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Laos Policy Events, Protest Rally in Washington, DC

2011-11-08 13:46:23 - “We want the immediate withdrawal of Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) troops and security forces from Laos,” said Bounthanh Rathigna of the United League for Democracy in Laos, Inc. “VPA military owned companies continue to engage in widespread illegal logging and mining in Laos; These Hanoi-backed companies, backed by the Lao and Vietnamese Army, are oppressing, killing and persecuting the Laotian and minority highland peoples, including the ethnic Hmong, in order to exploit Laos’ natural resources and enslave the ordinary people of Lao

For Immediate Release, November 8, 2011, Washington, D.C.
Center for Public Policy Analysis
info@centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org

Laotian and Hmong non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have concluded an international policy conference in Washington, D.C. and protest demonstration in front of the Lao Embassy. The Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) and U.S. policymakers participated in the events held from November 5-8, 2011.

Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Asia-American NGOs from across the United States and internationally participated in the events.



NGO participants expresses concerns about ongoing environmental and refugee issues in Laos, Thailand and Southeast Asia as well as human rights violations linked to the influx of VPA-backed logging and mining companies in Laos.

“We don't need

the Vietnamese military cutting down and stealing our trees in Laos,” said Boon Boualaphanh, President of the United for Lao Human Rights and Democracy, Inc. These trees and forests belong to Laos and the Laotian people who should be allowed to benefit it by themselves, our country needs freedom and human rights, not economic and military exploitation by Vietnam People’s Army-owned companies and soldiers.”

“The role of Laotian and Hmong-American NGOs in raising concerns about ongoing human rights and environmental abuses in Laos, Vietnam and Southeast Asia is significant,” said Philip Smith, Executive Director for the Center for Public Policy Analysis. “We were pleased to be invited to

speak at these events and to discuss the plight of Laotian and Hmong refugees and political and religious dissidents that continue to be persecuted and imprisoned in Laos.” www.centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org

“We are especially concerned about the plight of imprisoned Lao student leaders, the detention of thousands of Lao Hmong political refugees, and the horrific ongoing persecution of independent Lao Hmong Christian and Animist believers in Laos,” Smith stated. www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1110/S00785/laos-rights-groups-urge-re ..

The CPPA and non-profit humanitarian, human rights, research and policy organizations also participated in the Washington, D.C., international policy conference held on current issues in Laos and Southeast Asia.

The policy conference was followed by meetings with U.S. policymakers in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Congress, regarding Laos and Southeast Asia.