Thailand Deports 163 Hmong Asylum-seekers Back to Laos

The United States has asked Thailand for not deporting more than 160 ethnic Hmong back to Laos, saying it fears they might be persecuted.
The United States, with Europe, has urged the Thai government not to deport vulnerable people seeking refugee status without first having a screening process that meets international standards. It’s a commonly recognized principle that no one with a genuine fear of persecution should be returned to a country where he or she might face mistreatment. But continued allegations of human rights violations in Laos, combined with the Lao government's refusal so far to permit monitoring of returnees, cause concern about the well being of those who were deported.
A representative of Thai Foreign Ministry declared that the expulsions were part of a routine policy to send back illegal immigrants.
A Police officer added the deportations took place without resistance and violence.