ລິ້ງ ສຳຫລັບເຂົ້າຫາ

ວັນອັງຄານ, ໑໙ ມີນາ ໒໐໒໔

​ກຸ່ມປົກ​ປ້ອງ ​ສິດທິ​ມະນຸດ ​​ຮຽກຮ້ອງຄັ້ງໃໝ່ ໃຫ້ລາວ ​ເປີ​ດ​ເຜີຍຂໍ້​ມູນ ທ້າວ Kha Yang


ບັນດາ​ກຸ່ມປົກ​ປ້ອງ​ສິດທິ​ມະນຸດ ​ແລະ​ພວກ​ນັກ​ເຄື່ອນ​ໄຫວ ​ພາກັນ​ຮຽກຮ້ອງຄັ້ງໃໝ່​ ໃຫ້​ລັດຖະບານ​ລາວ​ເປີ​ດ​ເຜີຍ​ຂໍ້​ມູນກ່ຽວ​ກັບວ່າທ້າວ Kha Yang ຜູ້ຊາຍ​ອົບ​ພະຍົບຊາວ​ມົ້ງ ທີ່ສະຫະ​ປະຊາ​ຊາດຮັບ​ຮູ້ຊຶ່ງ​ໄດ້​ຫາຍ​ສາບ​ສູນ​ໄປນັບ​ແຕ່​ລາວໄດ້​ຖືກ​ສົ່ງ​ກັບຈາກ​ປະ​ເທ​ດ​ໄທ​ໃນ​ເດືອນ​ທັນວາ​ປີ 2011 ນັ້ນ ຢູ່​ໃສ​ແທ້ ​ໃນ​ເວລານີ້. ທ້າວ Khan Yang ​ເປັນ​ບຸກຄົນ​ສຸດ​ທ້າຍ​ຈາກ​ກຸ່ມ​ຊາວ​ມົ້ງ 158 ຄົນ ທີ່​ໄດ້ຖືກ​ສະ​ເໜີ ​ໃຫ້ມາ​ຕັ້ງ​ຖິ່ນ​ຖານ​ໃໝ່ ​ຢູ່​ໃນສະຫະ
ລັດຫລັງຈາກ​ໄດ້​ຖືກ​ສົ່ງກັບ​ຄືນ​ ໃນ​ເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ​ ໄປ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວຈາກ​ສູນ​ອົບ​ພະ​ຍົບ​ໃນ​ປະ​ເທດ​ໄທ​ໃນ​ປີ 2009.

​ເຖິງ​ແມ່ນ​ວ່າຜູ້ກ່ຽວ​ໄດ້​ເປັນ​ຮູ້​ກັນດີ​ຢ່າງ​ກວ້າງຂວາງ ຮວມທັງບັນດາ​ສະມາຊິກລັດຖະສະ
ພາ​ສະຫະລັດ ​ແຕຊາຕາກຳ​ຂອງ​ທ້າວ Yang ​ແມ່ນ​ຍັງບໍ່​ທັນເປັນ​ທີ່​ ​ຈະ​ແຈ້ງ​ເທື່ອ.

ກຸ່ມ​ປົກປ້ອງ​ສິດທິ​ມະນຸດ Human Rights Watch ຫຼື HRW ທີ່​ມີ​ສຳນັກງານ ຢູ່​ສະຫະ
ລັດໄດ້​ຕິດຕາມ​ຢ່າງ​ໃກ້​ຊິດ​ໃນ​ກໍລະນີຂອງ​ທ້າວ Yang ​ແລະຂໍ​ຮ້ອງ​ໃຫ້​ລັດຖະບານ​ລາວ​ ໃຫ້​ລາຍ​ລະອຽດ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ເປັນ​ຢູ່​ຂອງ​ທ້າວ Yang ​ແລະ​ວ່າ​ຜູ້ກ່ຽວ​ຢູ່ໃສ​ແທ້. ທ່ານ Phil Robertson ຮອງ​ຜູ້ອຳນວຍການ​ຝ່າຍ​ເອ​ເຊຍ ຂອງກຸ່ມ​ HRW ກ່າວ​ວ່າ ​ໄດ້ມີ​ຄວາມ​ຢ້ານ​ກົວ​ກ່ຽວກັບ​ຄວາມ​ປອດ​ໄພ​ຂອງ​ທ້າວ Yang. ທ່ານ​ກ່າວ​ວ່າ “ບັດ​ນີ້ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ມີ​ຄວາມ​ເປັນ​ຫ່ວງ​ເພາະວ່າ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ຊອກ ​ຫາ​ລາວ​ບໍ່​ເຫັນ. ມີ​ລາຍ​ງານ​ວ່າ​ລາວ​ຕິດ​ຄຸກບໍ່​ດົນ​ຫລັງ​ຈາກ​ລາວ​ໄດ້ກັບ​ຄືນ​ໄປ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ. ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ຮູ້​ຄວາມຈິງ​ວ່າ ການ​ຄຸມ​ຂັງກ່ອນ​ການ​ດຳ​ເນີນ
ຄະດີ ​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ ຜູ້ຄົນ​ມັກ​ຖືກປະຕິບັດ​ຕໍ່ ​ແບບ​ບໍ່​ຖືກຕ້ອງ ​ເພາະສະ​ນັ້ນ ​ເຮົາຈຶ່ງ​ມີ​ຄວາມ​ເປັນຫ່ວງ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ວ່າ​ລາວ​ໄດ້​ຖືກ​ດູ​ແລ​ຢ່າງ​ໃດ ທັງໃນ​ການ​ຄຸມ​ຂັງກ່ອນ​ການ​ດຳ​ເນີນ​ຄະດີ ​ແລະໃນຄວາມ​ຈິງ​ແລ້ວ ​ລາວ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ການ​ດຳ​ເນີນ​ຄະດີຫລື​ບໍ່”

ຄອບຄົວ ທ້າວ Kha Yang ​ໄດ້​ຫລົບໜີຈາກ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ​ໃນ​ປີ 2004 ຫລັງ ​ຈາ​ກມີ​ການ​ກ່າວ​ຫາ​ວ່າ ສະມາຊິກ​ຄອບຄົວລາວຄົນ​ນຶ່ງ ຖືກ​ຂ້າ​ໂດຍ​ບັນດາ​ເຈົ້າ​ໜ້າ​ທີ່​ລາວ. ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ຖືກ​ກັກ​ຂັງ​ໄວ້​ຢູ່​ຄຸກ​ໜອງ​ຄາຍ​ທີ່​ມີ​ຊາຍ​ແດນ​ຕິດ​ກັບປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ ​ແລະ​ຕໍ່​ມາ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ຮູ້​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ອົບ​ພະຍົບ​ໂດຍ ຫ້ອງການ​ຂ້າ​ຫລວງ​ໃຫຍ່​ອົບ​ພະຍົບ ສະຫະ​ປະຊາ​ຊາດ ຫລື UNHCR. ​ໃນ​ປີ 2009 ປະ​ເທດ​ໄທ​ແລະ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ ​ໄດ້​ບັນລຸ​ຂໍ້​ຕົກລົງ​ ກ່ຽວກັບ​ການ​ສົ່ງ​ຊາວ​ມົ້ງ ຫລາຍ​ກວ່າ 4,000 ຄົນ ​ທີ່​ຊອກ​ຫາ​ການ​ລີ້​ໄພ​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ບັນດາສູນອົບ​ພະຍົບ ພ້ອມ​ດ້ວຍ​ຊາວ​ມົ້ງ 158 ຄົນ ​ທີ່​ຖືກ​ຮັບ​ຮູ້​ໂດຍ​ຫ້ອງການ​ອົບ​ພະຍົບສະຫະ​ປະຊາ​ຊາດ. ​ໃນ​ວັນ​ທີ 28 ​ເດືອນ​ທັນວາ​ ປີ 2009 ທະຫານ​ໄທ​ໄດ້​ກວດ​ຕ້ອນ​ພວກ​ອົບ​ພະຍົບ​ຂຶ້ນ​ໃສ່​ລົດ​ບັສ ​ແລະ​ກີດ​ກັ້ນ​ບໍ່​ໃຫ້ຕິດ​ຕໍ່​ກັບ​ບັນດາ​ເຈົ້າ​ໜ້າ​ທີ່ອົບ​ພະຍົບສະຫະ​ປະຊາ​ຊາດ ​ແລະ​ບັນດາ​ກຸ່ມ​ປົກ​ປ້ອງ​ສິດທິ​ມະນຸດ​. ພາຍ​ໃຕ້​ຂໍ້​ຕົກລົງນີ້ ພວກ​ອົບ​ພະຍົບທີ່​ຖືກ​ຮັບ​ຮູ້ ​ໂດຍສະຫະ​ປະຊາ​ຊາດ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ອະນຸຍາດ​ໃຫ້​ເດີນທາງອອກ​ຈາກ​ປະ​ເທດ​ລາວ​ໄດ້. ​ແຕ່​ວ່າ​ນັ້ນ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ເກີດ​ຂຶ້ນ​ເລີຍ.

ການ​ສົ່ງ​ຊາວ​ມົ້ງກັບ​ຄືນ​ໄດ້​ເຮັດ​ໃຫ້​ມີ​ການ​ຕິຕຽນ​ຈາກ​ສາກົນ ​ໂດຍ​ສະ​ເພາະພວກ​ ເຈົ້າ​ໜ້າ​ທີ່​ໄທ ​ໄດ້​ໃຫ້ການ​ຊ່ວຍ​ເຫລືອ​ໃນ​ການ​ຕັ້ງ​ຖິ່ນ​ຖານອົບ​ພະຍົບຊາວ​ມົ້ງ 14,000 ຄົນ ຢູ່​ໃນ​ສະຫະລັດ ພຽງ​ຫົກ​ປີ​ກ່ອນໜ້າ​ນັ້ນ.

Rights organizations and activists are renewing calls for the Lao Government to release information on the whereabouts of a Lao Hmong man, Kha Yang, a United Nations recognized refugee missing since his deportation from Thailand in December 2011.
Kha Yang is the last individual from a group of 158 Hmong offered resettlement to the United States, after initially being sent back to Laos from refugee camps in Thailand in 2009.
Despite widespread and high profile representations, including by U.S. congressional members, Yang's fate remains uncertain.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has closely monitored Yang's case and calls for the Lao Government to provide details on Yang's well being and whereabouts. Phil Robertson, the rights group's deputy Asia Director, said there are fears over Yang's safety.
"We're concerned now because we can't find him. There have been reports that he was imprisoned soon after he was returned to Laos," he said. "We know for a fact that in pre-trial detention in Laos frequently people are abused, so we have concerns about how he has been treated both in pre-trial detention and whether in fact he received a trial at all."
The Kha Yang family fled Laos in 2004 after a family member was allegedly killed by Lao officials. They were held at the Nong Khai detention center on the border with Laos, and later recognized as refugees by the U.N.'s High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
In 2009, Thailand and Laos reached agreement on the repatriation of over 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers in camps, with the 158 Hmong recognized by U.N. refugee agency included. On December 28, 2009 Thai troops herded the refugees onto buses and prevented access by U.N. refugee agency officials and human rights groups.
Under the agreement, the U.N. recognized refugees were to be allowed to leave Laos. But that did not occur.
The repatriation of the Hmong triggered international criticism, especially as Thai authorities had assisted in the resettlement of 14,000 Hmong refugees to the U.S. just six years earlier.
Joe Davy, a Hmong advocate based in Chicago, has worked with the Hmong community and refugees since he sponsored a Hmong family in the 1980s. Davy said he knew Kha Yang, who was seen as a leader' among the Hmong refugee community.
"I knew him when he was being held in Nong Khai jail and most of these Miao Hmong were sent back to Laos in 2009. But the majority of them were able to re-escape to Thailand and after a bit were settled in third countries, except for Kha Yang he wasn't able to escape," Davy said.
In 2009, the Kha Yang family was briefly held in detention before being transferred to a restricted village under police security.
Davy said Kha Yang became the target of threats of local authorities, prompting the family to flee once again around April 2011.
"The local police and the military in their village actually threatened him saying well we know you have guns in your house, so you better go home and bring them to our office. And so of course Yang and his brother, they don't know what they are talking about but they know what that means and so boom, he escaped to Thailand," Davy said.
Davy criticized the UNHCR in failing to provide assistance to the Kha Yang family in early 2011 despite them being recognized by the refugee agency. VOA requests for comment from UNHCR were declined "for confidentiality reasons."
Kha Yang was arrested by Thai authorities in 2011 after he left for work on a construction site.
On December 17, 2011 the Thai government deported Kha Yang "through an informal mechanism" to Laos where he was in custody at year's end," a 2012 U.S. human rights report said.
Robertson says Kha Yang is the last member of the Nong Khai recognized by the UNHCR who was not resettled.
"He is the only one who was sent back two times. And clearly his case represents a failure by the Thai government to recognize the refugee rights of this person," Robertson said.
A 2015 U.S. State Department human rights report on Laos said despite Kha Yang being recognized by the UNHCR, Lao authorities "did not acknowledge UNHCR requests for access to him." The report added, "Kha Yang's whereabouts remained unknown."
His wife, in an interview with U.S. media, said in the last conversation she had with her husband he said how he was "sure police would kill him." He had called on her to take the family "to a third country."
For four years she remained in Thailand with her children, fearful Thai authorities would arrest and send them back to Laos.
In January 2016, she and the children were cleared to travel to the U.S. and live with family in Madison, Wisconsin.
Over 250,000 Hmong have settled in the U.S. after living in refugee camps in Thailand following the Vietnam War. During the war, the U.S. enlisted thousands of Hmong fighters against Lao and Vietnam communist forces.
After the conflict, often seen as traitors by the Lao Communist Government, the Hmong faced alleged discrimination and abuse over the years.

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