BANGKOK, July 4 (NNN-TNA): Thailand will repatriate 215 ethnic Hmong minority to Laos next Thursday across the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge border crossing across the Mekong River in the northeastern province of Nongkhai, according to Lt-Gen. Nipat Thonglek, Chief of the Royal Thai Army's Border Affairs Department.

Gen. Nipat noted that some foreign diplomatic missions expressed satisfaction that there were no human rights violations taking place and that the members of the ethnic minority group were not being deported against their will.

He said nine envoys from six countries -- Australia, Britain, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and the United States, as well as a representative from the European Union -- were satisfied with the treatment of the 215 Hmong who would be sent back to Laos next week, after the diplomats visited them Wednesday at the 28th Cavalry Battalion in the northern province of Phetchabun.

According to Gen. Nipat, the trip was organised after Thailand successfully repatriated 837 Hmong voluntarily back to Laos on June 23 and some foreign diplomatic missions in Thailand and international organisations called for more information about the repatriation.

He said that the foreign countries worried that the Hmong ethnic were forced to return to the Lao PDR and the families were separated against their will.

After the visit, the foreign mission representatives were satisfied with Thailand's treatment of the Hmong, and that the facilities provided were acceptable, he said.

The latest repatriation came after ethnic Hmong living at a temporary camp in Phetchabun burned their shelters to protest the Thai government plan to repatriate them to Laos.

The protested was aimed to draw the attention of the United Nations and the world community.

Many ethnic Hmong soldiers fought alongside the US forces during the Vietnam War. After the war in Laos ended in 1975, many fled to the jungles fearing the communist authorities would hunt them down for having worked with the Americans, and being potentially disloyal to the new Pathet Lao communist government.

Thailand, however, claims that many of the Hmong had violated Thai law by entering the country illegally.

-NNN-TNA