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Hmong Refugee Update
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John Henry
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Jun 26, 2008 09:46 PDT
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Dear praying friends, Below is Missionary
Tom Gaudet's update on the Hmong refugees stranded in north
Thailand. There are about 8,000 refugees from Communist Laos of
which about 300 have been save and a church has been started. They
fear for their lives. Please pray for their situation. -- John
Henry
---------e-mail from Tom Gaudet of 21
June------------------
Please excuse the long e-mail update but you must know the background
on this to pray effectively. Some things cannot be said in a few
words.
More than 3 weeks ago a fire destroyed 2/3 of the Hmong refugee camp.
Since there is no place for nearly 5,000 of the people to live they have
spread out on a hillside across the road from the camp. The following is
a few excepts from an e-mail Jeff Lange sent out to his e-mail list on
Wed. evening, 18June. An update from me follows Jeff's e-mail.
---------e-mail update from Jeff Lange, 18
June------------------
<<... The Thai military has ordered everyone
outside the gate to go back inside and rebuild. ... These [Hmong] leaders
are staging protests, including hunger strikes and threatening to commit
mass suicide or throw themselves down in front of passing vehicles. All
this is done to try to gain world-wide attention in hopes that the [UN]
will come to their rescue.
... Over the next couple weeks [after the fire], Bro. Gaudet and I have
tried to offer assistance. Although [the military] asked for our help,
they still blocked us from having any access [to the Hmong].
Well, for nearly a month now, the soldiers have been trying to get
everyone back in to the camp, howbeit, unsuccessfully. They finally broke
down and called me this morning and asked me if I would persuade the
church members to go back inside. They felt that if they did, that maybe
many of the others would follow them. They agreed to let me in tomorrow
at 3 p.m.>>
----------end of quoted e-mail, update
follows------------------
When Jeff arrived on Thursday afternoon, he found that the 5,000 people
planned to walk out of the camp and go, by foot, to Bangkok some 300
miles away! Their plan was to walk up to the UNHCR office in Bangkok and
ask for protection. At any rate, they did walk out of the camp today,
(Friday) and of course, the military and police stopped them on a 2 lane
road about 3 miles from the camp. They are all sitting on the road and in
the ditch at this hour. (10PM)
It turned out that Jeff was going to try to get into the camp again this
morning and as he drove there, he passed a contingent of soldiers who let
him by. Then came face-to-face with the huge crowd of Hmong walking down
the hill. As the military stopped them, he ended up in the middle between
the Hmong and the soldiers! He spent the next 10 hours or so talking to
both the military and Hmong, trying to help settle the situation.
Some of the church members who were caught up in all this decided to
return to the safety of the camp and at this time, there are several
dozen that have done so.
Jeff is going to try to get in again in the morning and I am headed there
to meet him. It looks like on Sunday or Monday, we will be able to meet
with the military about how to help get the people settled back into the
camp. There are no houses for nearly 5,000 of the people and the military
has suggested that what is needed is building materials. RLI still has
some money left over from the relief we provided in the past. It could be
that those funds plus some other designated money we have access to will
meet the need. We think that maybe $3,500 will purchase the bamboo needed
to house the refugees again in temporary shelters.
We feel like this may be the breakthrough we have prayed for; once again
to have access granted to interact with and encourage the membership
of NamKhao Baptist Church. Please pray for wisdom as this is dealt
with. Praise the Lord for safety for Jeff in the middle of a mob of
people today! Pray that the military will continue to show restraint as
they try to control a very difficult situation. Pray for the membership
of the church, all of whom have been traumatized by the past few days.
Some have fallen by the wayside, but most have stayed firm in their
faith. Pray that this situation would be the means of leading others to a
saving knowledge of Christ.
It is comforting to know that many of you are praying. The next few days
will be strategic. Please keep on.
---------End of Gaudet e-mail update of 21
June------------------
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