Hmong in Laos

Little is known about the ethnic Hmong people, and even less about those among them who are rumoured to be fighting a low-level war against the Lao Government. But what seems certain, according to numerous human rights reports, is that many of the Hmong in Laos have a poor standard of living, and often feel marginalised by the authorities.

The Hmong are a little-known people in a secretive land "There's a kind of fault line which separates the Hmong from the rest of the population," said Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst for human rights group Forum Asia. "They are treated like traitors by the authorities," he told BBC News Online. "They are blamed for siding with the foreign imperialists." The problem stems from the Vietnam War, when large numbers of ethnic Hmong sided with the United States army, as the conflict spread from Vietnam into neighbouring Laos and Cambodia. The Hmong became an integral part of a secret CIA-trained militia that helped dismantle communist supply lines. But at the end of the war, the US Government stopped its support for the Hmong. In 1975, the communist Pathet Movement ousted the US-backed Lao royal family, and took control of the country. Fearing the worst, as many as a third of the Hmong population are thought to have left the country. Many settled in the United States, while others went to Thailand, Vietnam, France and Australia. But the 300,000 left in Laos have had to deal with the consequences of backing the losing side.

According to Sunai Phasuk, the Lao Government often accuses the Hmong of being the cause of the country's problems, such as the high levels of deforestation and widespread cultivation of opium. Many Hmong are also being forced to relocate from their highland homes to areas with poor agricultural potential, he said. "It's a totally different way of life, and it's difficult for them to adapt," he said. A spokesman for the human rights group Amnesty International said that Hmong people in detention were often treated unfavourably compared with other prisoners. "Prison conditions in Laos are really awful, and the Hmong are particularly badly treated," said Amnesty spokesman Daniel Alberman. there is increasing evidence that the Hmong are fighting back and over the last few decades, there have been persistent rumours of rebel fighters living in remote jungle areas. However, the truth of the matter is likely to remain difficult to determine, and continuing violence could well deter further investigations.

Adapted from BBC News Online, July 2003

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