Human rights advocates want to change that. They've launched a new campaign to improve the spotty and sometimes inaccurate reporting of their relatives' plight in the Southeast Asian nation. Developed by Pobzeb Vang, executive director of the Eau Claire-based Lao Human Rights Council, the forms could be a tool in creating a more credible, centralized and systematic response to the problem. Through better tracking of cases, Vang hopes to spark public support that translates into political pressure on the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The family members of the victims know the best information, have the best evidence.
Nobody knows the situation better than the people.
It's an uphill battle, but already the effects are noticeable. In the first section, Vang records the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the complaining Hmong-Americans. Each complainant signs and dates the form. In the second section, the numbers and names of the alleged victims in Laos are listed, as well as their relationship to the complainants and the nature of the allegations. While admitting mistakes in the past, Vang defends the accuracy of most of the charges he has made.