St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly also tells VOA-Lao his recent trip to Wat Tham Krabok, to assess the needs of the Hmong refugees there, was an eye-opening experience for him and his delegation, and that he was quite impressed with their resilience and the youthfulness of the camp.
On the Hmong population of his state, he says they have studied hard, worked hard, and done very well economically, politically, and socially, adding they are a real asset to his community.
Listen to Part II of VOA's exclusive interview with Mayor Kelly for details.