An estimated 100 Hmong supporters of General Vang Pao rallied in Madison this afternoon demanding his release from a jail in Sacramento, Calif. The 77-year-old was hospitalized on Wednesday with reports of an irregular heartbeat. Vang Pao was arrested earlier this month under allegations of being tied to a plot to overthrow the Communist government in Laos. The Hmong leader played an important, but controversial, role during the 60s and 70s as a commander of the "Secret Army." The Hmong unit was American-trained and fought against the North Vietnamese Army even after U.S. forces began their pull out.

The Secret Army cut off supply lines on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, fought to keep communism out of Laos, and assisted in the rescue of downed American pilots. After U.S. forces pulled out of Vietnam the Pathet Lao took control of the Lao government and began acts of reprisal against members of the Secret Army and their families forcing them to flee (source: Wikipedia).

Prior to his arrest this month a debate had raged in Madison over the use of Vang Pao's name on an elementary school. Opponents were concerned over allegations that Vang Pao financed his operations during Vietnam through opium trade and allegedly committed war crimes. After his arrest the school board officially dropped his name from consideration.

In addition to Wisconsin, other rallies took place today in Minnesota and California. Those three states compromise the greatest population of Hmong in the U.S.

These photos come from today's rally courtesy of Bessie Cherry's camera phone.