Rights group calls for resettlement of 1500 Hmong

Last Updated: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:22:00 +1100

An international human rights group has called on the Thai government to allow more than 1500 Lao Hmong refugees to be resettled in a third country.

New York-based Human Rights Watch says the group are being held in poor and abusive conditions in Thailand.

It says the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia have agreed to resettle them, and the Thai government should allow them to go.

Human Rights Watch says it has sent a letter to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that also raised concerns about the ongoing detention of about 5000 Hmong being held in northeast Thailand.

The immigrants are expecting to be deported to Laos following an agreement between the countries.

Tens of thousands of ethnic minority Hmong have sought asylum in Thailand, claiming that they face persecution from the communist Laos regime as they had fought alongside US forces during the Vietnam war.