Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09VIENTIANE419
2009-08-28 08:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vientiane
Cable title:  

GOL PLEDGES REINFORCED COOPERATION RE AFRICAN

Tags:  KCRM LA PREL SNAR 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 280842Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2761
INFO ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL CHENGDU
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 000419 


STATE FOR EAP/MLS - EMERY; INL/AAE - BLOOMQUIST
BANGKOK FOR TCAS - ROLSTON, DEA - KELLUM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2019
TAGS: KCRM LA PREL SNAR
SUBJECT: GOL PLEDGES REINFORCED COOPERATION RE AFRICAN
TRAFFICKERS

REF: VIENTIANE 378

Classified By: Ambassador Ravic R. Huso for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 000419


STATE FOR EAP/MLS - EMERY; INL/AAE - BLOOMQUIST
BANGKOK FOR TCAS - ROLSTON, DEA - KELLUM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2019
TAGS: KCRM LA PREL SNAR
SUBJECT: GOL PLEDGES REINFORCED COOPERATION RE AFRICAN
TRAFFICKERS

REF: VIENTIANE 378

Classified By: Ambassador Ravic R. Huso for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: In an August 26 meeting, Minister to the
President's Office Soubanh Srithirath, who is also Chairman
of the Lao National Commission on Drug Control and
Supervision (LCDC),told Ambassador that LCDC has been
directed to reinforce its cooperation with U.S. DEA and the
U.S. Embassy on combating West African drug traffickers
operating in Laos. Minister Soubanh described new Government
of Laos (GOL) measures to control West African criminal
activity in Laos and advised that LCDC has been made the
focal point for coordinating such measures. Within his
reference to LCDC, the minister included the Ministry of
Public Securities' Drug Control Department (DCD) chief; post
will take this as encouragement to increase direct law
enforcement to law enforcement cooperation with DCD. New GOL
directives on dealing with West Africans are a direct result
of post pressure on Lao counterparts to take action. End
summary.

New Measures to Counter African Traffickers
--------------


2. (C) In an August 26 meeting, Minister to the President's
Office Soubanh Srithirath briefed Ambassador on Government of
Laos (GOL) policy discussions following up on a
U.S.-sponsored June conference on West African drug
traffickers (see reftel). Minister Soubanh had prepared a
report on the conference that he submitted to the Prime
Minister. Minister Soubanh advised that in subsequent
consultations with the Prime Minister, Minister of Public
Security and other senior officials, cooperation received
from the U.S. DEA office in Vientiane was praised and the Lao
National Commission on Drug Control and Supervision (LCDC )
which Soubanh chairs) was directed to reinforce cooperation
with the U.S. Embassy -- and DEA specifically -- on the West
African trafficker issue. Direction has also been provided
to other Lao government entities as follows:

-- Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to cease
issuing visas on arrival to citizens of selected African
countries. (Note: Other conversations indicated that the
list of affected countries has not yet been finalized. End
note.)

-- Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to have
Lao embassies to be stricter in reviewing visa applications
from citizens of selected African countries, with more
attention paid to the claimed purpose of the visit to Laos.
Embassies are also to take more care to send back to
Vientiane information collected from Africans who have
received Lao visas regarding their intended places of stay,
names of sponsors and contact numbers.

-- Lao Tourism Authority has been instructed to tell hotels
and guesthouses to pay particular attention to the activities
of African guests.

-- District leaders in Vientiane Municipality and provincial
governors have been instructed to pay particular attention to
the activities of Africans.

Focal Point, Not Task Force
--------------


3. (C) Regarding formation of a (U.S.-proposed) GOL
interagency task force to focus on West African traffickers,
Minister Soubanh advised that the GOL had decided against the
idea, for at least the time being, due to shortage of
personnel who could be dedicated to this effort. LCDC, he
said, has been designated as the focal point for coordinating
GOL actions to fight West African traffickers. Within LCDC,
however, Minister Soubanh also included the head of the
Ministry of Public Security's Drug Control Department (DCD),
which works closely with LCDC. Ambassador emphasized U.S.
willingness to provide training and basic equipment support
to GOL efforts regarding West African traffickers and advised
that Embassy officials would be in touch with DCD and LCDC to
work out a program of further cooperation.

4.(C) Comment: The GOL decision to provide these internal
directives for increased focus on the problem of West African
traffickers is in large part a direct result of post pressure
on Lao counterparts over recent months to take action. While
post had hoped to see establishment of some form of
operational task force to bring different GOL agencies
together to work with DEA on this issue, we plan to use
Minister Soubanh's inclusion of the DCD chief in his LCDC
"focal point" to expand USG assistance to DCD and direct U.S.
law enforcement to Lao law enforcement information exchange
with DCD.


HUSO