Vang Pao visits St. Paul, but gets a bit of the cold shoulder

Famed Gen. Vang Pao sat front and center at the Hmong Minnesota New Year beauty pageant Sunday evening, surrounded by a phalanx of security guards. But the guards couldn't protect him from his fall in stature in the eyes of many in the Hmong community.

It was clear at Sunday's event that while some still see him as a venerable wartime hero, others, especially the young, view him as an outdated icon.

Vang Pao was given permission from a judge to leave his Southern California home, where he is under house arrest, to attend the 31st annual celebration -- the most significant in the Hmong culture. He has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a conspiracy to overthrow the Communist government of Laos.

Lillian Yang, 26, of Oregon said she saw a thinner, frailer Vang Pao cut the ribbon Friday to usher in the start of the New Year celebration that ended Sunday. The general, now in his late 70s, had complained of chest pains while in jail and was briefly hospitalized after his arrest in June.

After all the legal turmoil, some people were just happy to see him back in St. Paul. "That was great," Yang said Sunday. "It was just wonderful to see him. But he's ... real weak."

Vang Pao was greeted by throngs of fans during the ceremony, Yang said, and was followed by older, uniformed Hmong men who fought in covert U.S.-supported operations during the Vietnam War. Younger Hmong men now serving in the U.S. military also marched behind him, as revelers parted a path for the general's entourage, Yang said.

"I think everybody loved it, especially the elders," she said, adding that he greeted several people during the ceremony.

The general sat at a table with one of his sons and others as young women with bouncy curls and wide smiles competed for the pageant crown. His longtime aide, Xang Vang, executive director of Hmong American Mutual Assistance Association, said the general did not want to talk to journalists.

United Hmong Americans for Justice collected $8,562 as of Sunday evening for the general's legal defense fund, said the group's chair, Nhia Yong Thao.

Some attendees at the New Year Sunday said Vang Pao's guards seemed to shield him from contact with the public this year, perhaps, they ventured to guess, because of the federal charges against him.

Vang Pao and 10 others are charged with plotting to purchase about $10 million worth of weapons from an undercover agent as part of a plan to stage a coup against the Lao government.

Former U.S. attorney Tom Heffelfinger, who organized a defense team for Vang Pao, said he met with the general for a few hours Friday and found him to be in good spirits.

"His health has improved," Heffelfinger said. "It [Vang Pao's visit] was a pretty positive thing for the Hmong community, where he is still highly regarded."

No trial date has been set; but they could go to trial as early as spring of next year, Heffelfinger said.

Wang Ye Vang, 52, of St. Paul, said he was glad to see the general, even if he wasn't as visible and accessible. The legal troubles, Wang Ye Vang said, didn't cast a shadow on his visit.

"He's a leader for the Hmong," said Wang Ye Vang's wife, Ang Khang, 42.

But not everyone shared similar sentiments.

"If he was here, we wouldn't care, and if he wasn't here, we wouldn't care," said Pa Ly, 22, of St. Paul. "I don't know him."We're in the U.S. now," said her husband, Vong Her, 22. "What matters about him?"

Many at the event, especially younger people, said the New Year is about seeing friends and relatives while keeping tradition alive, not reliving the past or dwelling on bitter political fights. Many expressed lukewarm attitudes about the general, neither embracing him nor pushing him away.

Years ago, Vang Pao's presence was the attraction that brought the Hmong community together, but that's no longer the case, said Vong Lee, 36, of St. Paul.

"It's not an issue whether he's here or not," Lee said. "Me, I'm neutral. I didn't realize he was here."

The federal charges aren't the only controversy attached to the general's name. For years some have suspected him of bilking the Hmong community of money by asking for donations for one thing and then using them for another.

Lee offered a parallel for the change in people's perception abut the general but his continued stature within the Hmong community. "A lot of people don't like [President] Bush, but he's still president."

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391

Chao Xiong • cxiong@startribune.com