prominent Thai-Hmong leader both said that the
Thai-Hmong do not have significantly large networks due to the
fact that the turbulence during the Vietnam War severed many old
familial and commercial networks. They stated that some minor
international trade takes place through family connections where
Thai-Hmong send traditional handicrafts and food stuffs to the
West.

CHIANG MAI 00000103 003.2 OF 003






11. (U) Interviews of Thai-Hmong villagers gave a clearer
picture about connections abroad. Although the information did
not prove the Hmong have significantly large global networks,
there are signs of emerging networks with Hmong in other
countries. The Hmong are using the internet, cell phones, and
other social networks to reach Hmong outside of Thailand. Hmong
transnational networks are most highly concentrated in Southeast
Asia and China, but there are some minor commercial connections
back to third countries, including the U.S.




12. (U) A number of Hmong villagers in Chiang Rai and Phayao
stated that Chinese-Hmong merchants come down through Laos and
sell their products to Thai-Hmong. Unfortunately, trade with
the Chinese-Hmong is typically one-way, as they do not purchase
many Thai-Hmong products to bring back to China. Villagers
stated that trade is more reciprocal with the Lao-Hmong, as they
act as middlemen for China or sell produce in Thai markets while
the Thai-Hmong sell finished products to these Lao-Hmong traders.




13. (U) Outside of Southeast Asia, friends and relatives
provide a majority of the opportunities to export abroad,
reported Hmong traders. A common way for the Thai-Hmong to gain
connections in the U.S. and elsewhere is through marriage.
Hmong-American men often come to Thailand and find Thai-Hmong
wives to take home. These relationships are common as the
Hmong-Americans share the same language and culture (White
Hmong) as the Thai-Hmong. With these new connections, family
members of wives can access new markets, albeit small, across
the Pacific.



--------------

Few handouts from abroad

--------------




14. (U) Since many Thai-Hmong have family living abroad,
ConGenOffs asked whether local communities receive a significant
amount of remittance income. In each village staff visited,
villagers responded that remittances are typically small and
only occur when a Thai-Hmong girl marries an American.
Additionally, villagers stated that it was expected that the
Thai-Hmong send some local product back to the remitter as a
sign of thanks for the assistance. There was one instance where
a growing Hmong village of former refugees in Phayao Province
received a substantial amount of remittances. This town of 400
Hmong received remittance income around 6 million THB (175,000
USD) in 2008, which ConGenOffs suspect was to help the new
community get settled. In other villages, remittance incomes
appeared not to contribute very much to local economies as each
location visited was exceptionally poor.




15. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bangkok.
ANDERSON