Laos: Lao and Hmong Human Rights Crisis Policy Events Continue On Capitol Hill

July 18, 2007 - PRLog -- Laos, Hmong Crisis: US Congressional Policy Briefing & Capitol Hill Events On Emergency in Laos, Thailand


For Immediate Release:

UPDATED FOR 12:00 P.M.-- EST, July 18, 2007, Washington, D.C.  
Contact: Ms. Anna Jones or Mr. Schuyler Merritt
Tele. (202) 543-1444 Fax (20) 207-9871


A U.S. Congressional Laos policy briefing and discussion on the current crisis in Laos and Thailand facing Hmong and Laotian refugees and asylum seekers will be held on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 from 11:30 P.M.-2:00 P.M. in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, Washington, D.C. by the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) in cooperation with Members of Congress, U.S. Congressional staff and other organizations.

Given widespread concern and interest, the event will be re-hosted again on Wednesday, July 18th to accomodate additional Members of Congress, U.S. Congressional staff, policymakers and attendees. Additional U.S. Congressional policy events and meetings will follow on July 19th on Capitol Hill regarding the crisis in Laos and Thailand facing ethic Laotian and Hmong political refugees and asylum seekers.

The U.S. Congressional policy briefing on July 17-18th will discuss key topics about the current crisis situation in Laos and Thailand facing the Laotian and Hmong dissident groups and refugees as reported by Amnesty International (AI), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hmong International Human Rights Watch (HIHRW), Human Rights Watch (HRW), The Bangkok Post, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the US Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006 (CRHRP), and various international press.

It is anticipated that Rebecca Sommer's recently released documentary film "Hunted Like Animals" regarding the Lao regime's brutal attack and killing of unarmed Hmong and Laotian civilians and opposiiton groups will be viewed and discussed.

“Laos, and several of the top military and political leaders of the regime, have been officially listed as ‘Press Predators’ by the Paris, France-based Reporters Without Borders and they are aggressively continuing to persecute and kill Lao and Hmong dissident and opposition leaders, including peaceful student groups and unarmed minority civilians according to Amnesty International and other rights groups,” stated Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis. “Many in the U.S. Congress and Washington, D.C. are now concerned about reports regarding the potentially imminent forced or involuntary repatriation of some 8,000 Hmong and Laotian refugees in Thailand back to the Communist Pathet Lao regime as well as the current ethnic cleansing and mass starvation campaign directed against thousands of unarmed Laotian and Hmong civilians, ethnic minority groups and religious and political dissidents,” continued Smith. “These Hmong and Laotians are political refugees and asylum seekers and have a reasonable fear of persecution; many have relatives in the United States and are linked to those Hmong and Laotians who supported the United States and the Royal Thai Government and the Kingdom of Thailand during the Vietnam War,” concluded Smith.

CPPA Research Director, Schuyler Merritt, stated, “Recent reports that elements of the Thai military may now be seeking to repatriate the 8,000 Hmong and Laotian political refugees and asylum seekers in Huay Nam Khao within two months, is disturbing and a likely death sentence for these people, many of whom are the descendants of United States allies during the Lao Theatre of the Vietnam War. According to international human rights and humanitarian groups such as Amnesty International, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and Reporters Without Borders, these 8,000 Hmong and Laotian refugees have been isolated from the media and face, at best, an uncertain future if they are returned to Laos where they are likely to be killed and persecuted by the brutal Pathet Lao Communist regime.” Mr. Merritt added, “Unless this policy is reversed, this potential humanitarian and human rights catastrophe now unfolding in Huay Nam Khao, Phetchabun, Thailand and in Stalinist Laos will be tragic and shameful. Thousands of unarmed Hmong and Laotians, a majority of whom are women and children, are likely to continue to suffer and die at the hands of the Lao military and security forces, now engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign, if they are forced back to Laos or involuntarily repatriated. Moreover, this would be especially unfortunate after the decades of aid and sacrifices provided by the Hmong and Laotian people on behalf of the national security interests of the Kingdom of Laos, the Royal Thai Government and the United States during the Vietnam War. ”

“There is a Bosnia-like political and humanitarian crisis in Laos: The Lao regime, backed by the military and security forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, continues to engage in ethnic cleansing and to jail, persecute and kill peaceful opposition groups, intellectuals and political and religious dissidents, including the Lao Students Movement for Democracy leaders of 1999 as documented by Amnesty International and others,”stated Bounthanh Rathigna, President of the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc.

Continued Bouthanh Rathigna: “Currently, Vietnamese troops, in support of the Pathet Lao military and security forces, continue to mercilessly exploit the Laotian people and to impose an alien Communist military dictatorship on the freedom-loving and peaceful Laotian and Hmong people; In recent years, thousands of innocent and unarmed Laotian and Hmong civilians have been brutally starved to death, tortured, raped and murdered by the Pathet Lao military junta that is largely a puppet regime of the generals in Hanoi. Communist Vietnamese troops are also responsible for these killings of unarmed civilians in Laos as well as opposition groups. The freedom-loving Laotian people want the principles of H. Res. 402, as passed by the U.S. Congress, implemented regarding the urgent need for the Pathet Lao regime to halt the killing and starvation of the Hmong and Laotian people as well as for internationally monitored free and fair, muliparty elections in Laos; Emergency assistance is needed for those civilians trapped in the jungle and in closed military zones in Laos, such as the Hmong people; As Lao opposition leaders we also want the Pathet Lao and Vietnamese troops and security forces to stop exploiting and killing the Laotian and Hmong people. We want Vietnam and its military out of Laos.”

Speakers will include Philip Smith, Executive Director, Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA); Schuyler Merritt, Research Director, CPPA; Bounthanh Rathigna, President, United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc.; Mike Benge, Montagnard Human Rights Organization, and other speakers.

TOPICS:

Issues and topics of discussion will include:

1. Current issues of concern to U.S. and international policymakers regarding the nation of Laos and recent developments in Southeast Asia;

2. Status and developments regarding some 8,000 Hmong refugees in Huay Nam Khao, Phetchabun, Thailand.

3. Official state news reports regarding intensified and increased intervention by Vietnam in Laos, in support of the Pathet Lao regime; and a series of new military supported construction efforts in eastern Laos by Vietnamese military units.

4. The plight of Laotian (Lao and Hmong) civilians as well as opposition and resistance groups trapped in Laos by the security and military forces of Vietnam and Laos.

5. Increased and ongoing political violence in Laos by the Pathet Lao regime and opposition groups.

6. Updates on religious persecution issues in Laos.

7. Other current and developing issues of concern to U.S. and international policymakers.

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The Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) is a Washington, D.C.-based think-tank and research organization focused on foreign and national security policy.