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Response to Fitrakis' Vang Pao column
by Vang Xiong X.Toyed
January 23, 2011

Good evening Dr. Fatrikis,

In reading your article about General Vang Pao, I have found your article to be baseless, frictional and absolutely irresponsible as a professional. I am a Hmong and many of my extended family members served during the war, and some were very closed to Maj.General Vang Pao. None have ever observed such disgraceful accusation.

As an American, I sense your intention to be nothing more than an act of character assassination to an honorable figure due to questionable reasons. The facts that thousands of Americans today are in jail around the country does not make president Obama a criminal for their crime. Another fact, according to law enforcement report, tons of illegal drugs are floating around the country daily, does not make president Obama and governmental leaders drug traffickers.

It is this kind of unfair and bias writing such as yours which created hatred and human rights violations around the world because people like you abuse your role and responsibility.

Because of Tony P. (if he is the same Tony), Mayor Bouachou Cha was killed in action at Hongnoon pre-maturely leaving his wife and kids, and my uncle Pao Cha saved Tony's life after his stupid and cocky behavior. If Tony had his own opium operation going in Laos at the time, it is not fair to use General Vang Pao or the Hmong people as trash can for a cheap and convenient story. After all, from what we knew, all operations were planned and executed by American Advisers like Tony. Thanks to Maj. General Vang Pao, we Hmong will no longer blindly treat fake friends like mini-gods as we once did.

We know and respect the true General Vang Pao and he has always been an honorable leader to the best of his ability.

You owe General Vang Pao's family and Hmong around the world an apology,

Vang Xiong X.Toyed
Spokane, WA