It's been 8 years and still no real Hmong leader in the eyes of the majority??

[YeejKoob13]

Not sure why I should be grateful for VP’s involvement and losing the war... Regardless of him we’d be here.

Certainly I appreciate his efforts during the war, albeit it was everybody’s effort and not just his, but how does the past wash away his misdeeds of the NeoHome era?

[nightrider]

Not sure why I should be grateful for VP’s involvement and losing the war... Regardless of him we’d be here.

Certainly I appreciate his efforts during the war, albeit it was everybody’s effort and not just his, but how does the past wash away his misdeeds of the NeoHome era?

I believe your angers are misdirected. If you're going to be mad, be mad at those whom are leading these misinform flocks and not at a dead man. As I recall, he did use Cob Phab(Chao Fa) but everyone made their own decisions. They aren't been forced to carry out the mission. It was their radical believes that got them there. I don't know how old you are, but I can certainly assure you that I'm old enough to grasp activities at the camp I'd stayed in Thailand and knows that Cob Phab believers are hardcore, they don't just believe GVP but they believe in their own misplaced ability. They'd chose to take their own families and go to their deaths. What he did can't be washed but you can't pinned everything on him because it's totally no his fault either. You can of, course, place blame on stupidity. Whether it's Cob Phab or Hmoob Teb Chaws, although they have different names, they're one in the same... Just thought you should know, if you haven't already...

All I'm saying is that we, need to recognize history and move on. History serves as a lesson so that we can learn from it and not repeat it. It's time to move on! Let's focus on becoming a self sufficient people that any country would wish to have and rely on.

[YeejKoob13]

All I'm saying is that we, need to recognize history and move on. History serves as a lesson so that we can learn from it and not repeat it. It's time to move on! Let's focus on becoming a self sufficient people that any country would wish to have and rely on.

Yes we need to recognize history, but in accurate way, and not in some white washed fashion, which you seem to want. You’re blaming everyone and every other group and minimizing Vaj Pov himself.

There are several layers to what Vaj Pov did during the NeoHome era.

1) He monetarily scammed Hmong USA/Western for funds.

2) He ideologically/politically scammed Hmong USA/Western and Hmong Thailand/Laos that his goal is to take back LosTsuas, and to be fair, that may have been part of his intentions. But he should have recognized the futility of it, as even when America gave guns, planes, bombs, ammunitions, air support,and money, Hmong couldn’t even hold onto LoojCeeb. In the 80’s the major foreign support was gone (other than sparsely from the Thais and Chinese), so he couldn’t have possibly believed any mission of that magnitude would succeed.

3) Him and his group threatened harm to those Hmong who knew of his scam (or saw it for what it really is) and wanted to save the Hmong Havzoov from him and NeoHomes influence.

For Hmong Thailand, LosTsuas, and Caubfab, they mostly fall into category 2. Sure, they had their own goals and ambitions. But Vaj Pov had a hand in it as well... My father still recalls the infamous VP audio cassette tapes (early 80’s) urging Hmong on, “... ua tiag tiag peb yuav tau mus noj pebcaug tim Veescam (Vientiane)...”

Some Hmong stayed in the jungles for decades counting on Vaj Pov’s words and so many died... A man of his age and experience, and if he had good character, shouldn’t have done what he did.

[YeejKoob13]

I’m not mad, as you seem to suggest, but I do want Hmong to see reality for what it is. And that is that Vaj Pov was just a man, like any man, and had flaws. And these character flaws caused many Hmong to suffer and die after the official Secret War was over.

I am rather embarrassed that some Hmong, particularly that of the xeem Vaj, have done these:

1) Called Vaj Pov as Vaj Hmoob.

2) That somehow Vaj Pov was the one who lead every (or the vast majority) Hmong to America (similar to what you, Nightrider, wrote earlier) and even the West (Canada, France, Australia, etc) as if he had a proactive hand in doing so. This is far from the truth.

If these Hmong are just propagandizing for a political purpose then I will applaud them for being somewhat smart. There are still fraudulent/political groups today which wish to use VP’s name to form organizations (similar to NeoHome) so they can continue to collect money off of the gullible Hmong. Terrible intentions on their part, but at least they have brains and clarity.

But oh boy, if these Hmong truly believe in those words (1 and 2, especially the latter) then they’re very ignorant and are the conned.