Hmong-Asylum.org's mission is to raise public awareness of the American-allied Hmong tribes hiding in the jungles of Laos or which have fled to Thailand and are in danger of being repatriated. We campaign (a) get the USA to grant political asylum to the Hmong whom are persecuted by the communist Laos army, and (b) to ask Laos to allow third-party personnel to observe and actively facilitate the process of Hmong coming out of the jungle and integrating with mainstream Laotian society in a fair and dignified way.
After the US withdrew from the Vietnam War, many of the "Secret Army" were not evacuated to the USA by the CIA and hid in the jungles when the communist army quickly overran Laos. At that time, the new communist regime vowed to exterminate the American allies "to the last root" and have been steadfast in their campaign of revenge for over three decades. Captured Hmong are often viciously tortured, raped, imprisoned, enslaved, or murdered by the Laotian army or police. The population of the Hmong in hiding has been reduced from an estimated 100,000 to 10,000 in the last five years alone.
The atrocities suffered by these Hmong are well documented by human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Society for Threatened Peoples International, respected news sources such as Time Magazine and BBC, and by video cameras smuggled into Laos by the NGO, Fact Finding Commission; the video evidence plus interviews with Hmong refugees was recently made available in Rebecca Sommer's documentary, "Hunted Like Animals."
The Hmong in hiding are mostly elderly, women, and children, almost defenseless, starving and suffering from frequent military attacks. These hunted persons are farmers who hide and run for their lives but have nowhere to go. They only wish for the ability to farm in peace; they are not rebels. Anti-terrorist legislation after 9-11 had the unintended side-effect of classifying these former American allies as terrorists, making them ineligible for immigration to the USA as political refugees. There are only an estimated 10,000 of these Hmong left and they need America's aid immediately or else they will surely come to a horrible end in the upcoming months.
Hmong-Asylum.org strongly believes that working separately is not effective as working in a collaborative community effort. We support good work of organizations already developed to help the Hmong in times of crisis or continuing to better the Hmong community.
Hmong-Asylum.org was founded by Moua Lo (director) and husband Edward Kirton (webmaster) and relies upon the continuing efforts of many volunteers.
This is a description of our current campaigns.
We encourage the public to write to their political representatives. You can also submit your own letters as an example for others. Click for more information.
We also sell Rebecca Sommer's documentary, Hunted Like Animals. You are encouraged to buy a DVD, show it to a group of their friends/family in their home, and give them the opportunity to sign prewritten letters to their public officials. Click here for more details.
One important aspect to being in a democratic society is the ability to voice ones' opinion and vote for public officials to represent you and address your concerns. Vote for someone you think will do the right thing, someone who cares about the people, and most importantly someone who cares about your issues. So it is our goal to register as many Hmong throughout California as possible. We will be keeping track of how many we register at Registering the Hmong community to vote.
We organize or participate in events to inform the general public, politicians, and reporters about the Hmong hunted in the jungles of Laos. Attendees are encouraged to write to public officials.
For example, we worked with the Sacramento Ad Hoc Hmong Committee to host a screening of the documentary, Hunted Like Animals, on July 16th:. Local residents and Talk 1530AM came to watch the documentary, Hunted Like Animals, and hear filmmaker Rebecca Sommer and Ed Szendrey from Fact Finding Commission. Many thanks to our new friends at the Madison Avenue Baptist Church for allowing us to hold the event at your church.
On Sept. 8, we again support the SAHC for the Hmong American Public Forum in which noted guests such as CA Assemblyman Dave Jones and APAPA founder CC Yin, Ed Szendrey of FFC, among others, spoke to the Hmong community and supporters.
We are excited to support Assemblyman Dave Jones, the first time American government official, from California to endorse the film, "Hunted Like Animals". He also created the Assembly Joint Resolution 36 with Assemblyman Juan Arambula. The resolution urges Congress & the President to act on the human rights violations of the Hmong in Laos & Thailand. We worked hand in hand with organizing the film screening held at the Crest Theater on On October 28th, 2007. Our special guest speakers included, Rebecca Sommer (Film maker of "Hunted Like Animals"), Ed and Georgie Szendrey (Fact Finding Commission), Kue Xiong (Lao Human Rights Council). Alongside Assemblyman Dave Jones, his staff, and other community leaders, we successfully filled the seats in the theater and having to turn away 400 people. Thank you to Wells Fargo for sponsoring the event!
More films screenings will be announced...
For more information on any of these campaigns or to get involved, contact us.
Registering the Hmong Community to vote is the newest addition to our campaigns.
We understand that a lot of the elders in the community have their citizenships, but have not registered to vote. Thanks to ideas given by Dr. Chue Chang and TerFong Yang, we held our first registration of Hmong voters on July 25th's rally in front of Sacramento's Courthouse. In this event we were able to register 55 voters. This will be the beginning of a Hmong-Asylum project that we wish to help continue in the Hmong community.
Thanks to all whom help fill out the forms during the rally!
C.C. Yin, a successful Chinese immigrant and one of the founders of the nonprofit organization, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA; see: http://apapa.org/) conveyed an important message to the Hmong Americans: "This country is yours", but along with the benefits of citizenship comes the responsibility to be politically aware and VOTE! You have the power to make a difference because you can inform your political representatives and candidates about the issues which concern you and either vote them in or out. "America's a great country; you need to help." Hmong-asylum.org volunteers staffed voter registration tables to encourage people to sign up and to translate as necessary. Before the speeches began, we signed up only about 20 voters, but after the speakers and Mr. Yin's encouraging words, the tables were flooded and we signed up about 100 voters. Almost all of the registrants were first-time voters.
The Hmong American Public Forum was held on September 8th, 2007, sponsored by the Sacramento Ad Hoc Committee, and was attended by nearly 1000 persons.
Index of past events
Rebecca Sommer, creator of Hunted Like Animals and affiliated with the Society of Threatened Peoples International, will address Hmong youths interested in learning how the UN operates and the proper channels to express yourself.
Hmong American Concerned Committee of Sacramento and Hmong-Asylum.org are please to announce the following speakers:
Rebecca Sommer, filmmaker
Ed Szendrey, Fact Finding Comission
Film: "HUNTED LIKE ANIMALS"
A film screening followed by a Q&A session with Rebecca Sommer (Society for Threatened Peoples) and Edward Szendrey (Fact Finding Commission)
HUNTED LIKE ANIMALS is an eye-opening documentary about an ongoing, but unknown, genocide against the Hmong people in the jungles of Laos. Coerced into joining the CIA's anti-communist efforts during the Viet Nam war, the Hmong in hiding are still mercilessly hunted, attacked, raped, tortured and killed by the military. Since 2004, the military crackdown on the Hmong has intensified and those who can escape seek refuge in Thailand. In this documentary, the Hmong Lao refugees speak for many thousands of voiceless people still trapped in the jungle, surrounded by Lao and Vietnamese soldiers.
Rebecca Sommer and Ed Szendrey will both discuss possible solutions to stop the repatriation of the refugees in Thailand and the genocide of the Hmong being hunted in the Jungles of Laos.
WARNING: Some scenes are of graphic nature. Mature Audiences ONLY. **VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**
For additional information email MouaLo@Hmong-asylum.org
WHEN: Tuesday, 7/17, from 3pm—5:30pm
WHERE: 4148 Madison Ave; Sacramento, CA 95660 (near I-80 exit)
Who: General public
"In our capacity as advisors to this film, we find it unique, largely due to the fact that it has been actively supported by such a broad circle of Hmong people, and we recommend it very highly. We believe it will serve as a bridge to connect our people to the international world community, and hopefully to salvation..."
Vaughn Vang, Executive Director, Hmong Lao Human Rights Council
"Hunted Like Animals is a must-see not only for politicians, diplomats, and human rights activists, but for anyone whose heart is in the right place... I wholeheartedly recommend this documentary both for its strong message and for its skillful cinematography..." Alexander Nowak, German Consul, New York
Hmong Amnesty Plan
Kue Xiong, president
Hmong Lao Human Rights Council
Start: 5:30 pm
End: 8:30 pm
Who: Special Guest; Kou Xiong (President of the Hmong Lao Human Rights Council in Minnesota)
Location: (24th St & Florin Rd.) Sacramento
Time: 6:00pm
Hosted by: The Sacramento Hmong-American Ad Hoc Committee
Kou and his organization, Hmong Lao Human Rights Council, has been dedicated to drafting a "Hmong Amnesty Plan" as well as traveling on their own expenses to the UN and US officials to speak on the Hmong issues.
Kou will be speaking upon topics including "HOW CAN THE HMONG IN HIDING BE SAVED" including the refugee issue.
He will explain the idea of the Hmong Amnesty Plan, and explain how his organization and community in St Paul and surrounding was able to reach CONSENT on the Draft "Hmong Amnesty Plan".
Please RSVP with us, there is limited space there with chairs. We are looking for true activists who want to learn and be able to actively work on resolutions to help the 'Hmong hiding in the jungles of Laos and Thailand refugees'.
Please email John.C.Lo@Hmong-Asylum.org for more questions.
National Lao-Hmong Recognition Day
Sacramento July 22, 2007
Agreed to on December 10,2001 by the 107th Congress of the United States of America, July 22 is a nationally recognized day that honors the brave Hmong men, women, and children sacrificed during the Secret War and celebrates the courage of those who survived.
Celebrate National Lao-Hmong Recognition Day by wearing this orange ribbon -- a symbol of our community’s respect for
cultural diversity.
RECOGNITION DAY CELEBRATION
International World Peace Rose Garden
State Capitol
(15th Street, between N & L Streets)
Sunday, July 22 5 pm to 7 pm
Free to the public
Donations to benefit Boy Scouts Troop #268
HOSTED BY:
Sacramento Hmong Community Network (SHCN)
For more info, contact us at shcn916@yahoo.com or (530) 304-6020
Read the original Concurrent Resolution.
HMONG-ASYLUM.ORG WILL HAVE A BOOTH AT THE FESTIVAL. Volunteers are needed to distribute pamphlets, answer questions, and ask people to sign a petition. To sign up, click the checkbox below "Sign up for this slot" then click the "Submit" button.
We hope to see everyone there!
Hi everyone!
Place: Federal Courthouse, 5th & I Sts, Sacramento, Ca
Time: 8am-1pm
We just got a notice about a rally (organized by another community group) this Wednesday, July 25th!
I know alot of you want to help out, so please stop by our booth and introduce yourselves to us if we haven't met already.
We need volunteers to:
1. Be at booth to pass out fliers, newsletters, answer questions
2. Register voters
3. Collect Contact info
To volunteer, sign in, check the box below, and click the submit button.
Sacramento 5th and I Sts.
Stockton meeting
Stockton meeting
Stockton meeting: Lao Family Org
Stockton youth meeting