Imprisonment in Refugee Camps

Refugee Life

The Hmongs that were able to cross the Mekong River into Thailand escaped communism, but had to face new obstacles. They were forced to live in refugee camps. These camps were small and very crowded. Barbed wires were fenced around the refugee camps. Conditions were harsh, and there was no sanitation. Life was hard in these camps.

There were many of these camps in Thailand. One such camp was Ban Vinai. Ban Vinai had 40,000 people in five square kilometers. Half of the residents were minors. One third of these minors were child (A Free People pg.94). Houses were built to house many families in one building. Each family had one room. Cooking was done in the corners (A Free People pg.94). There weren't enough houses built for each family member because of limited space. Many families had to share houses. About eight or more families would have to live under one roof. Each family had one room. In some cases getting out of the house was pretty difficult. There was only one front door to enter and to exit through. In order to get out through the front door they had to go through other family member’s rooms. Children living in these camps lost the experiences of growing in the mountainsides of Laos like their parents.

(Image provided by Mai Moua Thao)
Here is a picture of Mai Moua Thao with her sisters in a refugee camp.

Each camp was fenced with barbed wires. Nobody was allowed to leave the premises. If anyone was caught sneaking out, they were punished and/or beaten badly by Thai guards. Thai guards had lots of power. Although Thai guards punished the Hmong, they also provided jobs and helped distribute food donated by the United Nations. Some of the food was old and made many people sick. Most Hmong people felt trapped. They would listen and hope that it would soon be their turn to interview for a chance to move to third world countries. Refugee camp life was hard and is like a prison.