IV
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 129
Expressing the sense of Congress that Thailand should release the 6 Hmong/
Lao refugee camp leaders arrested for refusing to repatriate to Laos
in 1994 and that Thailand should allow resettlement of eligible Hmong
refugees in Thai refugee facilities at Ban Na Pho, Sikhiu and Phanat
Nikhom.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 27 (legislative day, DECEMBER 22), 1995
Mr. DORNAN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that Thailand should re-
lease the 6 Hmong/Lao refugee camp leaders arrested
for refusing to repatriate to Laos in 1994 and that
Thailand should allow resettlement of eligible Hmong
refugees in Thai refugee facilities at Ban Na Pho, Sikhiu
and Phanat Nikhom.
Whereas Hmong and Lao combat veterans under the com-
mand of Major General Vang Pao, Commander of Mili-
tary Region II of the Royal Lao Army, fought with cour-
age and valor to protect their homeland and the national
security interests of the United States and Thailand from
invading North Vietnamese Communist forces during the
Vietnam war;
HCON 129 IH
Whereas Hmong forces saved downed American and Thai pi-
lots and guarded top secret United States intelligence fa-
cilities in Laos that allowed the United States to conduct
all-weather and night bombing of North Vietnam;
Whereas the Hmong were targeted with genocide and ethnic
cleansing in 1975 and thereafter when the North Viet-
namese military and Communist Pathet Lao guerrillas
consolidated their control over Laos and established the
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, a one-party Com-
munist regime;
Whereas for over 2 decades, Thailand, in cooperation with
the United States and the international community, has
generously provided sanctuary and assistance to many of
the Hmong asylum seekers and refugees fleeing Laos;
Whereas Hmong refugees repatriated to Laos from Thailand
in recent years have disappeared or have been murdered
(in Laos), including the disappearance of Hmong clan
leader Vue Mai following his voluntary repatriation and
the murders of Gnia Chuc Her and Kou Her by Pathet
Lao forces;
Whereas Thailand has taken steps to close the Hmong refu-
gee camps within its borders, but has pledged officially
not to force Hmong refugees or asylum seekers back to
the Communist government in Laos;
Whereas returning to Laos remains an undesirable option for
many Hmong/Lao refugees because its economic and so-
cial policies violate the basic human rights of its people
and restrict freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, free-
dom of religion and other basic human liberties, and pro-
hibits independent human rights organizations from en-
HCON 129 IH
tering the country and monitoring returned Hmong refu-
gees;
Whereas former Chairman Lee Hamilton and current Chair-
man Ben Gilman sent a House Foreign Affairs Commit-
tee staff delegation to Thailand in August 1994, to re-
port on the status of Hmong refugees in Thailand;
Whereas despite significant United States funding for Hmong
refugee care and transfer, the House of Representatives
Foreign Affairs Committee staff delegation was denied
entry to Ban Na Pho repatriation camp to investigate
and report on the status of refugees;
Whereas 6 Hmong/Lao refugee camp leaders from Ban Na
Pho, Blia Thai Xiong (BV–3834), Vang Bee (BN 4259),
Xay Hua Yang (BV–871), Fai Yee Xiong (ST–991),
Kham Pham (NP–15439), and Tong Xee Yang
(BV8677), were arrested and imprisoned on September
22, 1994, by Thai Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and the
United 
Nations 
High 
Commission 
for 
Refugees
(UNHCR) officials after the 6 sent out of the camp to
Congressmen Hamilton and Gilman a petition signed by
thousands of their fellow Hmong refugees declaring oppo-
sition to forced repatriation and communicating their de-
sire to resettle in a non-Communist third country;
Whereas the 6 refugee camp leaders were moved following
their arrest from Ban Na Pho refugee repatriation camp
to the Suan Phlu Detention Center in Bangkok where
the conditions were reported to be deplorable by various
human rights organizations;
Whereas Ruprecht von Arnim, UNHCR Representative in
Thailand, responded in a December 7, 1994, letter to
Congressmen Gilman, Leach, and Gunderson that the 6
HCON 129 IH
prisoners were ‘‘in good health and are receiving pref-
erential treatment, including English classes. They are
only complaining of boredom;’’;
Whereas on December 31, 1994, a fact-finding mission to
Thailand, which included congressional staff and rep-
resentatives of the Lao Veterans of America, visited the
6 Hmong camp leaders in Suan Phlu in Bangkok, Thai-
land, where they found poor, cramped conditions in which
the 6 slept on the concrete floor with many other people
and found largely untrue the stated assertions of
Ruprecht von Arnim; and
Whereas the 6 Hmong/Lao leaders were moved from Suan
Phlu to another detention center at Sikhiu where they
are still under arrest and imprisoned with their families:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) Thailand should immediately release the 6
Hmong/Lao camp leaders and their remaining fam-
ily members in Thailand so that they may leave
Thailand and rejoin their families in the United
States and elsewhere;
(2) Thailand should immediately open Ban Na
Pho repatriation camp and Sikhiu Detention Center
and permit all eligible Hmong combat veterans and
HCON 129 IH
refugees there to leave Thailand for resettlement in
third countries;
(3) the President and the Secretary of State of
the United States should use every diplomatic means
available to ensure that the maximum allowable
Hmong refugees are accepted for admission into the
United States in 1995–1996; and
(4) the President and the Secretary of State of
the United States should use every diplomatic means
available to ensure the protection of the safety and
human rights of the Hmong refugees in Ban Na
Pho refugee repatriation camp, Sikhiu Detention
Center, Phanat Nikhom refugee resettlement camp,
the Buddist temple of Wat Tham Krabok and else-
where in Thailand.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives should
transmit copies of this resolution to the Foreign Minister
of Thailand in Bangkok, to the Prime Minister of Thai-
land in Bangkok, to the Embassy of Thailand in the
United States, to the President of the United States, to
the United States Secretary of State, and to the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
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