Date:  February 12, 2003

FREEDOM FIGHTERS DENY INVOLVEMENT IN BUS ATTACK

Laos (FFC) Spokesmen for the U.S. Secret War veterans, also known as Freedom Fighters, deny any involvement in the attack of a bus by heavily armed gunmen near Vang Vieng last Wednesday in which at least twelve persons were killed. 
The Fact Finding Commission stated it has begun an independent investigation, using its sources within Laos, to determine who committed these acts.  The Commission contacted each of the four groups of U.S. Secret War veterans in the region surrounding Vang Vieng. 
         One spokesman, Vang Chia, accused the LPDR government of staging the incident to discredit the Freedom Fighters.  He stated "No we didn't do it.  The LPDR Government is just accusing us."   He went on to state, "In regarding to this issue I would like to assure you and the international community, the United States' Government, European Governments and all other organizations that this attack was conducted by the Communist Lao Government, ordering their own troops to attack start these kind of disaster. "
He also reported a communist military base is located near where the incident occurred.  In earlier research the Fact Finding Commission identified a military base with both LPDR and Vietnamese Army troops within a few kilometers of the attack.
The Fact Finding Commission announced it's condemnation of the attack. The group, which is dedicated to the plight of the U.S. Secret War veterans in Laos, denounced the attack as an act of criminal terrorism.  In a letter to the Lao government the Commission offered the assistance of a team of criminal investigators from the United States to assist them in the investigation.  The team consists of retired homicide and major crimes investigators from California.
"We cannot condone the murder or robbery of innocent civilians.  We want the killing of all innocent persons in Laos to end."