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LAOS: MEP PANNELLA CALLS ON THE EU COMMISSION TO ACT ON THE DEPORTATION TO LAOS FROM THAILAND OF 26 BOYS AND GIRLS OF HMONG CHRISTIAN ETHNIC ORIGIN.
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Bruxelles, February 9, 2006
Marco Pannella, an Italian Radical MEP of the ALDE Group, tabled today a Parliamentary question to the European Commission to denounce a grave episode that concerning the deportation fro, Thailand to Laos of 26 children, ethnic Hmong. These children were deported and separated from their families by the Thai police forces at the end of november, and handed over laotian authorities that, notoriously, have oppressed this indigenous people for decades; she Hmongs are an an indigenous people that in part has also converted to the Christian religion, both Catholic and Protestant
The reasons for the deportations of the children lay in the fact that at least some of them belong to Hmong families active in the social movement that tries to resist to the Government oppression in Laos, an oppression that takes palce both with the occupation of their ancestral lands and the repression of the practice of christian religion.
The 26 children, which were asylum seekers residing in a refugee camp in the north-east of Thailand with their families, under the protection of the local UNCHR office. The local Thai police forces deported them to Laos, on 29 november, while they were under the guard of a teacher, who was the wife of a protestant pastor, that some independent sources believ might have beaten to death during Thai police intervention.
The Laotian authorities continue to deny that the deportation took place, despite the the fact that various independent groups and the US State Department, have confirmed the presence of the deportees in Laos.
MEP Pannella called on the the European Commission, to strongly intervenes strongly with the Thai authority to shed light on this grave episode and ensure the security of the thousands of Hmongs seeking asylum in Thailand, and to activate all necessary procedures to suspend the cooperation agreement between the European Union and Laos.
Laos has for many years, despite huge European economic aid, violated in a flagrant manner, the human rights and democracy clause contained in the Cooperation Agreement with the EU and refuses to respect its own obligations to cooperate with the international community.
Marco Pannella, an Italian Radical MEP of the ALDE Group, tabled today a Parliamentary question to the European Commission to denounce a grave episode that concerning the deportation fro, Thailand to Laos of 26 children, ethnic Hmong. These children were deported and separated from their families by the Thai police forces at the end of november, and handed over laotian authorities that, notoriously, have oppressed this indigenous people for decades; she Hmongs are an an indigenous people that in part has also converted to the Christian religion, both Catholic and Protestant
The reasons for the deportations of the children lay in the fact that at least some of them belong to Hmong families active in the social movement that tries to resist to the Government oppression in Laos, an oppression that takes palce both with the occupation of their ancestral lands and the repression of the practice of christian religion.
The 26 children, which were asylum seekers residing in a refugee camp in the north-east of Thailand with their families, under the protection of the local UNCHR office. The local Thai police forces deported them to Laos, on 29 november, while they were under the guard of a teacher, who was the wife of a protestant pastor, that some independent sources believ might have beaten to death during Thai police intervention.
The Laotian authorities continue to deny that the deportation took place, despite the the fact that various independent groups and the US State Department, have confirmed the presence of the deportees in Laos.
MEP Pannella called on the the European Commission, to strongly intervenes strongly with the Thai authority to shed light on this grave episode and ensure the security of the thousands of Hmongs seeking asylum in Thailand, and to activate all necessary procedures to suspend the cooperation agreement between the European Union and Laos.
Laos has for many years, despite huge European economic aid, violated in a flagrant manner, the human rights and democracy clause contained in the Cooperation Agreement with the EU and refuses to respect its own obligations to cooperate with the international community.
