Hmong refugees taken back to Laos

Many of you have asked me about the Vietnam War (or the “American War” as it’s called in Southeast Asia) and its effect on the people of Laos. While I don’t purport to know all the intricacies of this topic, I do know that the people of Laos suffered greatly during and after the War.
Hundreds of thousands of deaths resulted from the CIA’s “Secret War” in Laos, and the Lao people are still dealing with the aftermath today. Of particular note is what’s happening to the Hmong people this week…

The ethnic Hmong, an indigenous group scattered throughout Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and parts of China, aided the Americans during the Vietnam War. The Hmong fought under CIA direction in both Vietnam and Laos. After we, the Americans, left Vietnam and Laos, the Hmong were persecuted by the ruling Lao Communist government.

Over 300,000 Hmong fled Laos shortly after the War, with many seeking asylum in America, Canada, Australia, and France. Many of those who weren’t repatriated stayed in refugee camps in Thailand.

This week, roughly 4300 Hmong refugees currently living in camps in Thailand will be forcibly returned to Laos. The Lao government claims they will first live in temporary shelters, then the 4300+ Hmong refugees will live in two “development villages” in Laos.

You can read more about this here Yahoo News - Hmong and New York Times - Thailand Returns Hmong to Laos