Evicted from their homes as part of a government campaign to force them to return to their native Laos, thousands of ethnic Hmong in northern Thailand remained huddled near the border yesterday, begging for food and shelter.
"Please help, we're very hungry," read a hand-lettered sign hanging on a fence near where groups of Hmong were on the side of a road in Phetchabun Province. A handful had umbrellas and others sought protection under trees from the intermittent rain and sun.
The evictions came after Thailand's National Security Council decided last month to deport Hmong living illegally in the country. They have been considered a nuisance by Thai authorities because of suspicions that they engage in illicit drug trafficking and help Hmong exile groups stage attacks against neighboring Laos, harming bilateral relations.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/07/07/2003262528
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