St. Paul Wife Fights For Husband and Hmong-Americans Missing in Laos: Urges Action To Cut US Aid

Jan. 31, 2008 - PRLog -- Three Hmong-Americans from St. Paul, Minnesota, who were arrested and jailed in Laos by Lao military and security  forces in 2007, were one of the key topics at a US.Congressional Forum on Laos held in Washington, D.C.

The US Congressional Forum & Briefing on Laos was held on Jan. 31, 2008, in
in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Congress Washington, D.C.  Members of Congress, U.S. Congressional staff, US policymakers, human rights and non-governmental organizations spoke and participated, including Amnesty international.

Sheng Xiong, wife of Mr. Hakit Yang, one of the three Americans jailed and missing in Laos and a spokesperson for the families provided a statement at the Congressional Forum and policy briefing on Laos.

Keynote remarks were also provided by T. Kumar of Amnesty International and other distinguished guests.

Dr. Jane Hamilton-Merritt, Southeast Asia scholar, Noble Peace Prize nominee and author of  the award-winning book "Tragic Mountains:  The Hmong, the Americans and the Secret Wars for Laos. " (www.tragicmountains.org) provided opening keynote remarks and introduced the  background and case of the three Hmong-Americans from Minnesota arrested and jailed in Laos.

Mrs. Sheng Xiong, of St. Paul, Minnesota, made the following statement on behalf of her husband and the families of the Hmong Americans arrested and missing in Laos:

"The U.S.Government granted Normalized Trade Relations (NTR) with Laos in 2005.  Today, it encourages citizens to consider foreign investments in the communist state despite the country's atrocious human rights records and the unjustified arrest, jjailing and continued detention of three Hmong-American citizens from St. Paul, Minnesota including  my husband Mr. Hakit Yang.

On July 10, 2007, Hakit Yang, Congshineng Yang and Trillion Yuhaison departed the United States for Laos to persue business investment opportunities. The men were staying at the #5 Guest House in Phousavan, Laos when they were arrested by secret police forces.  They were detained in Phonthong Prison and later transferred to an unknown destination.  Several unofficial reports suggest they are being detained in the North of Laos near the Vietnam border.

The last phone call and communication was received from Yuhaison on August 26, 2007 at approximately 9:00 am (CST).  Yuhaison called Hakit's older brother Xai Yang, and stated that he was calling from a security guards' cell phone and confirmed that all three men had been arrested without warrant.  Yuhaison sounded very worried and wanted Xai to contact the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane right away.
                                                                                                                           
A US Embassy staff confirmed with local Lao authorities that three US Citizens were arrested, however, the authorities refused to release any names.  According to the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry of Foriegn Affairs could not confirm the situation over the phone, but it appeared they knew about the cases.

The U.S. Embassy contacted the Lao government who denied having any record of the men entering their country and any U.S. Citizens being detained or arrested.  Later, the Lao government changed their previous denials and admitted that the men did indeed entered Laos, but allegedly claimed that they  had allegedly departed Laos via the Lao-Thai Friendship  Bridge on August 29, 2007.  Despite repeated requests from the US Embassy no departure cards have ever been produced as evidence for their departure.  Other documents produced are clearly bogus and fabricated allegedly claiming to support the Lao government’s false claims that my husband and the other two departed from Laos to Thailand, which is not factual.

It has been many months since the arrest and disappearance of Hakit Yang, Congshineng Yang and Trillion Yuhaison.  To this day, our family has not receive any concrete answers from the US Embassy in Laos nor the State Department.  I have been in contact with the other men’s  families and they also have not received any answers.

The US Government and US Embassy have a responsibility to inform US Citizens that there are no real protections in place to safeguard their civil and legal rights.  The US Government has failed t properly hold the Laos Government accountable for the disappearance of these US investors.

Hakit, Congshineng, and Trillion represent the first of many US investors and tourists to travel to Laos under the new Normalised Trade Relations agreement but their disappearance clearly proves that no US Citizen is safe in Laos and no US citizen should invest in the current Lao regime until proper protections can be put in place, to safeguard the civil, legal and human rights of all US Citizens traveling to Laos.

I respectfully ask that the US Government and US Embassy in Laos to continue to investigate the arrest and disappearance of Hakit, Congshineng, and Trillion and to press the Lao government for humanitarian access to the three U.S. citizens and their unconditional and immediate release.

The Lao government continues to jail my husband and the two other Americans from St. Paul that he was traveling with in clear violation and contempt of international law.  Lao and Hmong Americans should not invest in the current regime in Laos, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic.  NTR Trade Status to the  Laos should be revoked by the U.S. Congress, U.S. foreign aid and assistance to the Lao regime should also be cut by the U.S. Congress and U.S. Government completely including all de-mining funding, until at least such time as my husband Hakit Yang, Congshineng and Trillion, as Hmong-American citizens, are released from prison in Laos and brought home safely to America and their homes and families in St. Paul, Minnesota.

We will not forget and not give up fighting until we have truthful answers and the Lao regime releases Hakit Yang, Congshineng and Trillion.  We appeal to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Government and international community for assistance in pressing the Lao regime to release our family members and restore human rights and freedom to them so that we can be reunited and these American citizens can be return home once again from this terrible darkness."

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The Center for Public Policy Analysis is a Washington, DC-based public policy think-tank and research organization focused on national security and foreign policy issues.