Samak, George Bush Thailand, Laos Crisis: US Congress urges Samak,Bush to Address Hmong Crisis

Date: 2008-08-06
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Published by: Center for Public Policy Analysis

President George Bush, along with Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak, who also serves as Defense Minister, was criticized today in Washington, D.C., by the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA), and a coalition of Lao and Hmong organizations, for their failure to address, in a timely manner, the Hmong refugee crisis in Thailand and Laos and to stop the repatriation of Hmong to communist Laos.


(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington, D.C. - President George Bush, along with Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak, who also serves as Defense Minister, was criticized today in Washington, D.C., by the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA), and a coalition of Lao and Hmong organizations, for their failure to address, in a timely manner, the Hmong refugee crisis in Thailand and Laos and to stop the repatriation of Hmong to communist Laos. The U.S. Congress also urged President Bush, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and Prime Minister Samak to end the repatriation of Hmong refugees and asylum seekers from Thailand to Laos.

“Prime Minister Samak simply does not get it, and does not understand mounting opposition in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Congress, in terms of his brutal policy of forcing Hmong political refugees and asylum seekers back to Laos with attack dogs and armed Thai soldiers of the Third Army,” stated Philip Smith Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C. “President George Bush, and First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to Thailand is a historic and critical opportunity for the President and Bush Administration to help reinforce America’s commitment to the 6,000 freedom-loving Hmong refugees and asylum seekers in Ban Huay Nam Nam Khao and to send a strong signal to the Royal Thai Government to end this deplorable policy so that the Hmong can be granted asylum and resettled in third countries."

The U.S. Congress, in bipartisan fashion, has introduced H. Res. 1273 and sent numerous letter to U.S. Secretary of State of State Condoleezza Rice, His Majesty, the King of Thailand, and Prime Minister Samak, urging emergency action to halt the forced repatriation of Hmong refugees from Thailand back to the authoritarian, community military junta in Laos that continues to persecute and kill them.
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1068645.html
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1069690.html
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1069576.html
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1068646.html
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1069392.html

The Hmong people served with U.S. military and clandestine forces during the Vietnam War, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Laos, is ruled by a one-party communist regime , and is a staunch ally of the military junta in Burma and North Korea.

Former U.S. Ambassador and Coordinator For Refugee and Humanitarian Affairs, H. Eugene Douglas, has sent a letter to President Bush in Washington, D.C. urging him to address this issue.
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1069690.html

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