Lao, Hmong Veterans Hold Rallies Nationwide Against Attacks, Atrocities by Laos and Vietnam Today

U.S. Newswire › April 14, 2004

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Summary

WASHINGTON, April 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Laotian and Hmong veterans and victims will commence nationwide demonstrations and rallies (starting on Wednesday, April 14, 2004, at 10:30 a.m. local time) in front of the local offices of U.S. congressional members to oppose brutal, ongoing military attacks in Laos directed against civilian and opposition groups as well as new legislation recently re-introduced by Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Phil Crane (R- Ill.) last month seeking to grant Normalized Trade Relations (NTR) status to the Pathet Lao communist regime.

"The Lao Veterans of America along with Lao and Hmong victims and community members will demonstrate against the killings and atrocities now being committed in Laos and the current military offensive directed against Hmong and Laotian civilians and rebels," stated Colonel Wangyee Vang, national director of tthe LaoVeterans of America (LVA), the nation's largest Hmong and Lao veterans organization. "We also strongly oppose new legislation that seeks to grant NTR trade status to the Communist Pathet Lao regime while it has significantly increased military and security force operations against Hmong and Laotians civilians trapped in Laos," continued Vang. "Why should the United States give the Pathet Lao regime a major tax-cut on goods imported to the USA, at the expense of ordinary American taxpayers, when it is engaged in atrocities and the killing of freedom-loving Laotian and Hmong people who are the often the relatives and family members of veterans and many people in our communities?" questioned and concluded Vang.

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Lao, Hmong Veterans Hold Rallies Nationwide Against Attacks, Atrocities by Laos and Vietnam Today

Demonstrations and rallies are slated for California, Minnesota, Illinois, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and other states in opposition to the Pathet Lao regime and newly introduced legislation by Rep. Betty McCollum and Rep. Phil Crane seeking to grant NTR trade status...

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