Sacramento's Rep. Doris Matsui and 13 other members of Congress have asked Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to protect 5,700 Hmong refugees in Thailand who are scheduled to be forced back to Laos in a few months.
In a Feb. 25 letter to Clinton, Congress members said "forced repatriation of legitimate Hmong refugees to Laos may be a death sentence for a number of detainees."
Thousands of Hmong who battled Laotian and Vietnamese communists during the Vietnam War fled from Laos after the communist victory in 1975. The Lao government has insisted Hmong who return won't be persecuted.
Matsui noted that thousands of Hmong refugees living in Sacramento fear for the safety of relatives in Thailand.
"Many of these refugees fought with the United States during the Vietnam War, but are now facing persecution and even death if they are extradited back to Laos," Matsui said in an e-mail to The Bee.
"It is our duty in this country to be vigilant international partners in making sure that they are protected," Matsui said. "State Department involvement in this issue is a critical next step."
The letter to Clinton strongly urges the U.S. government "to pressure the Thai government to allow the United Nations High Commission on Refugees access to the detainees in order to determine their refugee status."
Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.
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