- Title: THAILAND: ETHNIC HMONG REFUGEES LEAVE FOR A NEW LIFE IN THE USA.
- Date: 22nd August 2004
- Summary: (U3) SARABURI, THAILAND (AUGUST 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS/NIGHT: HMONG REFUGEES WAITING TO GET ON BUS. 0.05 2. MV/NIGHT: HMONG FAMILY WAITING TO GET ON BUS. 0.09 3. CU/NIGHT: OF HMONG GIRL. 0.11 4. MV/PAN/NIGHT: LUGGAGE BEING LOADED ONTO BUS. 0.17 5. SCU/NIGHT: HMONG REFUGEES LINING UP TO GET ON BUS. 0.21
- Embargoed: 6th September 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SARABURI AND BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA3NA96MS339UKHXCPQ1ENOU06O
- Story Text: Hmong refugees, family members of former U.S. allies
who fought in Laos's 'secret war' leave Thailand for a new
life in the States.
Almost 300 ethnic Hmong refugees left Thailand on
Sunday (August 22), bound for a new life in the United
States.
Many of the 15,000 Hmong people living at the refugee
camp in Saraburi, 130 km north of Bangkok, fought alongside
the Americans in the Indochina War - the refugees are being
moved in a multi-stage resettlement programme that critics
say was long overdue.
During the Vietnam War, some U.S.-backed Hmong fought
against Lao and Vietnamese communists. When the communists
took over in 1975, about 130,000 Hmong fled to the United
States via Thailand, leaving behind about 400,000 in Laos.
Emotions ran high as the Hmong prepared to leave the
camp, the only home that some of the younger Hmong had known.
Since June, over 1000 Hmong have already been shipped
out on commercial flights for Los Angeles - bound for new
homes in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin which already
have large Hmong communities.
Many have been reunited with family members they
haven't seen for decades.
With little or no English or basic work skills, the
Hmong face no easy task trying to assimilate into the U.S.
communities they move to.
But after decades of living in limbo, many finally feel
they are being offered a chance to have a home.
"I lived here (Thailand) for 16 to 17 years but I'm
still not a citizen. I hope when I live in the United
States, I will become a citizen soon," said refugee Tai
Sae-Wang.
Others looked forward to new opportunities for children
who have grown up in a camp with no running water, constant
monitoring and no school past the sixth grade.
"I can't afford to send my kids to school here, and my
kids would not be able to get higher education. I want to
take them to America, so they can get higher education,"
said refugee Maimua Lee.
Critics have questioned why Washington left them there
so long.
Now the U.S. faces a mammoth task of dealing with the
logistics of moving so many people needing medical
screening and vaccinations across continents.
It is hoped that 4,000 will reach the U.S. by the end
of September, but it is still unclear how long it will take
to move all 15,000.
"It's possible to speed up the process, up to now we've
just been talking about putting people on commercial
flights. The charter flight this evening will carry 300
people, the charter flight next month will carry 400
people, the bigger plane. It's very difficult to fix an end
date on the point when the camp will be empty," Information
Officer and Spokesperson, Asia-Pacific Region of the
International Organisation for Migration, Christopher
Lowenstein-Lom said.
State refugee co-ordinators in the U.S. have been
mobilised to ensure health and social service networks are
ready for the influx, and will help with community
orientation for the new arrivals.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None