Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Washington, DC - Senator Norm Coleman today hosted a meeting in his Senate office between Hmong leader General Vang Pao and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Matt Daley. The group, which also included Chao Ophat Nachmpassak, a member of the Lao royal family, discussed General Vang Pao's efforts to bring peace to Laos, the refugee resettlement program for Hmong in Thailand, and the humanitarian crisis facing many Hmong living in Laos.

"I have some serious concerns about the way the Hmong people are being treated today in Southeast Asia," Coleman said. "It's critical that the U.S. State Department does all it can to bring peace to Laos and an end to the humanitarian and refugee crises facing many Hmong in Southeast Asia. This meeting is a solid first step in opening up a real, meaningful diplomatic dialogue between Hmong leaders in Southeast Asia and the U.S. State Department."

General Vang Pao presented to State Department officials his vision for a lasting peace in Laos, as he publicly articulated on November 26. State Department officials listened to Vang Pao's presentation, and discussed the changing opportunities for peaceful reconciliation in Southeast Asia.

Daley, who had just returned from an official visit to the region, described the U.S. initiative to resettle in the U.S. as many as 14,000 Hmong refugees currently living in Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand.

To underscore his serious interest and concern about this resettlement process, Coleman will dispatch Erich Mische, his top state official and Senior Policy Advisor, to accompany a delegation led by St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly to Thailand. The delegation is traveling to Southeast Asia to make preparations for a large group of Hmong planning to immigrate to Minnesota.

General Vang Pao and Senator Coleman also discussed their concern for the humanitarian crisis facing the Hmong in Laos. According to reports by Amnesty International and Time Asia, the Laotian Army is encircling groups of Hmong, making them unavailable to receive humanitarian aid. State Department officials agreed that the U.S. has an obligation to help the Hmong people, who sacrificed so much to help us during the Vietnam War. The Department views this as a humanitarian issue and does not support armed resistance against the LPDR and discourages such activity.