communist away from Laos now! Vietnameses forces away from Laos now.
Thommavong
Democracy
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Speech by Mr.Bounthanh Thammavong, Chairman of Lao Students for
Independence and Democracy to the International Conference on Human Rights
Information, Impunity and Challenges of the Post-Conflict Healing Process
Which HURODOCS convene in Tunisai from 22 to 26 March 1998.
Mr. Chairman,
Fellow Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank for HURIDOCS and Arab Institute for Human Rights
to invite me for parcitipating the International Conference in Tunisia - in
the beautiful country.
It is an honour and great privilege for me and Laotian nation , who
acting for freedom. Restoration of Democracy and respecting Human Rights
in Laos.
It is inconceivable that hole world could be such insensible to smaller
nations which are calling for help. Does Democracy mean only widering
markets for big countries? If it does it is historic ignorance and very
short-sighted policy.
Many countries are ruled by the power which is hated by its own nation .
They use tortures, repressions to the nations. At the same time democratic
countries support such such government under the banmer of "
Humanitarianism" though these countries are conscions of their
parcitipation in destraction of nations of these poor countriess. One of
the these countries is Laos. Laotian nation has been oppressed by
dictactorship regime for 22 years, which supported by occupying Vietnamese
army. Over 300.000. people were killed by execution by a firing squad. Many
people have been and still are tortured in work and re-education camps.
Over one million people has emigrated in consequence of dictactorship 's
regime repressions.( population of Laos :4.5 millions -1993.)
The Leader of opposition and Candidate to the Martin Ennals Award for
Human Rights Defenders 1998,Mr. Thongsouk Saysangkhi have been tortured to
death by Laotian government.
We Laotian called many time to International Community for press on
Laotian government to release three prisoners conscience : Thongsouk
Saysangkh, Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong.
Thongsouk Saysangkhi, Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong, three
prisoners of conscience, were arrested on 8 October 1990 in
Vientiane-Capital of Laos. Their arrest followed the circulation during
1990 in Vientiane and elsewhere of letteres by Thongsouk Saysangkhi and
Latsami Khamphoui addressed to the country's leadership critizing its
political and economic systems. Thongsouk Saysangkhi had been deputy
Minister of Socience and Technology. Latsami Khamphoi a former Deputy
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, had reportedly circulated letteers
citing official "corruption" and the "Victimization" of government critics.
They had critized Lao political, econimic systems and held meeting at which
the creation of a multi-party political system was advocated.Feng
Sakchittaphong a Ministry of Justice official, had reportedly joined the
two others in writing an article advocating multi-party democracy.
In November 1990 the government-controlled media accused the three
men, all in their mid-50s, of (treason). In 1991 they were accused of
acting ( against the law to overthrow the administration. They were also
reportedly accused of forming a (Social Democratic Club) to call for
democracy. In spite of these accusations no formal charges were known to
have been brought against them before their trial and three men were held
without charge od trial in dark solitary confinement cell of Samkhe prison
in Vientiane, (LAOS) main detention centre.
On 4 November 1992, after two years without charge or trial, they were
brought before the People's Court in Sam Neau, the puppet Government of
Laos sentenced these innocent poeple for 14 year of prison .
On 28.02.1998 Mr.Thongsouk Saysangkhi have been tortured to death by
Laotian government ( We remind that, Mr. Thongsouk Saysangkhi is our
condidate to The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders at 1998).
Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong) still alive, but they
are in a critical state. One used psychical and physical torture in
relation to them. They are ill but they are not given any medicine and any
medical help.
We would like to appeal to International Community to bring economic
and politic preasure to bear on Lao Government to release Mr. Latsami
Khamphoui and Mr. Feng Sakchittaphong for freedom immediately.
Genocide in Cambodia and Laos
From 1975 to 1979, more than 2 million Cambodian people were killed
under the Khmer Rouge government (Pol Pot government). Similarly, since
1975, and this still going on today, the Communist Lao government has
killed more than 300,000 people of Laos. Foreign policy makers recognized
the genocide in Cambodia. They should recognize and honor evidence, reports
and information of the genocide and human rights violations in Laos today.
Indeed, the "Killing fields" of Laos throughout the countryside have been
going on for 22 years. The genocide and human rights violations in Cambodia
during the period of the Pol Pot government and which have been going on in
Laos since 1975 are "crimes against peace and crimes against humanity."
These crimes are like the "Nazi genocide" against six million Jewish people
in Europe during World War II. Recently, many press reports have come out
with the information that foreign policy makers asked the Canadian
government to request the "extradition" of PolPot under Canada's law
against genocide. Consequently, if Pol Pot is subject to face a world trial
because of genocide, then many of the policy makers should also be subject
to face trial along with Pol Pot because the genocide in Cambodia was not
committed by Pol Pot alone. Many policy makers and officials and supporters
during the Heng Samrin and Hun Sen government should also share in the
responsibility for the genocide in Cambodia. To punish one man in Cambodia
is not enough for justice to be served. Many other persons besides Hitler
committed genocide against the Jewish people in Europe, and similarly, many
other persons committed genocide with Pol Pot, against the Cambodian
people.
If governments of the world and the United Nations desire to truly
respect and practice human rights and justice according to the Charter of
the United Nations and other international human rights principles, then
governments and the United Nations must also bring Khamtai Siphandon, Prime
Minister; Nouhak Phoumsavan, President of Lao People's Democratic Republic
(LPDR); and many other Communist leaders in Laos to face world trial,
because they are committing "crimes against peace and crimes against
humanity" in Laos, just as Hitler did in Germany and Pol Pot in Cambodia..
governments and United Nations must recognize that human rights violations
and genocide are taking place within Laos too.
Silence of the World means consent to such practices in Laos
Vietnamese military occupation of Laos in 1977
On 17th July 1977 the political leaders installed by Vietnam in Laos were
forced to sign a Treaty (dated 18th July by the Secretariat of the
Vietnamese Communist Party) which transferred the whole of Lao territory to
Vietnamese sovereignty. In late 1977 ?678 Bureau" was set up under the
overall
command of General Tran Van Kwang in Tilien, Hanoi, to oversee the control
of Laos under the Treaty signed in July. Eight full Divisions of the
Vietnamese Army were then sent to Laos to guard each part of the country,
because they were afraid that the Lao people who loved their country would
rise up and fight back.
Divisions 530 and 600 were sent to guard Huaphan, Xieng Khuang and
Phongsali Provinces; Division 396 was sent to guard Oudomsay and Luang
Namtha Provinces; Division 324 was sent to guard Luang Prabang, Sayabouli,
and Vientiane Provinces and the South of Xieng Khuang Province; Division
176 was sent to guard Bolikhamsay Province and the North of Khammouan
Province; Division 967 was sent to guard the South of Khammouan Province
and Savannakhet Province; Division 968 was sent to guard the North of
Salavan Province and Champassak Province; and Division 632 was sent to
guard the South of Salavan Province and Attapeu Province.The total strength
of these eight Divisions exceeded 50,000 men; in addition to this Military
Advisors were sent to control the Pathet Lao soldiers who were assigned
under Vietnamese command. The Vietnamese provided military training to the
Lao military assigned to their command in many different fields. For
example: 100 officers per training cycle were sent to train as Military
Surgeons in Hadong, in revolving cycles; 300 Lao and Cambodian officers at
a time were sent for flying instruction (Secret Code 400); 30 officers at a
time were sent for training in Chemical Warfare at Seun Dong; 150 officers
at a time were sent for training in Fire Cannon at Betong; and 150
officers at a time were sent for Tank training at Savarn May and Ving Fou.
In addition to this, military Special Agent training schools were set up
inside Laos in two locations, in Vang Vieng and Seno, under Vietnamese
command.
In 1987 following major changes in the global political structures and the
end of Soviet economic support for Vietnam, the Vietnamese ordered the Lao
military under their command to announce the ?New Economic Mechanism" to
attract foreign investors and traders to combat the sudden loss of Soviet
aid. From 1988 until the present time Vietnam has disguised the appearance
of troops in most areas as labourers, in order to circumvent public
international criticism. On 11th November 1995 Vietnam signed a new Treaty
with Laos to further enhance this arrangement, under the name ?Labour
Exchange Agreement".Under the terms of the Labour Exchange Agreement,
Vietnam sent their soldiers to Laos in the disguise of ordinary labourers;
these labourers had trucks of their own, in which they kept a wide variety
of special weaponry for military action for any eventuality, and in this
respect they followed the precedent of the Japanese military forces sent to
various Asian countries in the region under disguise of businessmen shortly
before the Second World War.
In order to facilitate the looting of the rich natural resources of Laos,
the Army set up many regions completely closed to access under four
different terms: Special Danger Zones, Protected Forest Reserves, Special
Development Zones, and Boundary Zones. These special regions were used for
maintaining Vietnamese military forces, scientists, and Vietnamese labour
extracting the most valuable natural resources.
An example of this is near Muang Peu, in Houaphan Province near the border
of Vietnam and slightly to the west of Luang Prabang Province. This region
is extremely rich in gold, and all the richest gold deposits have been
mined by Soviet and Vietnamese teams. The gold was cast into ingots and
carried out of Laos into Vietnam. The region is marked as a Boundary Zone,
and any outsider found entering this zone will be shot on sight.
During Vietnam War all nations of around the world have stood
with Vietnam
Today Laos is occupying by army of Vietnam
They kill innocent Lao people and they do civil war in Laos
Why United Nations leave Laotian nation alone!!!