Laotian Station Confirmed as Hmong Lao Radio
By Nick Grace
October 31, 2002
The United Lao Movement for Democracy program, Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) can now confirm, is called Hmong Lao Radio.
First monitored in August 2002, information on the station has been scarce at best. Laotian sources contacted through the Internet quickly identified the language as Hmong, which CRW reported on October 18, and contact was made with the Minnesota-based ULMD. The representative, however, declined to provide information on the station. With the organization's silence and refusal among the Laotian sources to "get involved," the last resort was to turn to an online Hmong-English phonetic dictionary, which CRW used to translate an announced address and provide a tentative station ID for our readers.
The ULMD, we can report, is now willing to go on the record.
ULMD Chairman Shoua Cha told CRW by telephone earlier this week the station was launched in May 2002 and broadcasts "educational programs, entertainment, sports and world news to Hmong people who cannot read or write" around the world. The target audience is not primarily for listeners in Laos, he said, but also for Hmong speakers in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Europe and North America. "It is a project... to educate and get our message out to the world."
Few stations broadcast in the Hmong language, which according to Cha, who has testified before U.S. Congress, is regrettable. "We have urged the U.S. government to add Hmong to the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia."
Although Hmong Lao Radio is an "educational (and) non-profit project," the program does feature political and pro-democratic commentary. "Yes," he said, "we have politicians on from time to time to promote freedom."
"We would like to have feedback and (receive) suggestions from our listeners," he said. The address, correctly reported by CRW, is P.O. Box 2426, St. Paul, MN 55106, USA. It is likely that the organization will not understand "reception reports" and the interest of non-Hmong speaking listeners so radio listeners are advised to take care in writing to the station.
The ULMD also plans to unveil a Web site soon where the station's audio will be posted.
Hmong Lao Radio programs are recorded in Minnesota and broadcast via commercial transmitters in Uzbekistan between 0100 and 0200 GMT Fridays on 12070 kHz.
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