Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENTIANE1232
2006-12-29 05:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vientiane
Cable title:  

REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM MEETS VICE FOREIGN MINISTER

Tags:  EAID LA OREP PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG TH 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVN #1232/01 3630540
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 290540Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0728
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7048
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 001232 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, H, DRL, PRM/ANE; BANGKOK FOR USAID;
PACOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2016
TAGS: EAID LA OREP PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG TH
SUBJECT: REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM MEETS VICE FOREIGN MINISTER


Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 001232

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, H, DRL, PRM/ANE; BANGKOK FOR USAID;
PACOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2016
TAGS: EAID LA OREP PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG TH
SUBJECT: REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM MEETS VICE FOREIGN MINISTER


Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (C) Summary: Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota,
in her first visit to Laos, pressed Vice Foreign Minister
Phongsavath to accept more of a role for NGOs, to take
advantage of international respect for the ICRC by allowing
it to monitor the situation of the Hmong within Laos, to
resolve the year-old issue of the 26 detained children, and
to allow more religious diversity. Most interestingly,
Phongsavath did not invoke the almost-automatic denial that
the Lao Government had any information on the children in his
response. End summary.


2. (C) The first official meeting of Representative Betty
McCollum,s December 21-29 first visit to Laos was with
long-time Vice Foreign Minister Phongsavath Boupha on
December 22. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister
Thongloun Sisoulith was traveling abroad. Representative
McCollum expressed appreciation for the assistance of the
Government of Laos (GOL) with the search for remains of MIA
from the Vietnam War period, emphasizing the importance to
the families of being able to say a final goodbye.
Phongsavath, in turn, thanked Representative McCollum for her
assistance in the process of the USG granting normal trade
relations (NTR) to Laos.

The McCollum Presentation
--------------

3. (C) Representative McCollum effectively pressed in a
number of areas. She told the Vice Foreign Minister there is
much opportunity for a partnership of the USG and GOL to deal
with the unexploded ordnance (UXO) problem and emphasized the
role of NGOs in the process. Citing news about Laos in U.S.
newspapers which was not always positive, Representative
McCollum told Phongsavath there needs to be a &third party8
which is well-respected internationally and which can verify
those areas in which Laos is doing a good job (including

dealing with resettled Hmong insurgents and their family
members). She then told Phongsavath that the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is such a group, noting
that the ICRC has even criticized the USG when it did not
live up to the ideals the American people expect. She also
citied as a &challenge8 the issue of the 26 detained
children and said she understood that Laos and Thailand were
working to resolve the issue; resolving this issue would make
it easier to say to the Congress that Laos is &a good
partner.8


4. (C) Representative McCollum praised GOL cooperation on
Avian Influenza issues, saying that Laos could be a model for
other countries. Later in the conversation, she returned to
the importance of NGO assistance in supplementing
government-to-government programs and in providing individual
Americans the opportunity to become involved in this process.
Representative McCollum noted that she is constantly being
asked by other Members of Congress and constituents for proof
that things in Laos are going well to point out that she and
the Embassy both need to be able to show progress on the
range of issues we are dealing with.


5. (C) Representative McCollum pointed out the advantages of
people being able to speak several languages to press
Phongsavath to respect minority languages ) although not
disputing the teaching of the Lao language in schools as the
national language. Finally Representative McCollum noted she
was away from home during the Christmas holiday for the first
time and pleased she would be able to attend church services
in Vientiane to highlight her concern about the GOL,s
respect for religious diversity and its need to find common
ground with various religious groups. (Note: In subsequent
meetings with other officials Representative McCollum was
able to point out she had attended Christmas mass and met the
Bishop to emphasize the importance to her of freedom of
religion. End note.)

Phongsavath,s Views
--------------

6. (C) Phongsavath noted Representative McCollum would be
going to Xiang Khouang Province to visit a school and
hospital and pointed out the people of Xiang Khouang Province
) which has UXO throughout the province ) are even more
affected than those in Savannakhet Province which was bombed
more heavily but with UXO concentrated in its less-populated
eastern areas. Phongsavath called for developing stronger
trade relations with the United States now that NTR had been
granted. He noted that Laos is one of the least developed
countries in the world and expressed hope that NTR would help
the GOL achieve its goal of significant economic progress by

2020. Although bilateral cooperation on counter-narcotics
has been successful ) the GOL declared it had eliminated
opium growing in 2005 ) Phongsavath expressed concern that
former growers might return to their lucrative crop if
substitution crops and support programs are not in place, a
problem especially in the more remote rural areas.


7. (C) Phongsavath complained about criticism of GOL programs
to move people from remote areas to lowland locations and
concentrating them in groups. Critics claim this violates
the human rights of those being moved, but Phongsavath stated
their lives would be better in these better locations.
Responding to Representative McCollum,s suggestion to allow
the ICRC to monitor conditions including at villages with
resettled people from remote areas as well as returned
refugees (from Thailand),Phongsavath said it was a &good
idea8 which could be considered. He also mentioned in
general working with the Thai Government on issues with the
Hmong. (Note: Interestingly, when Representative McCollum
raised the 26 children who have now been detained by the GOL
for more than one year, Phongsavath did not use the
here-to-fore virtually automatic GOL statement denying having
any information about the children.)


8. (C) Phongsavath was careful to say, when the conversation
turned to religious freedom, that the Lao Constitution
included the right to believe or not to believe. He also
cited &misunderstandings& about reports of Christians being
arrested in Laos, saying even Buddhists who broke the law
were arrested. &If they did not commit wrongs, there would
be no problems.8 Phongsavath noted the roles of the
National Assembly as well as the mass organization Lao Front
for National Construction in dealing with religious issues.
Responding to the issue of respect for minority languages,
Phongsavath pointed out some of Laos, many minority groups
have only a few thousand members and complained that some
stay in very remote areas and refuse to send their children
to schools.

Comment
--------------

9. (C) The meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Phongsavath was
a cordial beginning for Representative McCollum,s first
visit to Laos. We applaud Representative McCollum for
emphasizing a range of key points where we would like to see
progress from the GOL, including permission for increased
ICRC activities here. On the ongoing saga of the 26
children, we saw Phongsavath,s non-denial as perhaps adding
credence to rumors of progress toward resolution of this
year-long case ) although responses by other officials in
subsequent meetings were less encouraging (septels).


10. (U) Representative McCollum has cleared this cable.

HASLACH