LPDR Retribution

Laos (FFC) On Saturday June 4, 2004 the Fact Finding Commission monitored the surrender of 173 members (mostly women, children, and the elderly) of a Secret War veterans group to the Lao government at the village of Chong Thuang, Laos. After what appeared in the beginning to be a good faith effort on behalf of the LPDR (applauded by Kofi Annan) the Lao military took charge of the group. Though the Lao government has reported that the people we cared for, to date they have not allowed international verification of the treatment given this group. The Fact Finding Commission received the following disturbing report.

Report Date: October 4, 2005 at 0830 Bangkok time. At about 6:00 p.m. on September 19, 2005, about 10 Lao military troops from Battalion 28, under the commanding officer of Phong Kheo, stationed at San Dae, along with four Lao policemen, one is identified as Khansouan, came to village of Chong Thuang where the 173 people from the jungle surrendered on June 4th of this year. Khansouan is the authority who, in March of this year, intended to arrest two of the blackbirds who guided the French journalists, Gregoire Deniav and Guillaume Leger to meet with Moua Toua Ter in late January of this year. The authorities came to the home of Nhia Her Lee who is 44 years of age. Nhia Her Lee was accused by the officials for having contacted with Moua Toua Ter and the displaced people in the jungle. Nhia Her Lee was also accused by the officials for involved in the coordination of the 173 people who surrendered on June 4, 2005. As the Lao officials pursued to arrest Nhia Her Lee and his brother Thai Lee, who is about 20 years old, the two tried to escape as six gunshots were fired at them by the Lao military. Nhia Her Lee was uninjured but surrounded and captured by the Lao military. The condition of Thai Lee is unknown at this time because he is no where to be found. It is most likely suspected that he was killed during the shooting. Nhia Her Lee was taking to Phousavan; interrogated, beaten and tortured by the Lao police. He is currently imprisoned in Phousavan. Neither Nhia Her Lee nor Thai Lee played any parts in contacting with the people in the jungle nor involved in the coordination of the surrender of the 173 people.

The following day, September 20, 2005, the same four policemen along with another 10 Lao soldiers from Battalion 28 returned to the village of Chong Thuang. They entered the home of Za Chia Vang, a 65 years old man. The Lao officials accused Za Chia Vang for making contact with the people in the jungle, and involved in the coordination of the surrender of the 173 people on June 4th. When Za Chia Vang denied the allegations he was shot to death by the Lao officials in his home.

The Fact Finding Commission is dedicated to exposing the plight of the veterans of the U.S. Secret War who have hid in the mountains and jungles of Laos for nearly thirty years to escape the retribution of the communist Lao government for their loyalty to the United States during the War in Southeast Asia.

Fact Finding Commission
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(530) 342-5571
Contact: Ed Szendrey – eszendrey@factfinding.org
Georgie Szendrey – gszendrey@factfinding.org
Ger Vang – gvang@factfinding.org

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The specific release can be viewed at: http://www.factfinding.org/News_Releases/index.html