Posted on 12/15/2006 7:04:33 PM PST by DJ Taylor
BANGKOK, Thailand — A lingering legacy of the Vietnam War emerged from the jungles of Laos on Wednesday, as hundreds of members of the Hmong hill tribe minority surrendered to the communist government after decades on the run. The group is the latest of several ragtag bands of surrendering Hmong — remnants of a guerrilla army that served a pro-American government before it fell to the communists in 1975. The surrendering group's chieftain, Moua Tua Ter, accompanied the 405 people — mostly children — to Ban Ha village in Phoukout district before returning to the jungle with a few of his guerrillas, U.S.-based Fact Finding Commission said in an e-mail. The group appeared to be "very hungry and tired," it said. The villagers served them a meal of rice and pork. The newcomers became nervous and the mood turned sour when 50 Lao government soldiers who showed up a few hours after the surrender separated the Hmong from the villagers. The Hmong were loaded onto five military trucks and soldiers said they would be taken to the district capital where there is an army camp. Although the Hmong served loyally in what was called the CIA's "Secret War" in Laos — the U.S. did not officially acknowledge its military presence there at the time — they were all but abandoned after their communist enemies, the North Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao, came to power.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
The U.S. will find a people who desperately need our help and we need theirs. We will make them promises, give them hope and gain their assistance. Then, to our eternal shame and disgrace, we will elect a Democrat Congress who will callously abandon those people to their fate.
That is truly sad. I hope, but don't expect, that they escape
the worst reprisals.
ugh. this needs to be bumped. I read something like this and then a few articles later we see something about some radical cleric granted asylum in the west.
If anyone needs be rescued its these folks.
bookmark bump
"Abandoned by America."
Got that right!
Yes we did. I hope we don't do the same to the Kurds.
Having spent some time with these honorable folks. I feel that one of the most dishonorable things we did in the VN war was leave them behind. We asked them for much, they gave much and we left them with nothing.
A bump for those who fought with us.
As a tribal (inducted) member of the Hmong (MUNG) people, I’m saddened. They were such an alive, vibrant, open and free people. Along came war and their lifestyle ceased.
Now this …
That is just sad.
There are so many things to be proud of our country for...but this isn't one of them.
Yep. We cannot do this to the Kurds or any other people in that region who have supported the effort, and there are plenty of them.
Unfortunately we will … they no longer serve our purposes.
I don't think we have to repeat history, no matter how badly the liberals want it.
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