Thai authorities have agreed to allow the 27 Hmong refugees who were sent back to Laos in late December to return to Thailand and stay temporarily with their parents in Ban Huay Nam Khao in Phetchaboun province, on humanitarian grounds. But the problem now is that neither Thai nor Lao officials know their whereabouts.
The missing Hmongs, 26 children and one adult, are among the group of over 6,000 Hmong refugees from Laos who are now living along road sides in Ban Huay Nam Khao and are considered illegal immigrants by Thai authorities.
Cha Mai Ly, whose daughter is among the missing Hmongs, talks to VOA's Songrit about the living conditions at Ban Huay Nam Khao.
Listen to our Laos Today for more details.