Laos: Rights Groups Issue Joint International Communiqué in U.S. Congress and Oppose World Bank Funding of Nam Thuen II Dam
A U.S. Congressional policy conference on Laos was held in the U.S. House of Representatives today, February 8th, 2005, in cooperation with members of Congress and staff, including U.S. Representatives Devin Nunes (R-CA), Mark Green (R-WI), and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), where the Joint International Communiqué on Laos was discussed, and released, along with other key issues.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 8, 2005 -- The text of the Joint International Communiqué on Laos was drafted and adopted at the Laos National Conference convened and hosted by the Laos National Federation (LNF) in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area on February 6-7, 2005, and cosponsored by the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA), the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. (LVA), the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc. (ULDL), the Lao Association of Washington, D.C.(LAWDC), the Hmong International Human Rights Watch (HIHRW) the Lao Huam Phao Association (LHPA), the Free Laos Campaign, Inc. (FLC) the Laos Institute for Democracy (LIFD) and a coalition of Laotian and Hmong dissident and opposition organizations.
"Discussing and drafting an international communiqué on Laos is critical at this time given the emergency situation and the World Banks consideration of funding guarantees for the Nam Thuen II Super Dam project," stated Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Washington DC-based Center for Public Policy Analysis, a non-profit think-tank specializing in foreign and national security policy issues. Smith also serves as Washington Director of the Lao Veterans of America, Inc.
"The Laos National Federation was very pleased to convene a successful national conference on Laos attended by so many different organizations and individuals representing a cross section of the body politic spanning the Laotian spectrum; We worked for nearly three days to deliberate, debate, draft and adopt a serious and intellectual set of nationalist and guiding principles and concerns to set forth and release in the U.S. Congress, in a historic communiqué, to help give voice to the suffering people of Laos in Washington, D.C. and the international community," stated Wangyee Vang, Secretary General of the Laos National Federation (LNF).
"Our key objective, moreover, with the Laos national conference and international communique is to follow-up and press forward with implementing the specific provisions of H.Res. 402, passed by the U.S. Congress, to move to forge free and fair, internationally monitored elections in Laos and build a multi-pary democracy in Laos where the LPDR and Vietnam's SRV regime no longer maintains a monopoly on power," continued Wangyee Vang.
The text of the Joint Communiqué was officially released to U.S. and international policymakers at the U.S. Congressional Laos Policy Conference hosted in cooperation with Members of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, February 8, 2005, from 10:30 A.M.-to-2:00 P.M. in the U.S. House of Representatives (122 Cannon House Office Building), Washington, D.C.
"The Joint Communiqué on Laos is a critical and important document that U.S. Congressman Devin Nunes and others in the U.S. Congress who are concerned about will appreciate," stated Andrew House, Legislative Assistant for Foreign Policy to U.S. Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA). "We would encourage you to make sure that every Member of Congress receives a copy and reviews it for follow-up action and any potential action that might be taken to revoke NTR trade status for Laos by Members of the U.S. Congress and Senate in the coming legislative session."
"The source of the current Lao crisis is not many, but one central fundamental matter that policymakers and Members of the U.S. Congress need to understand : the Vietnamese regime's aggression and exploitation of Laos," stated Joe Rattanakhom, Executive Director, Free Laos Campaign.
"We want to work together, all of the Laotian people and minorities to help policymakers take action on the issues in the joint international communiqué and to oppose the World Bank's backing of financing for the proposed Nam Theun II Dam Project," stated Ray Khemmanevanh, President, Lao Huam Phao Association. "We must not forget the major covert political and military role of Vietnam's SRV regime in Laos controlling the LPDR regime's every move and dictating all aspects of policy and the Lao economy," continued Khemmanevanh.
"The Ban Vang Tao sections of the communiqué and those dealing with the Lao Students Movement for Democracy are critical in raising continued awareness about the plight of Lao political and religious dissidents and patriotic heroes who continue to be oppressed and jailed by Vietnamese and Pathet Lao security forces in Laos," stated Bounthanh Rathigna, Chairman of the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc. "We are also calling for international humanitarian access, by Amnesty International and the United Nations, to the jailed Ban Vang Tao political prisoners, jailed pro-democracy student leaders and other religious and political prisoners of conscience now being held in life-threatening conditions and tortured by Pathet Lao and Vietnamese security forces," Rathigna concluded.
"As Laotians we must work together to give voice to the suffering Laotian people through our efforts and the drafting and adoption of this historic communiqué on Laos that we will share with the world and that will endure in its principles and truths for generations to come," stated Kong Chee Vang, advocate for the Hmong Americans for Public Policy of Minnesota.
"The terrible human rights situation facing the Hmong people in Laos is critical and something that the Hmong International Human Rights Watch is monitoring," stated Laura Xiong, Executive Director of the Hmong International Human Rights Watch. "International human rights monitors and emergency humanitarian assistance should be immediately deployed in Laos despite the LPDR regime's denials and lack of regret or remorse at the killing of so many Hmong and Laotian people,including the recent brutal rape and murder of Hmong children as document by Amnesty International and others and captured on video tape," continued Xiong.
"The power of the internet and the role of young Laotians and Hmong people in sharing information, promoting an open society, democracy, human rights and freedom for the suffering Laotian people, is important and our website 'www.laosdemocracy.com' is dedicated to this purpose; but, unfortunately, it continues to be blocked inside Laos, internally, by Vietnam-backed Lao electronic and internet security police," stated Khamphoua Naovarangsy, Director of the Laos Institute for Democracy. "The Joint International Communique helps to embody our aspirations as Laotians; the brutal Communist Pathet Lao regime and Socialist Republic of Vietnam officials cannot repress the truth forever, since we are using the internet to distribute and spread it and other key information," concluded Naovarangsy. "The vast majority of Laotians-including the Diaspora community and Laotian Americans- oppose World Bank funding for the Nam Theun II Dam project; we want the measures contained in H.Res. 402 passed by the US Congress to be implemented fully first and that is what we are working with the Laos National Federation and other organizations to do."
The full text of the Joint International Communiqué on Laos is available (download attached files) at http://www.prweb.com/releases/1/1/prweb207036.htm.
Contact:
Ms. Anna Jones or Mr. Paul Christopher
Center For Public Policy Analysis
Tele. (202) 543-1444
Fax (202) 318-0266
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