(no subject)
I decided to finally look up more about Hmong people (not Mung, as I was calling them). What I found is very, very intresting. Check it out, if you have some time:
The Secret War
Main article: Secret War
In the early 1960s, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began to recruit the indigenous “Hmong” people in Laos to join fighting the Vietnam War, named as a Special Guerrilla Unit led by General Vang Pao. Over 80% of the Hmong men in Laos were recruited by the CIA to join fighting for the U.S. Secret War in Laos. The CIA used the Special Guerrilla Unit as the counter attack unit to block the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main military supply route from the north to the south. Hmong soldiers put their lives at risk in the frontline fighting for the United States to block the supply line and to rescue downed American pilots. As a result, the Hmong suffered a very high casualty rate; more than 40,000 Hmong were killed in the frontline, countless men were missing in action, thousands more were injured and disabled. Without the Hmong, thousands of American soldiers and pilots would not be home with their families today.
General Vang Pao was the best military commander in Laos, leading the Region II (MR2) defense against NVA incursion. General Vang Pao's headquarters was in Long Cheng, also known as Lima Site 20 Alternate (LS 20A). At the height of its activity, Long Cheng became the second largest city in Laos, estimated at 300,000, with 200,000 ethnic Hmong and 100,000 people of other ethnic backgrounds. Long Cheng was a micro-nation operational site with its own bank, airport, school system, officials, and many other facilities and services in addition to its military units. Before the end of the Secret War, Long Cheng would fall in and out of General Vang Pao's control.
The Secret War began around the time that the United States became officially involved in the Vietnam War. When the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, the Lao kingdom was overthrown by the communists and the Hmong people became targets of retaliation and persecution. While some Hmong people retuned to their villages and attempted to resume life under the new regime, thousands more made the harrowing trek to and across the Mekong River into Thailand. This marked the beginning of a mass exodus of Hmong people from Laos.
Of those Hmong who did not leave, somewhere between two and three thousand were sent to re-education camps where political prisoners served terms of 3-5 years. Many people died in these camps, enduring hard physical labor and harsh conditions.[22] Thousands more Hmong people, mainly former soldiers and their families, escaped to remote mountain regions - particlarly Phou Bia, the highest (and thus least accessible) mountain peak in Laos. Initially, some Hmong groups staged attacks against Pathet Lao and Vietnamese troops while others remained in hiding to avoid military retaliation and persecution. Spiritual leader Zong Zoua Her rallied his followers in a guerilla resistance movement called Chao Fa (named for the most senior class--technically, three classes--of the Thai royal family after the royal couple). Initial military successes by these small bands led to military counter-attacks by government forces, including aerial bombing and heavy artillery, as well as the use of defoliants and chemical weapons.[23]
Small groups of Hmong people, many of them second or third generation descendants of former CIA soldiers, remain internally displaced in remote parts of Laos, in fear of government reprisals. Faced with continuing military operations against them by the government and a scarcity of food, some groups have begun coming out of hiding, while others have sought asylum in Thailand and other countries.[24]
[edit] Controversy over repatriation
During the 1990s, many Hmong refugees living in Thailand were forcibly repatriated to Laos by the Thai government. This action, made with general support from UNHCR and the Clinton Administration, became highly controversial. Many Hmong people alleged that they were persecuted by the Laotian regime upon their return.
The forced return of the Hmong was staunchly opposed by many American conservatives and human rights activists. In a 1995 National Review article, Michael Johns labeled the decision to return Hmong veterans to Laos a "betrayal".[25] Pressure built on the Clinton administration to alter its repatriation policy and, in a significant political victory for the Hmong, most refugees were subsequently resettled to other countries, with many moving to the United States. The last major resettlement of about 15,000 Hmong from the Wat Tham Krabok camp began in 2004.
In 2004 and 2005, thousands of Hmong fled from the jungles of Laos to a temporary refugee camp in the Thai province of Phetchabun.[26] These Hmong refugees, many of whom are descendants of the former-CIA Secret Army and their relatives, claim that they have been attacked by both the Lao and Vietnamese military forces operating inside Laos as recently as June 2006. The refugees claim that attacks against them have continued almost unabated since the war officially ended in 1975, and have become more intense in recent years.
Filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her documentary, "Hunted Like Animals"[27], and in a comprehensive Report which includes summaries of claims made by the refugees, which was submitted to the U.N system in May 2006. [28]
The European Union [29], UNHCHR, UNHCR, and international groups have spoken out about the forced repatriation.[30], [31], [32] The Thai foreign ministry has said that it will halt deportation of Hmong refugees held in Detention Centers Nong Khai, while talks are underway to resettle them in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and the United States. [33]For the time being, countries willing to resettle the refugees are hindered to proceed with immigration and settlement procedures, as the Thai administration doesn't grant them access to the refugees. Plans to resettle refugees in the United States have been complicated by provisions of the Patriot Act and Real ID Act under which Hmong veterans of the Secret War, who fought on the side of the United States, are classified as terrorists.[34]
[edit] The Americas
Main article: Hmong American
Many Hmong/Mong war refugees resettled in the United States after the Vietnam War. Beginning in December 1975, the first Hmong/Mong refugees arrived in the U.S., mainly from refugee camps in Thailand; however, only 3,466 were granted asylum at this time under the Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. In May of 1976, another 11,000 were allowed to enter the United States, and by 1978 some 30,000 Hmong/Mong people had immigrated. This first wave was made up predominantly of men directly associated with General Vang Pao's secret army. It was not until the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980 that families were able to come in the U.S., becoming the second-wave of Hmong/Mong immigrants. Today, approximately 270,000 Hmong/Mong people reside in the United States, the majority of whom live in California (65,095 according to the 2000 U.S. census), Minnesota (41,800), and Wisconsin (33,791). Fresno, Merced, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, and Wausau, Wisconsin have especially high concentrations of Hmong/Mong people. There are also smaller Hmong/Mong populations scattered across the country, including Linda Vista, California, Winooski, Vermont, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, centered around the towns of Ephrata, Pennsylvania and Denver, Pennsylvania.
Even though most Hmong/Mong families speak a language other than English at home, many Hmong/Mong Americans are rapidly blending into mainstream American society, and many young people are losing aspects of their cultural identity at a fast pace. Because of this, the Hmong/Mong community has set up associations and media that encourage people to maintain language and culture. The Hmong Times publishes communications products for the Hmong community. These products are designed to provide important information to the Hmong community, as well as tools to promote unity in the Hmong community. The Hmong Times also informs the general community about the Hmong community. Having a newspaper like the Hmong Times creates a source for businesses, organizations, and schools to connect with the Hmong community.
There is also a small community of several thousand Hmong who migrated to French Guyana in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [35]
In the US, Hmong/Mong refugees have experienced an unusual number of deaths due to Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome, or more simply, medically unexplained death due to night terrors. While SUNDS strikes other ethnic groups, the rate of death among Hmong/Mong men is significantly higher. [36]
The Secret War
Main article: Secret War
In the early 1960s, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began to recruit the indigenous “Hmong” people in Laos to join fighting the Vietnam War, named as a Special Guerrilla Unit led by General Vang Pao. Over 80% of the Hmong men in Laos were recruited by the CIA to join fighting for the U.S. Secret War in Laos. The CIA used the Special Guerrilla Unit as the counter attack unit to block the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main military supply route from the north to the south. Hmong soldiers put their lives at risk in the frontline fighting for the United States to block the supply line and to rescue downed American pilots. As a result, the Hmong suffered a very high casualty rate; more than 40,000 Hmong were killed in the frontline, countless men were missing in action, thousands more were injured and disabled. Without the Hmong, thousands of American soldiers and pilots would not be home with their families today.
General Vang Pao was the best military commander in Laos, leading the Region II (MR2) defense against NVA incursion. General Vang Pao's headquarters was in Long Cheng, also known as Lima Site 20 Alternate (LS 20A). At the height of its activity, Long Cheng became the second largest city in Laos, estimated at 300,000, with 200,000 ethnic Hmong and 100,000 people of other ethnic backgrounds. Long Cheng was a micro-nation operational site with its own bank, airport, school system, officials, and many other facilities and services in addition to its military units. Before the end of the Secret War, Long Cheng would fall in and out of General Vang Pao's control.
The Secret War began around the time that the United States became officially involved in the Vietnam War. When the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, the Lao kingdom was overthrown by the communists and the Hmong people became targets of retaliation and persecution. While some Hmong people retuned to their villages and attempted to resume life under the new regime, thousands more made the harrowing trek to and across the Mekong River into Thailand. This marked the beginning of a mass exodus of Hmong people from Laos.
Of those Hmong who did not leave, somewhere between two and three thousand were sent to re-education camps where political prisoners served terms of 3-5 years. Many people died in these camps, enduring hard physical labor and harsh conditions.[22] Thousands more Hmong people, mainly former soldiers and their families, escaped to remote mountain regions - particlarly Phou Bia, the highest (and thus least accessible) mountain peak in Laos. Initially, some Hmong groups staged attacks against Pathet Lao and Vietnamese troops while others remained in hiding to avoid military retaliation and persecution. Spiritual leader Zong Zoua Her rallied his followers in a guerilla resistance movement called Chao Fa (named for the most senior class--technically, three classes--of the Thai royal family after the royal couple). Initial military successes by these small bands led to military counter-attacks by government forces, including aerial bombing and heavy artillery, as well as the use of defoliants and chemical weapons.[23]
Small groups of Hmong people, many of them second or third generation descendants of former CIA soldiers, remain internally displaced in remote parts of Laos, in fear of government reprisals. Faced with continuing military operations against them by the government and a scarcity of food, some groups have begun coming out of hiding, while others have sought asylum in Thailand and other countries.[24]
[edit] Controversy over repatriation
During the 1990s, many Hmong refugees living in Thailand were forcibly repatriated to Laos by the Thai government. This action, made with general support from UNHCR and the Clinton Administration, became highly controversial. Many Hmong people alleged that they were persecuted by the Laotian regime upon their return.
The forced return of the Hmong was staunchly opposed by many American conservatives and human rights activists. In a 1995 National Review article, Michael Johns labeled the decision to return Hmong veterans to Laos a "betrayal".[25] Pressure built on the Clinton administration to alter its repatriation policy and, in a significant political victory for the Hmong, most refugees were subsequently resettled to other countries, with many moving to the United States. The last major resettlement of about 15,000 Hmong from the Wat Tham Krabok camp began in 2004.
In 2004 and 2005, thousands of Hmong fled from the jungles of Laos to a temporary refugee camp in the Thai province of Phetchabun.[26] These Hmong refugees, many of whom are descendants of the former-CIA Secret Army and their relatives, claim that they have been attacked by both the Lao and Vietnamese military forces operating inside Laos as recently as June 2006. The refugees claim that attacks against them have continued almost unabated since the war officially ended in 1975, and have become more intense in recent years.
Filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her documentary, "Hunted Like Animals"[27], and in a comprehensive Report which includes summaries of claims made by the refugees, which was submitted to the U.N system in May 2006. [28]
The European Union [29], UNHCHR, UNHCR, and international groups have spoken out about the forced repatriation.[30], [31], [32] The Thai foreign ministry has said that it will halt deportation of Hmong refugees held in Detention Centers Nong Khai, while talks are underway to resettle them in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and the United States. [33]For the time being, countries willing to resettle the refugees are hindered to proceed with immigration and settlement procedures, as the Thai administration doesn't grant them access to the refugees. Plans to resettle refugees in the United States have been complicated by provisions of the Patriot Act and Real ID Act under which Hmong veterans of the Secret War, who fought on the side of the United States, are classified as terrorists.[34]
[edit] The Americas
Main article: Hmong American
Many Hmong/Mong war refugees resettled in the United States after the Vietnam War. Beginning in December 1975, the first Hmong/Mong refugees arrived in the U.S., mainly from refugee camps in Thailand; however, only 3,466 were granted asylum at this time under the Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. In May of 1976, another 11,000 were allowed to enter the United States, and by 1978 some 30,000 Hmong/Mong people had immigrated. This first wave was made up predominantly of men directly associated with General Vang Pao's secret army. It was not until the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980 that families were able to come in the U.S., becoming the second-wave of Hmong/Mong immigrants. Today, approximately 270,000 Hmong/Mong people reside in the United States, the majority of whom live in California (65,095 according to the 2000 U.S. census), Minnesota (41,800), and Wisconsin (33,791). Fresno, Merced, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, and Wausau, Wisconsin have especially high concentrations of Hmong/Mong people. There are also smaller Hmong/Mong populations scattered across the country, including Linda Vista, California, Winooski, Vermont, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, centered around the towns of Ephrata, Pennsylvania and Denver, Pennsylvania.
Even though most Hmong/Mong families speak a language other than English at home, many Hmong/Mong Americans are rapidly blending into mainstream American society, and many young people are losing aspects of their cultural identity at a fast pace. Because of this, the Hmong/Mong community has set up associations and media that encourage people to maintain language and culture. The Hmong Times publishes communications products for the Hmong community. These products are designed to provide important information to the Hmong community, as well as tools to promote unity in the Hmong community. The Hmong Times also informs the general community about the Hmong community. Having a newspaper like the Hmong Times creates a source for businesses, organizations, and schools to connect with the Hmong community.
There is also a small community of several thousand Hmong who migrated to French Guyana in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [35]
In the US, Hmong/Mong refugees have experienced an unusual number of deaths due to Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome, or more simply, medically unexplained death due to night terrors. While SUNDS strikes other ethnic groups, the rate of death among Hmong/Mong men is significantly higher. [36]