Laos must make peace with Hmong

mly

sarNie Hatchling
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/07...on_30036199.php

EDITORIAL
Laos must make peace with Hmong

Vang Pao's arrest offers Vientiane a chance to peacefully reintegrate the ethnic minority into its society

The interception by United States authorities of a plot by Hmong rebels, including General Vang Pao, to overthrow the Lao government by force probably put the final nail in the coffin of Hmong expatriates' dreams of liberating their people from alleged systematic persecution by the communist regime in Vientiane. Small remnants of anti-communist Hmong guerrilla groups are still believed to be fighting a sporadic jungle war against Vientiane. Laos has alleged that Vang Pao and some Hmong expats in the US had, on several occasions in the past, raised funds to finance raids against Lao government positions from staging areas inside of Thailand, an accusation denied by Bangkok.

The arrest of Vang Pao, a warlord who led a secret army backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to combat Lao and Vietnamese communist insurgents until the end of the Indochina war in the mid 1970s, and eight other California-based Hmong by US authorities on charges of violating the US Neutrality Act, coincided with an improvement in Lao-US relations in recent years.

The US re-established normal trade relations with Laos in 2004 and has since expanded cooperation in economic and social development, including technical assistance and development grants, as well as engaging in a joint campaign against drug trafficking.

After the fall of Laos to the communists in 1975, the Hmong ethnic minority who fought alongside the US-backed royalist regime of the time was abandoned by retreating US forces in 1975. More than 300,000 Laotian refugees, mostly Hmong, fled into Thailand and most of them have since been resettled in third countries.

As court proceedings get underway in California, the prosecution team will produce further evidence to substantiate the charges against the alleged anti-Vientiane plot by Vang Pao and other defendants, including one former US national guard officer.

While the US action that may have pre-empted an alleged coup attempt against a country with which it has friendly ties is to be commended, the international community should not turn a blind eye to the well-documented plight of ethnic Hmong at the hands of the Lao government.

Thailand, which currently hosts some 7,700 ethnic Hmong who claim to have fled persecution in Laos in recent years, should not use the case against Vang Pao as a pretext to unburden itself of the Hmong refugee situation through the forcible repatriation of those now living in a holding centre. Thailand, which is getting impatient with Hmong asylum seekers, has begun the forcible repatriation of ethnic Hmong to Laos.

By cooperating with Laos and sending Hmong asylum seekers back to a country where many of them will face harsh punishment or persecution, Thailand also benefits by improving its economic and trade ties with Vientiane. But the Thai government must be reminded that it is supposed to live up to its obligation to uphold the human rights of ethnic Hmong who have sought shelter on its soil.

The Lao government - which is getting closer to removing the thorn in its side regarding the Hmong question once and for all thanks to the helpful actions of friendly countries like the US and Thailand - should at least let go of old grudges and show magnanimity toward the Hmong, who make up the biggest ethnic minority group in the country. Every attempt should be made by Vientiane to bring the Hmong back into the fold by adopting more reconciliatory gestures, particularly a willingness to respect these people's basic human rights.

Any repatriation of Hmong asylum seekers must be made on a voluntary basis, and returnees should be accorded proper treatment and their basic human rights must be respected. The international community must make sure that the Lao government's promise to respect the ethnic Hmong minority is verified by impartial observers.

More than three decades have passed since the end of the war and both the Lao government and the Hmong should put the painful chapter behind them. Latter generations of innocent Hmong should not be punished for the actions of their ancestors. Laos should learn to be at peace with itself.
 

mly

sarNie Hatchling
i second that, it's time to let the past go. the older hmong generation needs to realize that the war is over and the laos govt. needs to forgive the hmong for siding with the americans. and i think the american govt. needs to really listen to both side and investigate if both sides are telling the truth about hmong being persecuted in laos or the hmong are attacking the laos govt. they started the war, got the hmong involved, and now after 30 yrs, they need to fix it to end all the grudges against one another. PEACE!
 

1-lUv3-y0u

Sticky Rice
I agree with you, you make a really good point about this all why cant we jus talk this over and get it done and over with? It's all in the past. And of course we know that GVP wants to help out with the Hmong poeple back in Laos and shiet but by taking over Laos? We dont have a country and who knows if we ever will but they should just let things go it's all in the past and they shouldn't make a big deal for us Hmong of the "newer" generations.
 

YM_gurl

sarNie Oldmaid
it's not about the past.. it's about right now... :)

And GVP was not planning to overthrow laos, why? Because i know one of the men who got arrested. he my uncle.

The 9.8 million was to buy weapons.. that was TRUE! but now to overthrow laos.. For they were going to sent the weapons to the hmong in laos.. & to help the hmong in the jungle.

is that wrong to do? when people are killing your people? ask yourself that! The U.S government refused to do something about it, for these brave old men had to step up..& help the hmong's.

this is so history!!! :)
 

suesan

sarNie Egg
it's not about the past.. it's about right now... :)

And GVP was not planning to overthrow laos, why? Because i know one of the men who got arrested. he my uncle.

The 9.8 million was to buy weapons.. that was TRUE! but now to overthrow laos.. For they were going to sent the weapons to the hmong in laos.. & to help the hmong in the jungle.

is that wrong to do? when people are killing your people? ask yourself that! The U.S government refused to do something about it, for these brave old men had to step up..& help the hmong's.

this is so history!!! :)

I agree with you...it's sad to read through all of these comments...I don't understand why. Why don't every hmong person feel the same way about our leader, about our people that are still being torture in Laos right now..How many hmong people still have to die. Every lives count..It hurt to hear from every kind of people on their negative comments..I feel so bad that why don't we, the younger generation go through this tragedy, why it has to be our leader who went through all these...
 

vilasaeng

sarNie Juvenile
oh... yeah the Laotian should make peace with the Hmong... How come the Hmong won't try to make peace with the Laos Gov't... Trying to over thrown them is making such peace huh.... I empathy the Hmong in Laos.. but for HEAVEN SAKE... A country should make peace with an ethnic that want to over throw them first have them let the grudge go when they didn't created it.. Isn't that just siding with your own Hmong people.. Yeah both side have to surrender to make peace... But to let the Laos lower their head and make peace when the people HMONG don't want to make peace.. Make me want to laugh,.. Every human being need to respect... But isn't asking for to much... Let the Lao gov't respect Hmong...


AND 9.8M... TO HELP BUY WEAPON TO HELP HMONG IN LAO TO PROTECT THEMSELF... BUT EVEN A CHILD WOULDN'T BE FOOL....

WITH THAT MONEY... AT LEAST SOMEHOW NEGIOATE WITH THE LAO GOV'T TO GET THE HMONG OUT OF THEIR AND START A NEW LIVES SOMEWHERE ELSE...

P.S.. SORRY MY WORDS OFFENED SOMEONE... OR EVEN THE ETHNIC... BUT IN A WAY THE ARTICAL MAKE ME FEEL OFFENED TOO... YES I AM LAOS... AND MY FAMILIES WAS KILLED BY "THE HMONG INNOCENT FREEDOM FIGHTER" SOME A GRUDGE CAN'T BE FORGOTTEN BUT DID WITH THE PERSON..... YOU HAVE TO BE THERE TO KNOW HOW IT FEEL... AND HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THE LOSE... SAYING IT IS EASY BUT TAKING IT INTO ACTION IS HARD....
 

ceda_lee

sarNie OldFart
Seriously, can a small group of farmers really overthrow the Lao gov't??? C'mon now...be more realistic!!! If you guys watch the videos, only 2 or 3 guys have guns out of the whole group...just because 200 Hmong soldiers beat 1000 Chinese soldiers in history doesn't mean 3 men with old guns can actually overthrow the gov't...those 200 Hmong soldiers didn't have guns and the 1000 stupid Chinese soldiers just happened to walk right into their trap...

The Hmong in Laos have tried to make peace with the Laos gov't...they surrender, meaning they stop running and returned...and what happened to them??? Do you even know??? Now they're afraid to go back.

Presently, Hmong people in Laos shouldn't have to carry the burden of mistakes committed by Hmong people over here...

The "Hmong innocent freedom fighters," did they come into town to kill people??? Tell me more cause I don't know about that.

And Hmong people need to stop being too judgmental...like "Lao people are evil." That's just the people that are involved...people need to stop thinking like that!!! How are we ever going to make peace if let history have such a big influence on our present thoughts.
 

vilasaeng

sarNie Juvenile
okay Susan and YM girl, I know how you guys might feel about this issue about giving weapons to the other Hmong in the jungle. But have you guys ever hear this phrase "I have to kill you before you kill me" Is it the Laos government fault that they killed some Hmong people? Yeah, but it's also Hmong people who doesn't want to let go and still feel like they have to fight for something that was supposedly promised to them. THey were brought up to believe that GVP was going to give them a country so he can become a govenor. The title of this discussion really brought some fire in my belly "Laos must make peace with Hmong" I believe that PEACE is the thing but why do the Laos people have to bow down forget and forget first when they were betrayed after giving shelter to "Hmong People" for so many decades. Blambing Laos for not forgiving is selfish, how would u feel if u let someone in to your house then having them decieve you by haivng an affiar or stealing your things, or even planing to kill you. Even though the situation is different but the pain and the hurt and the revenge is the same. Come on i knoe after reading this comment you feel like i get where she's going. Throwing the government also why would u try to take something that doesn't belong to you in the first place? In this artical I think i read it where even Thailand doesn 't want to have problems so they don't want Hmong people in there counrty to. I feel sorry for the new generation of "Hmong People" who have to born in to a "fighting society." It's sad... it's not their fault and they have to be punished because of what their "ancestors/ Hmong Society" did in the past and this present. Stop being selfish and look outside the box and not just inside of it.

I hope I got my point around....







V_ Cousin....:)
 

ddawbb

sarNie Adult
i second that, it's time to let the past go. the older hmong generation needs to realize that the war is over and the laos govt. needs to forgive the hmong for siding with the americans. and i think the american govt. needs to really listen to both side and investigate if both sides are telling the truth about hmong being persecuted in laos or the hmong are attacking the laos govt. they started the war, got the hmong involved, and now after 30 yrs, they need to fix it to end all the grudges against one another. PEACE!

i agree, lte the past go.. but older people and their generation are like that... think about it, even in marriages, the elder will still say things such as "in the past their family was like this and like that" to their kids and interfere with their kids relationships too, right? I think it's just an OG thingy that is why it is so hard for them to get over the past..
 
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