SEA Games Crisis in Laos: MLDH, ULDL, Rights Groups Urge Release of Lao, Hmong

Vietnam has boosted its military relationship with the LPDR regime in Laos as more troops from Hanoi continue to deploy to Laos prior to the SEA Games (Photo Credit: Center for Public Policy Analysis License Creative Commons 2.0

2009-11-12 05:47:14 - “The 2 November 2009 protest aimed to claim for ‘a real democracy, human rights respect, the cancellation of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Treaty of 1977, the release of all political prisoners and a multipartite system,’ as reported by information sent from inside the LPDR,” said Vanida S. Thephsouvanh, President of the Lao Movement for Human Rights from Paris, France.

Paris, France, Washington, D.C., Vientiane, Laos, November 12, 2009

A coalition of Lao and Hmong non-governmental human rights and humanitarian organizations continues to urge the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR) to immediately release all imprisoned Laotian pro-democracy, human rights and student activists. Laos has been rocked by civil unrest and thousands have sought to organize protests against abuses in the LPDR regime in Laos prior to the upcoming Southeast Asia games ( SEA Games ) in the capital of Vientiane.

Over 1123 Laotians have been arrested since anti-government activists have sought to organize protests on November 2, 2009 in Vientiane, Laos.
www.pr-inside.com/concerns-haunt-sea-games-in-laos-r1570881.htm

The Lao Peoples Army (LPA) has launched major military and security force attacks against Lao and Hmong civilians and political and religious dissident, including independent persecuted Christian, animist and Buddhist minority groups.
www.pr-inside.com/president-obama-to-communist-laos-you-r1569506.

“The 2 November 2009 protest aimed to claim for ‘a real democracy, human rights respect, the cancellation of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Treaty of 1977, the release of all political prisoners and a multipartite system,’ as reported by information sent from inside the LPDR,” said Vanida S. Thephsouvanh, President of the Lao Movement for Human Rights ( MLDH or LMHR ) in an international communiqué issued by the MLDH from Paris, France recently.
media-newswire.com/release_1105004.html

“If the majority of the persons arrested yesterday have been released, many of them are still detained at this moment, among whom ‘Mrs Kingkeo ( 39 ), Misters Soubin ( 35 ), Souane ( 50 ), Sinpasong ( 43 ) and Khamsone ( 36 ) arrested in Phon Hong; Mr Nou ( 54 ) arrested in Pakkading; Ms Somchit ( 29 ), Misters Somkhit ( 28 ) and Sourigna ( 26 ) arrested in Vientiane,’ according to this same information,” the MLDH and Ms. Thephsouvanh continued.

”The Lao Movement for Human Rights is highly concerned by this disturbing news and asks the LPDR authorities to account clear explanations of these arrests and to immediately release these persons whose only action seem to wish for a peaceful protest in favor of democracy and human rights,” Ms. Thephsouvanh and the MLDH stated from France to the Laotian community worldwide.

The Paris, France-based Lao Movement for Human Rights (MLDH - Mouvement Lao pour les Droits l’Homme, or LMHR ), the Lao Students Movement for Democracy (LSMD), the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc. (ULDL), the Lao Hmong Human Rights Council (LHHRC), the Laos Institute for Democracy (LIFD), the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. (LVA), Lao Community of Minnesota (LCMN) Hmong Advance, Inc. (HA), Hmong Advancement, Inc. (HAI), the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) and other organizations have issued statements and appeals in opposition to the arrests of the some 1138 Laotians in recent days.
www.onlineprnews.com/news/10586-1257366404-hundreds-more-laotian

More arrests are continuing daily as the result of LPDR military and security forces efforts to stem the rising tide of Laotian opposition to the one-party military junta.

The military regime in Laos has engaged in a massive new round of arrests of suspected political and religious dissidents prior to the SEA Games opening in December. In Laos, 1123 people preparing for anti-government demonstrations in support of human rights and democracy were arrest beginning on November 2 in Vientiane. Many are still being jailed. Ethnic Hmong and Laotian civilians and dissidents are also being attacked and persecuted by Lao military and security forces.

“We are supporting the freedom-loving Laotian people who are protesting or hoping to protest in Laos on November 2nd –November 10th in the capital of Vientiane,” said Boon Boualaphanh a leader of the Laotian Community of Minnesota.

Mr. Boon Boualaphanh, a civic-minded Laotian community leader and human rights activist continued from the Laotian Community of Minnesota offices in the Twin Cities: “There has been a lot of serious corruption by the LPDR communist regime in Laos and government selling land to…. Vietnam. The LPDR communist regime is allowing the Vietnamese owned military companies to also illegally cutting tree's in Laos and is allowing them to sell them to Vietnam and Thailand which is a violation of international law and the raises serious environmental issues. “

The Laotian people are very concerned that the corrupt LPDR regime is are also bringing… large number of Vietnam soldiers from Hanoi to take control of Laos, all we are asking is for you to check this out. We do not want the regime in Hanoi Vietnam to run our country in Laos. The communist generals in Hanoi, Vietnam are making Laos poor by exploiting the natural resources of Laos and imposing Hanoi’s foreign communist ideology on the freedom-loving Laotian people who are suffering and being persecuted.”

Radio Free Asia (RFA) has issued several statements and press release regarding the November arrests in Laos.
www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/detain-11032009192837.html
www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/laosdenies-11062009131535.html

The Lao military has intensified institutional violence against Lao and Hmong dissident and minority groups seeking change and reform in Laos.
www.media-newswire.com/release_1105230.html
www.media-newswire.com/release_1104645.html

“We are very concerned that the new Laotian protesters and pro-democracy activists in Laos are being jailed in terrible and harsh conditions in Sam Khe prison where they are suffering in horribly from the abuses of communist authorities,” said Mr. Oudong Saysana and Ms. Nouamkham Khamphylavong of the Lao Students Movement for Democracy ( LSMD ). “By the 5th of November we received reports and confirmation from Lao student movement members inside Laos that the arrests of over 300 Laotian people had indeed occurred.”
www.media-newswire.com/release_1105004.html

“The freedom flag of Laos, the Royal Lao flag, flies forever for the freedom-loving Lao people and the courageous Lao students who have protested against the LPDR Communist regime in Laos in October of 1999; we will never forget their sacrifices and their bravery,” said Khamphoua Naovarangsy of the Laos Institute for Democracy ( LIFD).
media-newswire.com/release_1103896.html
www.pr-inside.com/president-obama-to-communist-laos-you-r1569506

"Many of our Lao Buddhist believers, who oppose the Lao regimes oppression and manipulation of the Buddhist faith and Buddhist temples seeking to operate outside of the government’s strict control, and who support the Lao Student’s peaceful demonstrations, are also being persecuted by the Lao military regime,” said Bounthanh Rathigna, President of the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc; (ULDL)

“We are continuing to urge the LPDR communist regime to release all of the Lao students, and other political and religious dissidents, prior to the upcoming South East Asia games ( SEA games ) in Vientiane, and give these brave and patriotic Laotian reform-minded people amnesty,” Mr. Rathigna concluded.
www.media-newswire.com/release_1103896.html

“Now, sadly, more and more innocent Lao and Hmong people are being starved to death and denied food and water as the Lao military seeks to surround them; The people do not even have time to bury the many Lao and Hmong dead that the Lao government continues to kill," said Mr. Vaughn Vang of the Lao Hmong Human Rights Council (LHHRC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. www.onlineprnews.com/news/10907-1257617640-mortars-slam-jungle-e

"Laos, with the apparent help of military units of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, appears to be seeking to wipe out and exterminate Lao and Hmong religious and political dissident groups, as well as civilians living outside the LPDR regime’s oppressive control, prior to the start of the SEA games in December," said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis ( CPPA ) in Washington, D.C.
www.onlineprnews.com/news/10212-1257129045-laos-crisis-sea-games

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