Us Promises New Life For Hmongs

[george]

US promises new life for Hmongs

THAM KRABOK, Thailand: - Thousands of Hmong refugees who fled Laos for Thailand 30 years ago are preparing for a new life in America, closing a long and painful chapter in the disastrous US intervention in Southeast Asia.

In December Washington announced it was launching a resettlement programme for up to 14,300 Hmong living in squalor at this camp centred on a Buddhist temple in Saraburi province northeast of Bangkok.

But thousands of other Hmong living in Thailand, often on the margins of society, are being left behind and have little prospects for a better future.

US, Thai and humanitarian sources said the camp at Wat Tham Krabok erupted in cheers when the Hmong heard they had finally been given the right to move to the United States.

"Anything is better than this place, so I'm happy to go," said Ya Chang, a mother of seven who looked far beyond her 30 years.

"We have problems with food, health and education," the impoverished farmer said, adding that five of her children do not attend school because she has no money to pay the modest fees.

Earlier Ya Chang had met the glad-handing mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, which hosts the United States' biggest exiled Hmong community.

The city, with its 25,000 Hmong already comprising more than 10 percent of its population, is expected to take more than half the refugees at the camp, and visiting mayor Randy Kelly was eager to meet some of his potential new constituents.

Ya Chang, who has lived here for 10 years, put on a brave face in front of Kelly and the crush of media cameras, but afterwards told AFP she had no idea where she would go in the United States or how she would earn a living.

After fleeing Laos as a toddler with her family, she said she has forgotten where they had lived in Laos, and her life has been a patchwork of misery.

--AFP 2004-03-04

[NedKelly]

"After fleeing Laos as a toddler with her family, she said she has forgotten where they had lived in Laos, and her life has been a patchwork of misery."

I wonder if her life will improve from now on ?? Sentenced to life inthe US ??

[Guest chingy]

why do these people think that going to America would make their life any easier, in my view their life is going for a bumpy ride, I feel sorry for these people thinking going to America would do them any good.

[Pi Sua]

Not life sentence........ They should received a package of $1000, free accomodation, free school.....then US government should provide them jobs and after 5 years they'll get the US nationality.

They won't be parked as they are now and they'll be allowed to move anywhere in the US territory.

I got it from UNHCR.

Not so bad!

I'm not an American but I think they'll get there more consideration and education than they get now.

[Pi Sua]

And as US citizen, if they come to visit Thailand, they will be considered as first world class citizen. Not underminded nor been looked down anymore by those nationalistic.

[Pi Sua]

why do these people think that going to America would make their life any easier, in my view their life is going for a bumpy ride, I feel sorry for these people thinking going to America would do them any good.

Have you ever lived in a refugee camp ?

[mouse]

Crimey, these people are being treated better than I was when I returned from Vietnam. What's up with that? Not their fault!!!

[Jeepz]

NedKelly~

Good question, will her life improve, sentenced to the US? Maybe, maybe not. There aren't any guarantees of happiness or contentment anywhere. In the USA, in Oz, in Pattaya. Where ever you go, you can find disappointment, failure, and tragedy.

But you can find improvement, success, and happiness too. Depends on what you look for and how the cards fall. She will probably have a hard time adapting to the American culture. Her children may do better. One of her grandchildren might be go to congress. Who knows. Think that is possible in Thailand?

We've got quite a show in the USA. Austrian Governor of California, Native American senators, African-American Secretary of State (should have been Pres in my book). Down the road a Hmong Senator or Supreme Court Judge is not impossible at all.

So Ned, I think it's good to be proud of where you are from. But not at the expense of others. I don't see that USA is raised up by noting that Aussies are often sniveling twits. Not that they really are. But sometimes, you know, I get that impression. And I'm sure they occasionally get the same feeling from some American To++er.

Australia is, in general, a very good place. So is Thailand. And so is the USA. All of them have good points and bad, failures both historical and current, but with hopes of doing better in the future. We can leave it to the Hmong if they are happy to be moving on or not.

Jeepz

[et33.com]

america ?

what's so good about america

don't get kill by six years old

raped by ten years old

robbed by fifteen years old

become a mother by eighteen years old

beg on the streets by twenty one years old

and get killed for having the wrong skin colour by twenty five...

[cdnvic]

america ?

what's so good about america

don't get kill by six years old

raped by ten years old

robbed by fifteen years old

become a mother by eighteen years old

beg on the streets by twenty one years old

and get killed for having the wrong skin colour by twenty five...

Okay fine, I'll agree the US can tend to be hypocitical, bullying, and overly pious at times, but this example borders on stupid.

I grew up a few miles across the border from the US, so believe me I'm used to hearing them preach to us all the time, but aside from the rehtoric, they're great neighbours.

Having spent alot of time there I have to say that the average Americans I meet are genuinely decent honest people who despite your opinion formed by watching TV, don't go around shooting and raping all the time.

Who's the country everybody runs to when they're in trouble?

Who's the country everyone sucks up to for trade deals?

Odd how so many people are quick to bag the US with unsubstantiated moaning, yet they are more than happy to spend money on hollywood movies, drink coke, eat at KFC, then go home and whine about how bad americans are on their windows equipped dell computers and them electronicly post them over a network the us military invented.

Don't get me wrong, I have alot of problems with american policies, most canadians do. But if you want to attack them, or any other country, do it on firm facts and specific points. For example...

Australia's refugee gulags where people are held in desert prison camps where they take years to decide on refugee claims. Don't start me on stolen aboriginal children (canada did this too).

Thailand's notoriously corrupt police, and government. The thieving post office, etc.

Canada's hiding behind the american military despite having plenty of money to rebuild their own. How they won't develop their oil resourses and leave their neighbours dependent on the mideast for almost half their oil imports.

So bitch about them if you must, after all, it's an easy target. But at least aim at the facts rather than just whinging away all the time.

cv

[Jeepz]

et33.al opined:

what's so good about america

don't get kill by six years old

raped by ten years old

robbed by fifteen years old

become a mother by eighteen years old

beg on the streets by twenty one years old

and get killed for having the wrong skin colour by twenty five...

cdnvic~

Thanks for a more reasoned viewpoint. et33.com is a bit peevish, perhaps even petulantly vehement. Sounds like he judges countries by the latest news headline he's heard. I suspect the world is chock full of little surprises for him down the road.

There are reasons to dislike some of the words and deeds of the USA. Lord knows we sure argue them back and forth here at home. Just watch the elections coming up. Lots of hair pulling and mud slinging to be had.

Jeepz

[Bluecat]

Lord knows we sure argue them back and forth here at home. Just watch the elections coming up. Lots of hair pulling and mud slinging to be had.

I am not so sure, jeepz.

From my "external" perspective, things do not really change in the US. Debate is on a very limited number of points that are not really helping this world to get better.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am so stupid that I do not understand the relevance of the present debates, maybe American people understand them and believe in them.

And maybe, the US will make soon the world a better place and believe me, I will be the first one to acknowledge my mistake.

But I just do not see it.

Sorry

[sbk]

I met a man who was part Croatian part Serbian, when the war erupted in Yugoslavia he was evicted from Croatia and told, that although he had lived there his enter life he was not Croatian. Serbia was glad to accept him as long as he joined the army. He fled to the US as a refugee. When asked what he thinks of the US, he says it is a great country.

Yes, it has its faults, everywhere does, nowhere is perfect. But, is anyone seriously suggesting that these people living in squalor in a refugee camp without nationality would do better there than being resettled in the US with help from the US govt? Personally, for me, I find it all quite late and wonder why these poor people were left behind for so long. Many Hmong were re-settled to the US in the 70's and many do quite well.

[Roger13]

I saw this News on BBC

I have watched for an article in Bangkok Post

but found nothing - did I miss it?

Or did BangkokPost miss it?

Roger

[NedKelly]

Well it's amazing how the truth must hurt so much. My personal opinion is just that....personal opinion. Like it or leave it. Why do the Hmong people have to go to the us ? Really, if they have lived herein Thailand for 30 years already then why are they not Thai citizens already ? Where is there human rights ? Now they are going to be sent to the US and their lives changed again irreversibly.

I guess the us is showing a positive side in trying to help people it abandoned so many years ago. People who fought and died for the us and were then left to flounder at the mercy of their oppressors in the jungles of Laos and Vietnam.

As for yank foodstuffs.......i dont go near the shit.

One good thing coming out of the us now....Rugby !! they are able to participate in a real world series with other international teams !!

[sbk]

Actually, I agree with you on this one Nedkelly, why don't they get Thai citizenship? Why don't most hilltribes people get citizenship? People up north are having to take DNA tests to prove they are related to Thai citizens, and are being stripped of their citizenship before the testing is done. Surely Thailand has better ways of spending their money to help people than on DNA testingand harassing hilltribes people. Just count the tourist money spent on trekking if the govt needs a reason to give these people citizenship.

But, since Thailand is obviously not going to welcome these people into the fabric of Thai society then the US should help them out by providing them with homes. It's just disgraceful that it took 30 years. And btw, most foods from around the world are readily available in the US, one is not 'stuck' eating "yank foodstuffs" anymore these days.

[Jeepz]

The US withdrawl from Vietnam was and remains a very sad bit of our history. I personally didn't think we should have been over there to begin with. I argued this (or used to) with other folks constantly.

It is a travesty that the Hmong have had to wait thirty years to be granted entry. I completely agree with that. If there was a better place for them to go that would accept them, I'm fine with that too. Thailand obviously doesn't want them. Thailand's treatment of "supposedly" nonindigenous people is its own sad tale.

If Ned is unhappy with American foodstuffs, that's fine. I like peanut butter, he doesn't, no biggie. If he's talking about the corporate food empires that produce somewhat suspect but palatable junk food, I actually agree with him. That is why farmers markets are growing by leaps and bounds here in the states. And why people are trying new and old foods that have almost nothing to do with the big conglomerates. Let's talk turkeys: Heritage Turkeys are starting to become popular. A whole different bird than the ones ConAgra produce. And it goes on and on. So yeah, Ned, usually it takes time and attention to produce good food. I couldn't agree more.

The Hmong will probably have their own grocery stores in short order. That's been the norm for most groups that move here.

Jeepz

[sbk]

Actually Jeepz, there are large pockets of Hmong all over the US. There are over 300,000 Hmong in the US now, with sizable populations in Wisconsin and Minnesota (BRRR!!, why there?)

Most of these Hmong were from (well, as 'from' some place as a nomadic people can be) Vietnam and were repatriated right after the war to avoid the subsequent persecution by the communist govt since they had helped the US. Anyway there is a Hmong home page that is quite interesting : here is an excerpt from their site:

There are about 12 million Hmong people in the world in 2001.

There are about 400,000 Hmong people in Laos in 2001.

Witnesses in Laos reported that the communist Lao government and the communist Vietnamese government have killed more than 300,000 people in Laos in the past 26 years. The "killing fields" and genocide in Laos are still going on in the countryside today.

From 1975 to 1991, more than 500,000 people in Laos fled and became international political refugees in the world because of the legacy of the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia.

The Communist Lao and Vietnamese governments have been exterminating Hmong people in Laos since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and are still doing so today, because of Hmong people cooperated with the U.S. government during the Vietnam War. In 2001, witnesses in Laos have reported that many thousands of Communist Vietnamese soldiers are cooperating with the Communist Lao government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) to conduct an ethnic cleansing war, genocide and human rights violations against Hmong people in Laos.

More than 28,000 Hmong and Lao refugees in Thailand were repatriated back to Laos between 1980 and 1999.

Hmong website is quite interesting, check it out.

Jeepz, Agree with you about the corporatization of food in the US, best food comes from small organic farmers. But I have to admit a craving for Ben & Jerrys, even tho they did sell out to some huge corporation.

[cdnvic]

As for yank foodstuffs.......i dont go near the shit.

You may have to... Vegimite and Four&Twenty are now owned by Kraft.

On a serious note.... how many Americans refugees have asked Hmong villages for asylum?

cv

[Pi Sua]

The ressetlement is not only for the Hmong. All the burmese refugees are also concerned with the program and they are actually being interviewed by the US embassy.

[NedKelly]

Yes even vegemite has been sold off. Its a joke. As long as they dont change the basic product and turn it into some crap I'll be happy. Ownership on paper is ok. they saw a good thing and went for it.