United Nations Radio

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says it has written to the Thai government to voice concern over the apparent forced repatriation of ethnic Hmong refugees to Laos, where it says they could be prosecuted.

Spokeswoman for UNHCR Jennifer Pagonis says the move breaches a principle that no refugee or asylum-seeker should be forced to return to a country where he or she could face persecution:

"The lack of transparency and the absence of any third party to monitor the return operation makes it impossible to verify the voluntary nature of the repatriation. We are particularly concerned that a group of 8 leaders and their families - 18 people in total appear to have been deported against their will."

Pagonis says the deportation appears to have been done without any determination of whether the refugees are in need of international protection.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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