THAM KRABOK, Thailand, May 26 -- The largest refugee camp for ethnic Hmong who fled communist Laos was officially closed Thursday, ending another chapter of the Vietnam War era. The closure of the camp in Thailand follows the relocation of 10,000 Hmong, a mountain-dwelling ethnic group, to the United States. About 5,300 more are expected to resettle there by September.
During the Vietnam War, the CIA enlisted the Hmong to help U.S.-backed government forces fight communist insurgents in Laos. When the communists won, many Hmong correctly fled for fear of retribution. A small number continue to fight the government in the jungles of northern Laos.
Under pressure from Thailand, which contended the camp had become a center for drug trafficking and political intrigue against neighboring Laos, the United States started a registration process to accept the refugees. About 15,000 registered. So far, 10,000 have gone to the United States, and 77 to Australia, which also agreed to accept them. Most have resettled in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin, which have Hmong communities.
Kia Li, 53, who fled Laos in 1975, reluctantly joined the camp's closing ceremony. "I'm already old and don't want to go, but my children want to go," she said. "I will have to go." |