Refugee Outreach

As of now, we are looking towards a collaboration with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and provincial governors on how we can go about helping communities in need as well as the Hmong refugees/asylum seekers (ie those who have just arrived in Thailand and have yet to receive any UNHCR papers.)

Main points of emphasis :
1 ) Our regular humanitarian missions are non-political by nature and we have aided both refugees and Thai citizens alike.
2 ) RADION is fully inaugerated as a Thai Charity and has been providing aid (medical, relief and support) to communities since 2007.

The old news :
RADION International (Thailand) has finally received full accreditation as a Thai charity after more than a 1 year wait.

The new news :
We’re applying through the governmental channel to grant us access to the main Laotian refugee camp and they have set down several conditions and gave us a list of paperwork to complete.

Some of the more interesting notes :
1 ) Names of 10 permanent staff that will be working in the refugee camp.
2 ) All 10 must be present at the camp gate before access is granted
3 ) No additional staff is allowed

So yes. Now you see the challenges.

Newer News :
Just yesterday, we also received a mail from my secretary in Thailand telling us that the Thai ministry has informed her that they are watching all our media releases, from youtube to web etc etc. And they have been watching us from the sidelines for a long time.

They also claim that they have watched our outreaches at Site X first hand and the good news is that they know that we are genuinely helping the community through our relief work. The bad news is that they were not too pleased about us assisting the whole Hmong refugees community- quoting that some of the Hmong do not have official UNCHR certificates as such they are illegal migrants. So their implication is that we should focus on the refugees only.

(Background : These so called illegal migrants are all waiting for their UNHCR papers to be approved and last heard, these papers have been put on hold as the Thai government wishes to handle this issue unilaterally.)

So its quite a check mate here. But keep us in your prayers.

A report was received this morning informing us that the Thai government officials had decided to deport all 158 refugees in Nong Khai and no resettlement (to 3rd countries) will be granted for these Hmong Lao refugees.

All 158 refugees have been issued with UNHCR refugee certificates and have been held up in the immigration detention center indefinitely without any hope of being repatriated. They have been locked up for the last 2 years in less than humane conditions.

Our source also informed us that the authorities told them that the only way to be relocated would be to return to Laos first and applying to be resettled.

Right now, the refugees are in a desperate and emotional state. Many have threatened mass suicide if the deportation happens. They claim that if they are forcibly deported back to Laos, they will be tortured to death.