Thank you for the clarification. However, when I used the term “legitimate” in quotations, I am not using it in an absolute/legal sense, but more in terms of social rhetoric. I highly doubt that once a group is deemed legitimate by the U.S., it will always remain legitimate in U.S. eyes, particularly if it no longer serves U.S. interests. Legitimacy is nuanced and colored with conditions to meet U.S. political and economic interests. Therefore, today a group is viewed as “freedom fighters” tomorrow they can become “terrorists” once their activities start impeding on U.S. interests. Being “legitimate” does not mean we are cool with everything you do. We are “cool” as long as you do things that will eventually help us achieve our interests. Once the group is no longer helping the U.S., the U.S. will find a way to “delegitimize” the group on the public scene.

So my friends, are you going to believe, Dr. Yang Dao who has actually gone to Laos, or are you going to believe GVP, who has never gone back to Laos. It is to my knowledge that LPDR extended many invitations to GVP to go back and see for himself the conditions of Hmong, but GVP declined.

In my opion as a native born American- it is very hypocritical to press charges against him in this matter.

We seem to forget far to soon who our friends are and were.

A better way whould have been to tell the old fighter ” Sir we can’t allow this on American soil please do not do this again or we will be forced to take action” in private and then dropped the matter quietly and totally if he decided to agree.

I want to tell all of the Lao people here that I am sorry that my/our government has taken this action against General Vang Pao.

And I hope the American legal authorities will come to their senses and stop it.