The Hmong community in St. Paul, along with friends, family, and Minnesota dignitaries, paid their final respects to Tou Ger Xiong, a revered activist and entertainer whose life was tragically cut short in a kidnapping and murder in Colombia. As reported by FOX 9, Xiong, 50, was commemorated for his dedication to social justice and his role in founding Hmong Minnesota Day at the Minnesota State Fair.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and Attorney General Keith Ellison were among the hundreds who attended the funeral to honor Xiong, who had made immeasurable contributions to building cross-cultural bridges before his untimely demise. Despite having been found dead after being kidnapped and robbed in early December, his family has set up an endowment fund in his memory, FOX 9 reported.
According to a CBS News interview, Dr. Pangjua Xiong, Tou Ger Xiong's sister-in-law, movingly noted, "It's so hard for us because when we look at him, we want to cry because we miss him so much, but I know that in Tou Ger's spirit, he would say 'smile at me'." She added that Xiong, who arrived in the United States as a young boy after his family fled Laos, would have wanted them to "pray for me," on his final journey. The memorial service, which began on Saturday, will span three days, in accordance with Hmong tradition.
Xiong’s life was brutally ended after he was taken hostage and murdered while visiting Medellín, Colombia. He had gone there to meet a woman he connected with via social media. Subsequently, he was led to a secluded area and killed, even after a ransom was paid by his family. Colombian police have arrested three adults and a minor in connection with the crime, charging them with crimes including aggravated kidnapping for extortion and aggravated homicide. These arrests follow warnings from the U.S. Embassy in Bogota about criminals in Colombia exploiting dating apps to target victims, following a series of suspicious deaths of U.S. citizens in Medellín, CBS News stated.
The wave of grief has brought community members together to continue Xiong's legacy of advocacy and social justice. As Governor Walz expressed, “Tou Ger was a treasure. Tou Ger embodied what we would like to think, we are the best of what we are.” The St. Paul funeral was marked by an outpour of emotion and a firm commitment to further the causes Tou Ger Xiong passionately fought for in life.
