[Tlc] TL-Hmong/US Congress

[justinm at ucr.edu]

2007-0909 - PressZoom - Thailand, Laos Crisis: Lao, Hmong
Amendment Passed By U.S. Senate

http://presszoom.com/story_141011.html

Thailand, Laos Crisis: Lao, Hmong Amendment Passed By U.S. Senate

Release Date: 2007-09-08
Original Link: http://presszoom.com/story_141011.html
Source: Center for Public Policy Analysis

U.S. Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) spearheaded an amendment that passed the U.S.
Senate on Thursday night to clarify language in the U.S.
Patriot Act and Real ID Act regarding the plight of Lao-Hmong
veterans and their refugee families subjected to the “material
support” issue in the United States, Thailand and Southeast Asia.

(PressZoom.com) - U.S. Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN), Patrick
Leahy (D-VT) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) spearheaded an amendment that
passed the U.S. Senate on Thursday night (Sept. 6, 2007) to
clarify language in the U.S. Patriot Act and Real ID Act
regarding the plight of Lao-Hmong veterans and their refugee
families subjected to the “material support” issue in the
United States, Thailand and Southeast Asia.

“The Lao-Hmong veterans and their refugee families in the
United States, Thailand and Laos are grateful to the U.S.
Senate, especially U.S. Senators Norm Coleman , Leahy and Kyl
for fighting to clarify earlier misinterpretation of the
Patriot Act which was indeed unfortunate and a serious
obstacle for many of the Lao-Hmong refugees in the United
States from becoming American citizens,” stated Philip Smith,
Executive Director, Center for Public Policy Analysis in
Washington, D.C.

Continued Smith: “At this time, it was crucially important
that the U.S. Senate support the Lao and Hmong veterans and
their refugee families with the passage of this amendment
given their historic sacrifices on behalf of the United States
during the Vietnam War and their tragic plight in Thailand and
Laos. The Hmong and Lao veterans and their families are
pleased that the United States Senate has moved to pass this
amendment to help restore honor and dignity to the suffering
Lao-Hmong people in the United States and Thailand who were
deeply saddened by the misinterpretation of elements of the
Patriot Act.

“We thank the U.S. Senate and believe that America and His
Royal Highness, the King of Thailand, fully understand and
will not forget the important sacrifices that the Lao and
Hmong veterans and their families have made on behalf of the
national security interests of the United States and Thailand
during the Vietnam War,” stated Colonel Wangyee Vang.,
National President of the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. “This
overdue Senate amendment, and the passage of this legislation,
is something that was very important to many in the Lao and
Hmong community and something that we anticipated and
appreciate greatly from the U.S. Congress,” Colonel Wangyee
Vang continued.

It critically important for the U.S. Senate to move to fix
this unfortunate technical matter of legal misinterpretation
of the Patriot Act regarding the Lao-Hmong veterans and their
refugee families. This is crucial to many suffering Lao and
Hmong people in the United States and abroad who are seeking
to be granted political asylum, refugee status and American
citizenship now and in the future,” Philip Smith concluded.

Smith also serves as the Washington Director for the Lao
Veterans of America, Inc., the nation’s largest Hmong and Lao
veterans organization with chapters in Minnesota, Wisconsin,
California and throughout the United States.

Some 8,000 Hmong political refugees at Ban Huay Nam Khao and
Nong Khai are endanger of forced repatriation from Thailand to
Laos according to Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International,
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Journalists Without Borders
(JSF) and other human rights and humanitarian organizations.
The amendment and legislation passed by the U.S. Senate on
Thursday night would potentially pave the way for these
Lao-Hmong refugees in Thailand to be granted political asylum
and resettled in the United States.

Australia and other third countries have already sought access
to these 8,000 Lao-Hmong refugees. These countries have
indicated that they would be willing to potentially help in
resettling the refugees and asylum seekers so that they would
not be forced back to the Communist regime in Laos that they fled.

The Lao regime, a one-party authoritarian military regime,
continues to persecute and kill ethnic Hmong and Lao minority
political and religious dissident and opposition groups
according to Amnesty International and other independent human
rights organizations.

The Stalinist Lao regime, and its military leaders, are listed
as press predators by the Paris, France based Journalists
Without Borders.

Thousands of Hmong and Lao refugees and asylum seekers have
fled ethnic cleansing and mass starvation at the hands of the
Lao regime in recent years.

Contact:

Anna Jones or Jade Lee
Tele. 202 543-1444
Center for Public Policy Analysis

2020 Pennsylvania Ave.NW
Suite 212

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu