Fighting Memory History of the Hmong in the Communist War
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Abstract
The Cold War, which occurred at the global and regional levels, directly impacted the Hmong ethnic group in northern Thailand. Ideological conflict of the Cold War entailed armed fighting along the Thai-Lao border, known as the Communist War. The Hmong were one ethnic group that played important roles in fighting side-by-side with both the Communist Party of Thailand and the Thai government. However, only the voices of the Thai government and media were disseminated to the public. Out of that were voices of former students who joined the Communist Party of Thailand in the jungle and had written their direct experiences of fighting and relations with the Hmong. This article, therefore, presents the voices of the Hmong who joined the fighting of both sides, which had rarely been disseminated to the public. The contents of this article answer the question: why did the leaders of the Hmong decide to side with the other side in those days? What were the roles of Hmong soldiers who fought side-by-side with both sides and those who were lost? How have they reconciled in the post-war conflict? Information for this research was gathered from interviews with former Hmong leaders, villagers, and soldiers from both sides, as well as relevant archives. The author argues that the oral history of the Hmong represents the social memory of fighting during the Cold War that they wish to present to the public, despite it being a minor discourse.
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