FOLLOW UP ON HMONG MINORS ISSUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001437

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2016
TAGS: PREF PHUM LA UNICEF
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP ON HMONG MINORS ISSUE

REF: (A) STATE 119402 (B) VIENTIANE 655

Classified By: Miriam Hughes for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Begin Summary. Per Ref A, ECONOFF delivered talking
points to Laos Desk Officer at the UN Department of Political
Affairs (UNDPA). Reponse was that a request for a high-level
visit to Laos was made by the UN Country Team and remains
"under serious consideration." No decision has yet been made
either on the visit or on a possible follow up letter from
Secretary-General Annan. UN interlocutors on this issue

SIPDIS
(UNICEF and UNDPA) are in agreement that current efforts for
the return of the children have hit a "brick wall." Efforts
are continuing. End Summary.


2. (C) In accordance with Ref A, ECONOFF visited both UNICEF
and UNDPA to inquire about the status of efforts for the
return of the Hmong children. UNICEF was consulted first as
they had taken the inital lead on this issue when the
children were first reported missing. According to UNICEF
Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam, efforts for return of
the children have hit a "brick wall." What was initially a
children's issue has been politicized by the exchange of
letters between Secretary-General Annan and the President of
Laos. As noted Ref B, attempts to focus Laotion attention to
address the issue are evaded, as Laotions refer back to the
exchange of letters as proof that the Government of Laos is
already looking for the children. Mr. Kautam related a
recent attempt he made to raise the issue with the Laotian
Permanent Representative during a UN meeting. He received
the same response.


3. (C) Mr. Gautam counseled patience to allow the issue to
come down from the current high level to a point where it
could be addressed by quiet diplomacy. Mr. Gautam believes
that a high-level visit at this time could be
counter-productive, as it might further stiffen Laotian
resistance. As there is no current UNICEF representative in
Vientiane (the incumbent recently left for a new assigmnment
in East Timor),follow-up at this time by UNICEF is
difficult. A new UNICEF representative has been appointed
but it will be several weeks before she gets to Vientiane.
When she arrives, the first order of business will be the
return of the Hmong children.


4. (C) On July 27, ECONOFF delivered Ref A talking points to
UNDPA Lao Desk Officer Anne Marie Ibanez. Ms. Ibanez
confirmed that the UN country team had indeed requested a
high-level DPA visit and that such a visit was "under serious
consideration" as were other options, such as a follow-up
letter from Secretary-General Annan. However, no decision had
yet been made regarding the proposed visit and Ms. Ibanez
cautioned against raising false expectations.


5. (C) Although Ms. Ibanez agreed that current negotiations
for the return of the children had reached an impasse, she
stressed the importance of continuing engagement. In this
regard, she mentioned the follow-up demarches done by the UN
Country Team at the Director General level in the Laotion
Foreign Ministry, after the Foreign Minister refused to
receive them. From the beginning, the approach by DPA has
been to emphasize the humanitarian aspects of the case and to
work to support the efforts of the UN Country Team in
Vientiane. In this regard, she was very concerned that there
was no current information on the children and asked if we
had heard anything.


6. (SBU) Ms. Ibanez will relay U.S. points and strong support
for the visit to higher level DPA officials and decision
makers. USUN will report any further developments.


BOLTON