national hmong grave desecration committee

National Hmong Grave Desecration Committee

The Committee’s mission is to seek peaceful and just solutions to the desecration of Hmong graves in Thailand.

5TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF NHGDC, SEPT. 2ND THRU 4TH

PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC


THE ORIGINS OF THE HMONG

In Chinese’s history: Mentioned Hmong going back to the 2700 B.C.

Hmong began migrating into Southeast Asia around 1800s.

Most of them went to Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, but many remained in China

Built villages in the high ground of the mountains


HMONG: THE CIA WARLate 1950s – CIA’s Agent Bill Lair connected with the

HmongGeneral Vang Pao was asked to lead the covert war

in LaosBetween 1960 and 1973 – the U.S. relied heavily on

the Hmong soldiers, led by General Vang Pao to engage in direct combat with the North Vietnamese troops.

Hmong lost about 35,000 of lives, protecting the U.S. Hmong blocked and disrupted the flow of the

Vietnamese troops and war supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail


HMONG: FLEEING LAOSCIA War officially ended in 1973/1974Hmong leaders and soldiers fled to

Thailand for safetyMany families and soldiers were behind.Many fled to the Jungle of Laos


THAILAND: REFUGEE CAMPSBefore the settlements in the Third

CountriesNong KhaiNam PhongBan VinaiXiengKhamWat Tham KrabokWhitewaterNam Yao


WAT THAM KRABOK

Est. 15,000 Hmong in the camp Funeral and burial site Most of the Hmong left the camp at the beginning of 2004 to the United States and

other countries


HMONG GRAVES DIGGINGWat Thamkrabok, Thailand -

Thai foundations and workers have dug out hundreds of Hmong graves, dismembering the bodies, boiling the flesh, and removing the bones and tissues

Throwing the human tissues back to the opened graves and carried the bones away for unknown purpose, proven of videotape showing that late in 2005.


Video Clip of The GravesDownload the video clip and insert into

this slide.


CULTURE & RELIGIOUS BELIEFSExhuming, removing or destroying of graves is a

serious violation the fundamental human rights, including the rights to be free from discrimination, the rights to manifest one’s religion or belief.

Hmong religious belief - once someone is buried, the grave cannot be disturbed, desecrated, and the body cannot be moved/reburied at a different plot/ site.

Our belief: The spirits of the deceased ones would guide, support, or bless the living relatives with good fortunes otherwise, calamities and misfortune will occur to the living relatives.


DELEGATIONSThere were many delegations to

Thailand

September 2007November 2007July 2008August 2009April 2010


PROPOSED SOLUTIONSThai officials and Wat Thamkrabok to allow

the remaining bodies to be reburied at the old site of Wat Thamkrabok without the cost

The Foundations to be responsible for the returning the remaining bodies in good conditions without cost to the Hmong

To return the three (3) petrified bodies in good conditions without any cost


PROPOSED SOLUTIONS CONTINUE…

To rezone the rebury of Hmong graves to be a legal cemetery to protect future digging again.

The graves will be modernized with cemetery standards

To build a Memorial Park at Wat Thamkrabok


RESPONSESCommunication from the Thai Embassy

that:

Stop Graves Digging in ThailandReturn All of The Remaining BodiesDenial of Land requested in Wat

Tham Krabok


GOALS & PLAN: HMONG GRAVES MEMORIAL PARK


MEMORIAL PARK: Design Concepts


MEMORIAL PARK: Design Elements


MEMORIAL PARK: Concept Diagrams


MEMORIAL PARK: Site Plan


MEMORIAL PARK: Plaza


MEMORIAL PARK: Monuments


MEMORIAL PARK: Building Design


NHGDC Thank you!

national hmong grave desecration committee

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