aa ah Hs dh ob de ae te ab ah EE Eb di dt db a Ee Abraham Yi Vang [Abraham Yi Vang lived in Long Chieng in Laos. In Laos he s in the city council and worked on zoned development. He reed for the CIA for 13 years and was in charge of the 12th| Brigade. He is the'current Executive Director of the Hmong [Association. What was your government like in your homeland? My government compared right now is just the communist system. They control the country and it willbe serious problem for economy. (couldn't hear) education, health, housing, agriculture and every other thing will be and the situation in Laos and most people would not.. they hungry, no food, heavy rain and the weather and natural resources and climate heavy changing and make all the weather situation make the people in Laos ~ now is they are hungry. Government cannot provide assistance to help to individually every village and and every city because that would be because it would be major damage because of the weather and that make a lot of people in Laos angry from the weather. Government assistants control the country. They lack education, they don’t have any salary or teacher. The teacher job done, they teach only half day and most of the students they don’t have any good education in Laos, and it would also be the same thing if the hospital...hey don’t have to make salary for doctors and nurse who work full time in and out the day. The job only work half day and the rest of the day to (recluse their wooleton time???) and conserve it for the population. That that is the major issue in Laos for the new government system. 0 you came from Laos? Yes, Icome from Laos. How long ago teas it when you left Laos? 1 left Laos in 1976, How did you feet about leaving ? Were you happy? Did you want to leave? Just happy. When we came here we see the fighting had stopped and [we] come to the good old ‘country. We had been hiding for the last thirty years and during the Vietnam war that we fought for freedom, that we fought for democracy. Now if our land was all green, we think it would be a good place for us to start our new life. Did your family come over with you? Yes. Were they happy too? Yes, they were happy too. All my children. Yes, Ihave only two kid when came to the US. now hhave another five. They are American citizens. They are born here so they feel real good and they te real lucky their parents brought them to the great land. So why did you leave? Is there a certain reason or was it because the conditions were bud? Our country had been fell to the communist control after the American troop withdrew {rom Saigon ~ fom South Vietnam, And so after Pathet Lao communist leader take control of the country. $0 more of them looking for and searching for American. who served for C.LA. air force during the Vietnam War. So they try... they searching home to home and also they arrest people send them to 4reeducation camp and also sent them to punishment. A lot of people who served during the Vietnam War for American C.LA. ~ they decide to to leave the country. ‘Then I left Laos and to ‘Thailand. That the reason the Laos communist are searching for me, Iran and we don't know when they are arrest whether they are put in jail but we guarantee we see a lot people, they were arrested put in jail, punishment, suffer until they die. It will be same situation. You know, we're lucky we're here. How did you leave? When I left the country... came early. ‘The first group that fly.. because in that time American plane, we don't have much airplane to pick up people from from the airport. Because at that time, the communists and the soldiers are already nearby the city they shooting some mortar 81 they shooting 130 and they shoot 120 machine guns. They [U.S] come to the airport and they try to land the airplane, but the plane cannot land and cannot pick up the people and most people...they come a little early and that the case and the row is still open...tand up closer. I arrive Thursday. I came from thirty miles north of the Long Chieng CIA headquarters. I took to ride a taxi to Vientiane. Vientiane is the capital in Laos. Then I live in Vientiane for several months. Then communist Laos searching ..ook for my name in the newspaper and now for the radio station in Laos and they put it in news papers, you know, daily news papers my name and they're looking for me. Then I decide in detail to leave. Inced to leave the country so that when I leave and I escape from Laos I use a boat and I don't know what you call the boat. Canoe? Yes, for crossing the Mekong River. I bought a boat and including my uncle and other friend we had sixty-nine people. We crossed at the night and the daytime and it took six hours to put all the people in the boat. Six hours to cross? ‘Yes, to cross because we had only two boats and so we needed to take ten trips so that we are across the Mekong River to Thailand, Where did you go from: there when you got across the river? Yes, when we crossed the river to Thai side, we radioed to the Thai soldier station. Then we got the police to come and they working between the border between Laos and Thailand, So they control the border pick them up at village. When they're found, we are the soldiers who must serve for Americans, including myself had been trained in Laos and Thailand and so when they mention we are training in Thailand...our education in Thailand, they look through the school that I attended — what Ihad been attended before and they found my name and they said it's true. They Thai and Thai's still taking K?? and that real good for second arrive to Thailand, you know. and that's how my nation and Thailand government. they agreed to open the border for Lao refugee to Thai and a ‘Cambodia, Vietnamese refugee, and escape to Thailand so Thai welcome so we don't have any difficult after we cross and get to Thailand territory. ‘Then did you take a plone from there? We ride bus. You rode a bus? Yes, we ride bus and then Thai soldier bring the cargo truck. Picked us from the small village and te te ote ty and then we go other city to the rlage camp, The reluge camp iin Nong How long were you in the camp? Lived in camp a very short time. Icame from Laos in February of 1976 until September of 1976. ‘Then I left the camp for the US.How was the camp? Well at that time the camp be, nothing had been built, and you go to the table and had the little house but, it's a grassland, Thave a couple pictures . Do you wt to see them? Yes, sure, They got the little building, they buy your own supply. There you little house. I think that is in Ban Vinai. Is that a camp? Yes, That's the Ban Vinai camp. Soldiers? ‘Yes, that is soldiers think so soldiers. This isa eute picture. [laughter] Yes little kids We're not sure rohat's going on in there. Yeah Do you know what's going om in tis one? ‘They build Laos and ... the picture Laotian people or Thai people. In the camp it would be when we went there, nothing built, no building it all cultivated? Field like a farm field. Wout this be the camp too? think that could be. We got all these pictures ut ofa book Oh, good. Good. And that’s bus Yes, that's a bus, I see What is that similar ta? We had to radio we call it the (couldn't understand)... has the radio cassette and he live in Laos, That say come to America. This is the cans you draw water from the well, This must be the cleaning crew. ‘They ride around the camp. Here's a map that we have and where were the camps on here? This is Thailand and the camps will be very close. This is Nong Khai and what region right here. This is the Vientiane, Vientiane will be nearby the border. This is Nong Khai right here. We came from way over north, we from Vientiane territory, yes Long Chieng and Lo Phou Bia here and we come to this area not too far from this area Is that a camp too? Yes. Vinai camp. This built after 1978, 1977. 96‘Then, we found a couple of these drawings in the book too. Could you tell me what's happening in those drazwings? That is a very good story and it serve for this situation. Right here its the Lao communist soldiers and they walk into the village and killing, and the husband accused because they CIA soldiers before they once serve for American side. They took lady do many things like you do for sexual assault, sexual abuse and after they do that they kill her. And all the women, children, man for teach village this situation happen for at least 15-20 years. Right now it can go on, never stop, you know? Ie still goes on? Yes, still go on. They far from the north, usually it's a minority like a Hmong, it's a Laotian, it's a Lahu. This Hmong village and they do this, all the Pathet Lao soldiers and this still continues to go and the killing and little children know nothing and all killed. Burn their house. So this is basically the same thing? Yes, that is the same thing, Do you know what that says down there? ‘This will be when they come to the village, they walk into the village they bum the house, they kill people, they take all, they killing the husband and yelling the wife and kicking her. They put the little baby in the rice mill. We call rice mill, a rice mill usually I think you never see where we are in here you have the mill, rice mill in the coop. You farm like a harvest your rice, tices in a bag? ‘And you catch the middle big rice. So it's a rice mill? Yes, right here, You grind it up? Yes, in Laos we don't have big kind machinery so we make our own and we use this one to grind ‘They put babies in there? Yes, and grind in mill, in rice mill. (Oh ny goodness! Yes, in tice mill, When they come, they put the baby in here and do many things what they do you know that situation in Laos and the Pathet Lao soldiers and support by North Vietnamese, Chinese, Soviet Union and other communist countries. So, would you say it was better in the refugee camps thar it was in your villages? ‘Yes. The refugee camp would be very difficult starve, like a refugee camp, you see here they make a fence, they make a fence last. They don't let people go out from the fence and locked the people inside the fence. No one can come in either? Yes right. They make a corral, a fence, line it around the camp 30 don't let many people go out. ‘They make a gate and the Thai policeman work for the gate. You go out from fence when they see you they arrest you and put you for the jail. You lost a lot of money. They hit you like animal and. Rot like you. ‘The police officer go to someone home or arrest some people and they tried to arrest and tied their hand on their back. In Thailand, they will be suffering until your blood show, blood from your eye, from you nose, and really suffer like an animal. ‘The worse animal in here, you Know from all ofthat suffering, Its real eal danger. You lea lot of money too. They fine you.sees teeta eee ee You don't have money pay for the Thai policeman so you will stay for the jail, That the situation, Was pretty hard to come fo the ULS. or pretty easy? T think it depends some family, when they are refugee program like this GVA? They have the program to plan to bring refugee to the U.S. I think that like my group, it was very easy because the United Nations who work for the GYM program and the communists say you want to go to the USS. so we agree come to USS. We try to fill out the papers, there are some papers later on and on. Monday come and they say you ready so you are able to go. After 1980 that will be little difficult because the first group who were soldier, they come easily. After 1980 some groups still remain, They are the soldier but they don't want to come. They still remain in refugee camp and after that the program will be little difficult for them. To make sure they serve for American CIA before and the family and they can come up easily. The one who family worked not for soldier it will be a little difficult for them to interview. The last couple times they can wait for the camp for several years. ‘That would be another situation. ‘Yours went pretty fast. My group they consider for the first case. so we come easily. Wien you came to the U. S., did you come right to Wisconsin? My friend Vang Pao i for seven year we try to move to Wisco arrive there on September 9 in 1996, I live there in 1983 to Wausau, What made you decide to move to Wisconsin? Thave some uncle then that live here. You came because they were here? Yes. They come direct from Thailand. Usually when we don’t have any relative by them, our culture we need to be very close to our family. You go to work or you go some place else, you can eave your children for them to take your kid for temporarily. Now there, we don't have any relative at all. We have a aunt and uncle, so we decide to move in here. Did you have any relatives when you moved to Tennessee? No relative at all. What made you decide to go there? (This part of the tape was erased and then they came here and pick up the language in fact they try to change. ‘They look different. ‘The last five year I lived, the Thai government in their programs. ‘They live in Ban Vinai camp Shen Kan. They send a group of people search for a refugee. Lao refugee who had been live in Thailand for many year and they don't see any progress. When they send people to Wisconsin, search for a refugee and they got some families for three or five year. They be able to purchase their own car, their home, and how much future education they have. Language their children if they have progress in school, if they be able to go to technical college o they be able to go to vocational school. Thai people they leave and they are different. They go back to Thai official and say these people, we need to let them have opportunity for the camp, And don't lock them because they have a brain, they know what to do. So I think until today its still not going to happen. When Shen Kan camp close the people remain in Vinai camp until they transfer to Na Pho camp. Now we have ‘groups, the repatriation to Laos, they come back to Laos. Half of the people have been forced from. the Thai government and the Laos government. ‘They are part of the repattiation program. These people, they go back to Laos half of them have been suffering, killing. They say you are the enemy and left the country for many years. ‘They hate you, they say they are afraid of country and they have been changing. When you go back to Laos, they will hurt you, they never let you do what you want They wait when you go back and try todo oer things for you, Many family go back toLaos and no farm, land. Before they come to sign a paper they the refugee camp and repatriation program, they say OK, we ageee for you an area in Laos. We have a farm land for you. We will help you build your own house. We will do everything for you for the first five years until your certain you can sipport yourself then the program will stop. They take you over there and live for only six months then they say no land for you farming, you have to go way on the north - there we have form land for you . They thinking you want to do something and also you live with who you know each other and yot live with the area and the territory what you know before. They send you for the different area you never know, and you never gone for that area. Anytime they come into your house and say you never told me that during the war you were soldier, right? You need to tell the truth and they need to tell the truth. You say "yes" or you say “no” they say we know because someone told us, Later on they arrest you and they say telling your faznily, well it will be couple days we send him back. This situation go on, this repatriation program. We have a very small ‘number, right now I heard 160 people and they don’t want to come to US. They don’t want to go back in Laos. They call and say it will be difficult for them start a new life because they don't have ‘education background and they think they have to remain living in Thailand. But they allow for them to live and those 150 people say they will be repatriated these poor people. They say they will go through Vientiane because that their home town and when they left the country their relatives slill there. They want to go back to that city that they do repatriation. Lao communists say you need to go way down south. South, it will be nearby its a Hanoi border, Vietnam border, Cambodian border. They never lived before. They don’t know that area well, that the situation in the camp. ‘They could be way down here, but it’s the Vietnam and near the Cambodia. ‘This camp where we were they put people in the river like a gate across and a litte island, put all people for that island, Your camp is right here? ‘Yes, right here. Okay, 1 put a tittle dot there so I can rementber. ‘That is the Vientiane. When they sending some groups their relatives will be later in this area, they say they want to go back in here, they say no. No land for you to farm they will be sending all north and all south Do you now a lot of the Hong people in Wausau, do they get a tot of help from the government still? Yes. I think the Lao people, most the people, I know were 500 soldiers, they were in the war and they're living here. I think it will be most of them, some of them have been assisted by ‘employment, some of them is difficult because lack of education and skill, They still fighting for, T think it will be hopeful in the future. TTrMermnrnaehntrtyTwTrR aT asomm 2s