Shong Lue was a man who had no education from any foreign country, but was educated by the Father. He knew everything in the universe that was created by the Father. He also knew how to play the flute, the jew's harp and the bamboo pipes.  And he knew how to create the Pahawh for the use of the Hmong and the Khmu' people, so that they could preserve their own languages. He first taught them the Pahawh, then taught them the message [sent by] the Father so that they could become good people on earth, and then he taught them knowledge. So he did the duty of a savior, as required by the Father

Shong Lue teaches the Pahawh

When Shong Lue lived at Tham Ha village in Vietnam he began to teach the Pahawh to the Hmong and the Khmu’.  He taught only in his home, to those people who were interested in learning. Once the Pahawh had been taught widely to people, they came to appreciate his teaching and called him “The Mother [Source] of Writing.” The people spread the word out to important people among the Hmong and the Khmu', so they came and questioned Shong Lue extensively about his knowledge and the creation of the Pahawh. When they did so he taught them the Father's message and about their own history from the beginning to the end. There was no one who had as much knowledge as Shong Lue did. The Hmong people [readily] believed that he was the savior who was sent by the Father because he knew everything and could teach the Father's message. But [that was] not [true of] the Khmu' people; since he was a Hmong how could he know about Khmu’ history?  Whatever questions they asked, he was able to give them the correct answer.

So the Khmu' people tested him, setting up a drinking contest with him. They told him that they would believe him once he won the drinking contest, because most of the Khmu'people use a lot of alcohol. They prepared a great deal of rice beer for the contest, but he won, so they believed him as well as did the Hmong. Once the Khmu' believed that he was the savior and taught [God's] message, they loved him and came to him in large numbers. The Hmong and the Khmu' in the surrounding areas came in large numbers and whole-heartedly learned their own Pahawh from that time on. Shong Lue taught the young people who were interested in learning and who came to stay with him.  Those who learned well enough went back to teach others in their homes and at the fields [where people camp outat certain seasons, guarding their crops].  The word was spread by people in the surrounding areas, so the Hmong and Khmu’ from Mua Long and other areas came in a steady stream to learn.

Problems Emerge

One of the those years Yong Yia Yang [mayor of Nong het, a major Hmong center then controlled by the communists] went from Nong Het, Laos to the funeral of his father Vang Cheng Yang [a former official in Laos] at Xa Xong Village in Vietnam.  Shong Lue also came from Tham Ha to Vang Cheng Yang’s funeral.  There were also some people who knew Shong Lue at the funeral and they told Yong Yia Yang about Shong Lue, about how he was a very poor orphan man, but he knew both Pahawh Hmong and Pahawh Khmu’.

Once Yong Yia learned that, after his father was buried he went to Tham Ha village to look for Shong Lue. They had a long overnight talk together as he questioned Shong Lue about the creation of the Pahawh. Shong Lue told him all about it from the beginning to the end, and he was totally satisfied with the information. He then encouraged Shong Lue to teach the Pahawh openly to the Hmong and the Khmu'. He said he would send his two younger brothers to come to learn and help Shong Lue. With his authority as mayor he would move Shong Lue to Nong Het under his protection if Shong Lue's teaching of the Pahawh created any problem for Vietnamese officials.  Yong Yia returned home and sent Yong Gnia Yang and Pang Ge Yang [two of his younger brothers] to learn the Pahawh and to help Shong Lue. After the two of them came to learn Pahawh and help Shong Lue, the Hmong and Khmu' people now came to learn it in increasing numbers. But beginning in 1963 the Vietnamese officials did not want Shong Lue [to continue teaching]. They planned to have him arrested, so Yong Gnia and Pang Ge took Shong Lue out to hide in the jungle, leaving his family in the village.

Chia Long Thao visits Shong Lue

In the same year of 1963 the word about Shong Lue and his Pahawh spread out and was heard by Chia Long Thao at Fi Kham Village, Laos. [Chia Long Thao and Shong Lue had been born in the same village of Fi Tong, and had continued to be friends.] Chia Long knew Shong Lue was an orphan boy and wondered about the news so he went to see what was going on. Chia Long Thao and his brother Youa Chao Thao walked from Fi Kham village, Laos, to Tham Ha village, Vietnam, arriving at the time when the communist government forces were wanting to arrest Shong Lue.

At Tham Ha village Shong Lue had already gone to hide in the jungle so Pang Ying Xiong [a villager] took them to meet with Shong Lue in a shelter at a field [mountain ricefield or cornfield]. They stayed together and talked for one night.  The next day the men told Shang Lue that in the middle of this difficult situation [they would not stay and study the Pahawh Hmong so] they were going back home. But Shang Lue asked them to hold on because he had already sent Long Yang[another brother of Yang Yia Yang, the mayor of Nong Het] to intercede with the communist officials. If [it turned out that] they really wanted him arrested Shang Lue would go with the two of them to live at Chia Long's village of Fi Kham, back in Laos, because Yang Yia had assured him that if anything happened he should look up Yong Yia in Laos [administered by a different Vietnamese official]. He also asked if the two brothers were willing to give his family hospitality. The two of them agreed and waited until Shong Lue and his family, and waited until Long Yang brought back the news that if Shong Lue stayed and kept teaching he would certainly be arrested. Shong Lue decided that even if he did not teach any more, the Hmong and Khmu' would come to find him anyway [which would create suspicion] so he would move to Fi Khaa. Chia Long and his brother took Shong Lue, Yang Gnia and Pang Ge through the jungle for three days to Fi Kham village, leaving all of Shong Lue's family at Tham Ha village.

Shong Lue moves to Fi Kham and Fi Kha

After Shang Lue had been moved to safety at Fi Kham. Chia Long Thao and his people built him a house in the jungle very close to the village, where he lived for two months, and sent a  message back to his family about it. His faaily followed after him and stayed with him there in the jungle. The people in the area knew about it and came in large numbers to learn the Pahawh at Shong Lue's home. He told them that since so many of them wanted to learn, if he stayed long the Vietnamese officials would hear about it, so he moved and built another house in the jungle very close to Fi Kha Village [Where he had lived earlier]. 

He had not been there very long when the Hmong again began coming to learn the Pahawh in increasing numbers.  Those who were interested in learning came to stay with him [for a short time] and once they learned it well enough, they helped by teaching others in the jungle.  The word again spread out wverywhere and made the Hmong and Lao communist officials uneasy about Shong Lue, so Yong Yia Yang [mayor of Nong Het] went to meet with Gnia Vue Lo [brother of Faydang  Lobliayao, the top Hmong communist leader] and a Laotion communist official by the name of Singkapo, and several Vietnamese officials.  He asked for permission for Shong Lue to teach the Pahawh. 

But the communist officials scolded him, saying, “You were on who completed the SongKhoueng Training [a program in the communist system].  Why have you been taken in by this CIA plot?  We know for sure that Vang Pao [Hmong General in the Royal Lao army] sen Savengsa [a Khmu’] to lead two American CIA agents to live in the bunker in Shong Lue’s house and to teach him all about this alphabet.”  Yong Yai believed the accusation and became afraid of losing his position as mayor, so he drew back from helping Shong Lue and cooperated with the communist government attempts to arrest him.