Home Page : News: Letter from Hugh Tovar Last Updated August 22, 2008 An Open Letter from Hugh Tovar Please contact your members of Congress - Help the Laos Hmong in Thailand Most veterans of Air America who worked in Laos and Thailand became very well acquainted with our Hmong allies who fought beside us and suffered greatly during years of warfare. Most of the Hmong were able to come to the US and are established here as new Americans. Others stayed behind in Laos and spent years trying to live in their own country, while suffering continuous harassment by the LPDR and their Vietnamese satraps. Finally, when the heat became to much for them to stand, great numbers of them made their way to Thailand, and now there are about 8,000 Hmong refugees in Thailand, many of them being old soldiers and their families The Thai military are currently trying to force them out and send them against their will back to Laos. A handful have actually gone back to Laos, and have not been heard from since. Those still in the camp are getting desperate, as the Thais are treating them brutally. There has been a lot of publicity, both in Thailand and here, focused on the fact that these old allies of the US are now apparently being left to their fate, as the State Department is doing little to help them in their plight. There has, however, been some support for the Hmong in Congress. A number of congressmen, mostly from Wisconsin and Rhode Island, are now pressing for action on House Resolution 1273 in support of the Hmong. A number of senators have signed a letter to the Secretary of State, urging them to take action I have been in contact with numbers of our own Agency alumni who served in Laos and are familiar with the sacrifices made by the Hmong, both in casualties suffered and in the disruption of their society, and have suggested that they weigh in on this issue. Many are now writing to their congressmen, urging support for HR 1273. The more voices who could add to this chorus, the better the chances that our government might be persuaded to act. I would hope that Air America veterans could give us a hand in supporting this worthy cause. For those who write to his congressman or senator about the Hmong predicament, I would appreciate an e-mail telling us which congressman and what if any response he might have given. Hughtovar@aol.com Sincerely yours, Hugh Tovar
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