1. The Committee’s mission is to seek peaceful and just solutions to the desecration of Hmong graves in Thailand. 5 TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF NHGDC, SEPT. 2 ND THRU 4 TH PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

2. THE ORIGINS OF THE HMONG PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  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

3. HMONG: THE CIA WAR PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Late 1950s – CIA’s Agent Bill Lair connected with the Hmong  General Vang Pao was asked to lead the covert war in Laos  Between 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

4. HMONG: FLEEING LAOS PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  CIA War officially ended in 1973/1974  Hmong leaders and soldiers fled to Thailand for safety  Many families and soldiers were behind.  Many fled to the Jungle of Laos

5. THAILAND: REFUGEE CAMPS PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Before the settlements in the Third Countries  Nong Khai  Nam Phong  Ban Vinai  XiengKham  Wat Tham Krabok  Whitewater  Nam Yao

6. WAT THAM KRABOK PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  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

7. HMONG GRAVES DIGGING PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Wat 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.

8. PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC Video Clip of The Graves  Download the video clip and insert into this slide.

9. CULTURE & RELIGIOUS BELIEFS PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Exhuming, 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.

10. DELEGATIONS PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  There were many delegations to Thailand  September 2007  November 2007  July 2008  August 2009  April 2010

11. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Thai 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

12. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS CONTINUE… PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  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

13. RESPONSES PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC  Communication from the Thai Embassy that:  Stop Graves Digging in Thailand  Return All of The Remaining Bodies  Denial of Land requested in Wat Tham Krabok

14. GOALS & PLAN: HMONG GRAVES MEMORIAL PARK PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

15. MEMORIAL PARK: Design Concepts PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

16. MEMORIAL PARK: Design Elements PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

17. MEMORIAL PARK: Concept Diagrams PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

18. MEMORIAL PARK: Site Plan PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

19. MEMORIAL PARK: Plaza PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

20. MEMORIAL PARK: Monuments PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

21. MEMORIAL PARK: Building Design PREPARED BY SOMXAI VUE, NHGDC

22. NHGDC  Thank you!