Click here for Lao version/ຄລິກບ່ອນນີ້ເພື່ອອ່ານພາສາລາວ
During an interview with the Voice of America in Bangkok, Colonel Prasithiphong Moundee, consultant to the special unit of the Thai 3rd Regional Army in charge of overseeing the Huay Namkhao (HNK) temporary camp in the Khaokhor District of Phetchaboun Province in northeastern Thailand, confirmed that, from witness accounts, document examination and interviews, his military found that about 92% of the more than 8,000 Lao Hmongs who have entered Thailand and lived at in Ban HNK since 2004, are refugees for economic reasons. Therefore, only 8% of them are believed to may have been involved with CIA in Laos during the Indochina war.
However, he stressed, this finding is only the initial information; therefore, without further verification, it cannot be used as the basis for determining any other measures that could be applied to them. Consequently, the repatriation will continue according to the plan set forth by the Lao and Thai governments, which stipulates that all of the Hmongs remaining at Ban HNK will be repatriated by the end of the year.
Listen to Songrit's report for more details in Lao.
