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) 
 
¶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