Amnesty International is gravely concerned by the sharply deteriorating situation of thousands of family members of ethnic groups, predominantly Hmong, involved in an armed conflict with the Lao military and has condemned in the strongest terms, the use of starvation as a weapon of war against civilians as a clear and serious violation of Geneva Conventions that Laos has ratified.

While in St. Paul and Minneapolis Blenkinsop presented his photographic evidence of the atrocities being committed in the jungles of Laos to staff members of U.S. Senators Mark Dayton and Norman Coleman who were also represented at the forum.  Of note was the absence of Representative Betty McCullum or her staff.

Blenkinsop also had a private meeting with Hmong activist Dr. Yang Dao.  During the meeting Dr. Yang Dao was asked to use his influence with the Lao government and with U.S. Ambassador Douglas Hartwick to find a solution to rescue these people.  Dr. Yang Dao made no commitment to set aside political issues to resolve the plight of the veterans and their families in the mountains of Laos.

Ed Szendrey, member of the Fact Finding Commission, which was also present at the forum, stated: "Blenkinsop's dramatic photographs tell a tragic story of a dieing people.  If those that have it in their power to stop the killing of these people and bring humanitarian aid to them continue to do nothing the people of the mountains of Laos will be like the tree in the forest that fell and no one heard the sound."

Youa Vue Thao, a Hmong immigrant from Green Bay, Wis., protests across the street from the Laotian Embassy in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003. Thao's son is leader of 2,000 internally displaced Hmong in Laos, and the demonstration was to protest the government's war of attrition against Hmong rebels. In recent months, the rebels have been encircled by Laotian troops, prompting Amnesty International to urge Laos not to use starvation as a weapon. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)