REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM MEETS LAO VICE PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 001234 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 PREL SMIG TH SUBJECT: REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM MEETS LAO VICE PRIME MINISTER Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Representative Betty McCollum pressed Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad for more cooperation on dealing with unexploded ordnance, education, and health care and effectively used her attendance at Christmas Mass to indicate the importance of freedom of religion to the United States. Somsavat used much of his time to argue that many Americans, including Members of Congress, misunderstood the GOL,s handling of its Hmong minority and that the Department,s Annual Human Rights Report repeated information that did not reflect the reality in Laos. Representative McCollum,s suggestion was to allow a neutral third party such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to become active in Laos to verify the reality. End summary. ¶2. (C) The most senior official with whom Representative Betty McCollum met during her December 21-29 visit to Laos was Somsavat Lengsavad ) Deputy Prime Minister (since 1998) and Permanent Government Member (since 2006). Somsavat, now also a member of the Politburo, had been Foreign Minister from 1993-2006 and gained much credit for passage of Normal Trade Relations in 2004 ) a process in which Representative McCollum played a key role in the Congress. Somsavat began their December 27 meeting by thanking her for her support for NTR. Representative McCollum,s Presentation -------------- ¶3. (C) Representative McCollum told Somsavat she applauded the Lao Constitution,s guarantee of freedom of religion since this had allowed her to pass a very pleasant Christmas Eve by attending Mass at Vientiane,s Catholic Church. She had also met the Bishop and a newly ordqained priest. She commended the Government of Laos (GOL) for allowing the Church to select its own leaders. ¶4. (C) Representative McCollum highlighted for Somsavat the opportunities for the United States and Laos to work together on the long process of removing unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the Indochina War period as well as for bilateral cooperation in education and health care. Representative McCollum noted that Laos is a becoming a leader in preparing to deal with Avian Influenza (AI) and urged the GOL to share �A;its growing expertise with other countries. She called for a partnership to deal with maternal and child health ) to ensure healthy mothers during childbirth and health children after delivery. Somsavat,s Response -------------- ¶5. (C) Somsavat thanked Representative McCollum for her aspirations to help Laos deal with the challenges remaining from the war legacy. He emphasized the goal of the GOL to develop the Lao economy and society to end the country,s underdeveloped status and improve the living conditions for the people. He stressed the GOL,s intention to continue to follow market economy principles. Somsavat also told Representative McCollum that the GOL is doing its utmost to unify all ethnic groups in Laos with the goal of maintaining political stability and political order. Somsavat pointed out the GOL,s policy of maintaining good relations with all countries. He added that the GOL appreciated the support Laos was receiving from other countries to help eradicate poverty. ¶6. (C) Looking back on his many years as Foreign Minister, Somsavat emphasized that he did his utmost to work for relations with the United States to become more normal. He said he had done his best to support cooperation in various fields and is now pleased that the bilateral relationship is expanding through the concerted efforts of both sides. Somsavat mentioned his consistent support for the process of searching for the remains of MIAs from the Vietnam War period, which he recognized as one of the top priorities of the USG. Somsavat also highlighted bilateral cooperation on counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism. ¶7. (C) Somsavat recognized that there have been a number of bilateral exchanges among government officials and legislators from the two countries but pointed out that these are neither regular nor frequent. He said he hoped that Representative McCollum,s visit would spur the National Assembly to plan more exchanges with the Congress. Misunderstanding The Hmong Situation -------------- ¶8. (C) Somsavat spent some time complaining about the State Department,s Annual Human Rights Report (HRR). He noted the HRR cited the GOL,s problems with the Hmong ethnic group but claimed that this does not reflect the reality. Somsavat pointed out he had told the Ambassador that the American people misunderstand the situation; more should come to Laos to witness the reality. Somsavat opined that U.S. Congress Members and politicians were receiving distorted news from groups in the United States which opposed the GOL ) including the group led by former Hmong General Vang Pao. According to Somsavat, even Professor Yang Dao (a Hmong-American author and activist well known for being the first Hmong to earn a Ph.D.),&misunderstood at first.8 However, after visiting Laos, Yang realized that much of the information he had been given had been fabricated. Somsavat noted that General Vang Pao had even complained to a court about Yang. ¶9. (C) Somsavat complained in essence that USG policies had complicated the situation, including the 2004-05 decision by the USG to resettle 10,000-15,000 Hmong in the Wat Tham Kabok camp in Thailand to the United States. According to Somsavat, &evil-minded8 people used the USG decision to instigate more Hmong in Laos to flee to Thailand in the expectation of also being resettled in the United States. These latter Hmong, according to Somsavat, were not discontented or against the GOL; they just wanted an opportunity to visit their relatives in the United States. This allowed them to be lured by human trafficking syndicates. Somsavat highlighted that some Hmong willing to return to Laos told the GOL they had paid the traffickers high fees to be resettled in Thailand. ¶10. (C) Somsavat continued to say that now the GOL and the Thai had agreed to set up an ad hoc working group to inspect how many Hmong in Thailand wanted voluntarily to return to Laos or wanted to go abroad. The GOL is willing to welcome those wanting to return. Somsavat insisted the GOL policy is to build solidarity and national concorde: &there is no reason whatsoever in nation building to cause unrest or ethnic tension; this does not serve any purpose,8 he affirmed. The Vice President of the National Assembly (Madame Pany Yathotu) is a Hmong woman; this had not happened in China, Thailand, or Vietnam, he pointed out with pride. Somsavat urged Representative McCollum to tell the Congress and the American people that the GOL followed a policy of equality, solidarity, freedom of religion, and the unity of all ethnic groups. Representative McCollum,s Rejoinder -------------- ¶11. (C) Representative McCollum told Somsavat there are many challenges in reconciliation. Even when families try to reconcile, they often have to turn to a &trusted elder8 or community leader seen as a fair party for assistance. If inaccurate rumors are started, the elder can deal with them. Representative McCollum told Somsavat it would help her and others who would like a stronger partnership with Laos if the GOL would invite an international entity to &stop the rumors.8 She encouraged him to consider asking a neutral third party such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to talk to both sides. Then the ICRC can turn to the world and announce the rumors are false. She pointed out that the State Department, without an independent third party to rely on, has to write the HRR based on the information available. ¶12. (C) Representative McCollum pointed out to Somsavat that having the assistance of the ICRC would create an opportunity for the GOL to work with the Thai Government to resolve the situation of the many Hmong currently encamped in Thailand. If these Hmong are verified to have left for economic reasons or because they received false information, the international community would be able to stand up with the Lao and say &you should go home.8 Through this process, Representative McCollum pointed out, the ability of those who create the false rumors would be curtailed. ¶13. (C) In her closing, Representative McCollum wished Somsavat success in resolving the GOL,s many challenges with Thailand, with the return of Hmong from Thailand, and with gaining third-party validation of these issues. She pointedly also asked Somsavat to resolve quickly the issue of the 26 children detained for more than a year; unfortunately Somsavat did not take the opportunity provided by Representative McCollum to indicate that a possible resolution of the children,s case was close. Comment -------------- ¶14. (C) The decision by Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat to use this meeting with Representative McCollum to push so strongly on the &misinformation8 about the Hmong situation is not surprising since GOL officials are well aware of both the large number of Hmong-Americans and Lao-Americans living in Minnesota,s Fourth District as well as Representative McCollum,s high profile within the Congress on issues dealing with Laos in general and the Hmong in particular. As in previous meetings, we believe Representative McCollum,s encouragement of permission for increased ICRC activities here was the perfect response. We were disappointed that Somsavat, with the inside information he has access to from his Politburo membership, was not willing to respond when Representative McCollum raised the ongoing saga of the 26 detained children. ¶15. (U) Representative McCollum has cleared this cable. HASLACH