The Hmong Human Rights Committee, part of UW-Madison's Hmong American Student Association, met Friday at the base of Bascom Hill to post pictures of the genocide in Laos in an effort to inform and educate students about the persecution of Hmong still occurring today.
Mai Choua Thao, a UW-Madison sophomore and HHR facilitator, said the main goal of HHR was to raise student awareness about what is really taking place in Laos, and to educate students about the history of the Hmong people, an ethnic minority from southeast Asia.
According to Thao, the Hmong people and the United States were allies during the Vietnam War. After the United States left Vietnam, Laos became a communist country, and the Hmong were left alone to defend themselves. Thao explained the Hmong in Laos are currently being persecuted for their alliance to the United States 35 years ago.
We're trying to bring this issue out more,"" Thao said. ""It's almost a responsibility to know about this.""
Pang Khang, UW-Madison sophomore and HHR facilitator, said there are a lot of students on campus who do not know what is happening in Laos and are unfamiliar with the Hmong people and their culture in general.
""A lot of people don't even really know what Hmong is,"" Khang said.
Friday marked the first time UW-Madison Hmong students have spoken out about the issue.
Student members made it clear the event was to raise awareness about the genocide, not to speak about past incidents on campus regarding the Hmong culture, including the statements made by a UW-Madison professor during the spring 2007 semester, which were considered offensive by many Hmong students on campus.
James Chang, a member of HHR and the founder of Hmong American Student Association, said people always want to hear about the conflicts between the Hmong and non-Hmong communities.
He added if the two communities interacted more, there would be less of a misunderstanding.
""We should try to tell our story,"" Chang said.
He said the pictures posted on Bascom Hill were taken by a British photographer two to three years ago who had snuck into the jungles of Laos.
""A lot of these kids could have been us,"" Chang said regarding the photos of the children posted on Bascom Hill. ""We were the lucky ones who were able to get out.""
HHR plans to write letters to the U.S. government about the genocide in Laos. For more information about the Hmong people and their history, visit http://hasa.rso.wisc.edu.
