VOA标准英语2009年-Thailand Set to Repatriate Lao Hmong D

Many Hmong fought with the United States against communist forces during the Vietnam War and say Lao government has discriminated¹ against their families ever since.

Daniel Schearf | Bangkok 23 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
Hmong refugees walk outside their makeshift bamboo shacks² at Huay Nam Khao village in Petchabun province, northeastern Thailand (June 07 file photo)

 
Thai military authorities say they will send about 4,000 Hmong living in a Thai refugee camp back to Laos by the end of the year, despite concerns they may face political persecution³.

A military spokesman on Wednesday confirmed to VOA that Thailand will repatriate⁴ the Hmong within about a week.

They have been living at the Huay Nam Khao camp in Thailand's northern Petchabun province.

Many of the Hmong at the camp fear persecution by Lao authorities if they are sent back and are believed to want political asylum⁵.

Thailand says they will be repatriated⁶ on a voluntary basis, but has never allowed the United Nations' refugee agency or any third party to assess their refugee status or monitor their return.

Giuseppe de Vincentis is the U.N. refugee agency's deputy representative for the region.

"The whole process of identifying and processing these cases lacks some transparency so far.  So, UNHCR has always requested, of course, to be given access to these people to ascertain⁷ both, of course, to look into their status, as well as to ascertain the element of voluntariness in their return," he said.            

The aid group Doctors Without Borders pulled out of the camp, earlier this year, blaming Thai military pressure to coerce⁸ the refugees back to Laos.

Thai authorities deny any pressure.

Many Hmong fought with the United States against communist forces during the Vietnam War and say Lao government has discriminated against their families ever since.

Joua Va Yang says his father fought against the Lao communists. He escaped from the Huai Nam Khao camp, fearing he would be sent back to Laos.

He says he would never return to Laos but he is also wanted by Thai authorities.  He says he will hide with his family, but if the Thai authorities see him they will send him to jail or back to Laos.  He asks that the U.N. help him and his family leave Thailand so they can have a better future.

Panitan Watanayagorn is Thai government spokesman.

"We listen to these complaints quite closely.  We also have our own fact-finding.  And, our fact-finding indicated that people who have been sent back are very happy," said Panitan Watanayagorn.

The Thai and Lao governments agreed they would repatriate the Hmong before the end of 2009

Another group of about 158 Hmong with refugee status are being held at Thailand's Nong Khai detention⁹ center.  Refugee activists¹⁰ fear they, too, could be sent back to Laos.

That group has been in custody¹¹ for more than three years. Despite offers from the United States and other countries to give them asylum, Thailand has refused to let them leave.
 

1 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

2 shacks   

n.窝棚，简陋的小屋( shack的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They live in shacks which they made out of wood. 他们住在用木头搭成的简陋的小屋里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most people in Port au-Prince live in tin shacks. 太子港的大多数居民居住在铁皮棚里。 来自互联网

3 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

4 repatriate   

v.遣返；返回；n.被遣返回国者

参考例句：

• The government safely repatriates victims.政府安全遣返了受害者。
• In this part,you need to formulate in detail repatriate the plan.在这一部分，你需要制定详细的归国计划。

5 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

6 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

8 coerce   

v.强迫，压制

参考例句：

• You can't coerce her into obedience.你不能强制她服从。
• Do you think there is any way that we can coerce them otherwise?你认为我们有什么办法强迫他们不那样吗？

9 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。