Could I your help and support? Against genocide?

Dear hearts -- because I know that's what you all are in here -- I have a horrible story to tell, that needs telling out there in the big forums. But I would like to ask for you support, ninny that I am.

30 years of genocide in Laos is almost complete.

:cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead::cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead: :cry: :grr: :cry: :banghead:

And I'm afraid I cannot tell this story in just a few words. All of this is based on the work of a friend of mine – who does NGO human rights work. She's sending me something to edit here, which I needs must go do. But if you could read this, and maybe check her site out, I would appreciate it more deeply than I can possibly express.

Not to belittle Darfur, but there’s another genocide that’s been taking place for 30 years and is almost complete. My friend went and collected evidence that the people that are being eradicated are not armed rebels. That was the story that kept international eyes off of what was happening. Serious journalists have gone in as well and come out with the same story. But still there’s a media blackout.

Her site: http//:www.rebeccasommer.com

These people are hiding in groups in the jungle. Have been for 30 years. Living on roots they dig out of the ground. Running away every day from the soldiers who are hunting them. The military uses all kinds of weapons on them, small and large, artillery, even chemical weapons delivered by air.

The history is long and convoluted, and that is how it’s been kept secret. It’s in Laos. Back during the Vietnam conflict, Laos was neutral and the US could not station forces there. But the Communists did. So we were operating at a disadvantage. Then the CIA recruited these ethnic minorities and indigenous groups to be fighters – convincing them that by fighting the Communists they would be defending their homeland. You know the drill, I think.

Then basically we lost the war and left. They were okay for a year or two, but eventually the Pathet Lao took over their government, and it became the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and then they went after the Hmong with a vengeance, especially, of course, those they knew had worked for the CIA.

To make a long story short, while hundreds of thousands of Hmong and other peoples escaped, hundreds of thousands were imprisoned and killed, and I don’t know how many ran away into the mountain-top jungles. Inaccessible places. The Hmong had always lived in the highest places, so this was in a way home for them. And there were Hmong villages up there. But there were these bands of Hmong in hiding.

That was over 30 years ago. The Lao and the Vietnamese armies have gone after them and nearly completely wiped them out. Many of them have escaped into Thailand. Many over the years have been given refugee status and have been resettled – many to the USA, which is as it should be.

But in the last few years, the granting of refugee status stopped, and the resettling stop.

Bear in mind that all throughout this, Laos has maintained that these people hiding in the mountaintop jungles are armed rebels, so they do not deserve help, or refugee status, or the world’s concern. Once upon a time, that might have been true for some of them, perhaps. But over the years this whole thing has escalated so far, and the circumstances of those people have deteriorated so incredibly, that that no longer can be considered anywhere near the truth.

The military forces began over-running the Hmong villages that just happened to be there, chasing the inhabitants out into hiding. They were never rebels. The children and grandchildren of the CIA secret army weren’t rebels. Even if they wanted to be rebels, they don’t have the wherewithal, although people will say they do.

A friend of mine went to Thailand and visited the camp there. The Xaisomboun camp in Petchabun, I think. She collected many, many statements for the UNHCR and also videotaped many, many statements. She also recorded and had transcribed and translated many satellite telephone calls from and to groups still in Thailand.

Her whole report essentially documents that thse people are being wiped out in the most horrible way, while the rest of the world ignores it completely—because Laos says they are rebels. That’s it. They just say so, so that makes it so.

She has documentary footage of a little boy dying slowly in front of his horrified parents, with his belly slit open and his intestines and stomach hanging out – no blood, really, just a slow death. Just a slow horrible death for his parents to witness. Why? What was this little rebel doing? Trying to find a root to eat, probably.

So things have escalated and they have just erased many thousands, and are wrapping up the whole thing. There is and has been a media blackout. They’re rebels, you know. So, I need to post something out there, and I guess I need your help with getting the post right, and then your help with taking care of it. If you don’t mind.

But there are many utterly innocent people dying horrible deaths every day. There’s a link where you can read this report and view this video. If you can bear it.

ETM

I haven't yet checked out your friend's site, but your words really hit home for me.

Things like this really make me hate being part of the human race. :cry:


On edit: I visited your friend's site, and it is ABSOLUTELY amazing. However, I didn't see anything about the genocide that was being discussed. Should I have found something about it there?

It is www.rebeccasommer.org.

And here is another link. Huntington News. This fellow is a vet, I think, and he has been publishing her releases, because he was there and knows about these people.

Apparently they've almost killed them all, and there's a group they're about to force to go back in (!!!).

But I think DU could stop it.

I have one concern about myself, however, which I should express in a PM.

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/national/061209-staff-hmong.html

How do you post a picture?

--if you can tell me how to put up a picture, I will.

She has a little teeny preview of her documentary, but it's just the opening scene. She hasn't had time to do a real trailer. When she does, your skin will crawl.

It's the most horrible thing.

And it's this big secret.

And these people are being eradicated because they fought on the side of the USA in the Vietnam conflict.

Against the communists.

It seems as if -- this may or may not be true, I do not know -- but it looks as if they have been using the ones left up there as targets, for wargames, for training for their militaries.

Whenever groups of women and children have surrendered, which many have done in recent months, because things have gotten so very bad, they have essentially been raped to death.

After urgent frantic telephone calls to other Hmong in the USA begging for help, for salvation. Which they can't provide because all the governments say, gee, we can't interfere, you know, those people are armed rebels.

Yeah, little 10 year old girls being raped to death are armed rebels. Right.

In reference to posting a picture, it depends where the picture is currently located. If you give me the location, I'll take a look at it and tell you how I'd recommend posting the picture. (Also, do you have a Mac or a Windows computer?)

It's now in my draft post.

But theres' anotaher one, please see: http://www.rebeccasommer.org, and there on the top left kind of is a picture of her DVD cover: Hunted Like Animals. I'd like to post that, but a little larger. How would one do that?

They are being hunted like animals.

them smaller, but not larger. Sorry...

Will you help me keep it kicked or whatever?

I also have to go back to editing this letter thing for Rebecca.

kicked. Maybe some others here will also. Please post the link once you post the thread.

Thank you for your humanity, etm.


:hug:

I still have most of it in Word, but I have to do all the darned links and pictures and stuff agian, so I gyuss it will be a little while.

PSHAW!

I counseled a bunch of Laotian refugees who were born in the early 70's in the mid 90's.

Some didn't even know their year of birth. That meant they lost everyone when they were quite small. They were in relatively good shape.

Then again, they got out.

(I'll respond to your PM ASAP. . .still thinking about it and had a busy day-this is really important info IMHO)

I left out all my not smilies . Should I put them back in?

Or not important?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=364

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2893362&mesg_id=2893362


I wouldn't worry about the smilies. You're already on the Greatest Page, etm.

Was it posted to the independent media site?

I would also send it to Huffington and other alternative media - when there is enough uproar on the net - the main media could pick it up.
Ah, try also CNN - Anderson.

I have been surfing out there on the big board and my roommate is sitting here. He reads Kos, so I told him about DU. But there is so much anger and profanity that I am too embarassed to sit in polite company and view.

I admire your heart and strength. Thank you for allowing us to be part.

Anyone else who wants to check it out, here's the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2893362&mesg_id=2893362

Just wanted to say thanks, because really, I had no idea this was going on in Laos. I know about Darfur, so thanks for pointing out what's happening in Laos.