The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group that live in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia (hence the term ‘hilltribe’). In Laos, they are concentrated in the northern mountains which border Vietnam. Originally from southern China, many Hmong began a gradual migration south to SE Asia in the beginning of the 18th century in search of arable land & religious & political freedom. Many came to Laos, but many also went to Vietnam & Thailand, & some to other SE Asian nations. (Current estimated are 800,000 Hmong in Vietnam, 500,000 in Laos, & 150,000 in Thailand.) The total Hmong population in the world is 4 to 5 million, with about 3 million still in China. Because they fought for the US in the ‘Secret War’ against the communists in Vietnam, they have been singled out for persecution by their communist governments since the war ended in 1975, especially in Laos. After the war, many Hmong therefore fled to refugee camps in Thailand, or to western countries as refugees, many of them (300,000) to the US.

The Secret War: In the early 1960s, the American CIA agency began to recruit & train the Hmong people in northern Laos to fight the communist advance in Vietnam. About 60% of the Hmong men in Laos participated in the "Secret War" in Laos. Because the Ho Chi Minh Trail passed through the mountains bordering Vietnam in NE Laos, the Hmong unit was used to block the trail which was the main military supply route between north Vietnam & south Vietnam. These Hmong soldiers, fighting for the United States, risked their lives blocking the supply line & rescuing downed American pilots. It is estimated that between 1962 & 1975, about 12,000 Hmong died fighting the communist Pathet Lao, & countless others were injured or disabled.

Following the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took over the control of Laos, & the Hmong became targets of retaliation & persecution, especially those who had participated in the military conflict, & they have been ever since. While some Hmong returned to their villages & attempted to resume life under the new regime, thousands more fled to Thailand. Of those who remained in Laos, between 2, 000 & 3,000 were sent to re-education camps as political prisoners. During their 3-5 year sentences, they endured hard physical labor & difficult conditions, therefore many died. Thousands more, mainly former soldiers & their families, escaped to remote mountain regions, particularly Phou Bia, the highest (and thus least accessible) mountain peak in Laos.

I will provide more information about Luang Prabang province in my next journal.