VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVN #0053/01 0220813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220813Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0800
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7098

UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, PM/WRA (Hutchens), AND H 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP MOPS PREL PHUM PGOV SCUL KFLU KHDP ECON LA
SUBJECT:  REPRESENTATIVE MCCOLLUM'S DISCUSSIONS ON UNEXPLODED 
ORDNANCE AND SOCIAL ISSUES 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During her visit to Laos, Representative McCollum 
got a first-hand look at the problems related to unexploded ordnance 
(UXO) in Xieng Khouang province.  She visited a hospital where UXO 
victims were being treated, a mine clearance site, and a school 
where children demonstrated mine awareness activities.  At meetings 
with Lao UXO officials and the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, 
Representative McCollum discussed U.S.-Lao cooperation to rid Laos 
of UXO.  In a meeting with a leading member of the Lao Front for 
National Construction, a body that oversees political and social 
organizations, she emphasized the importance of freedom of religion 
and encouraged the Lao government to allow respected international 
organizations to monitor developments such as population 
resettlements.  Representative McCollum  also exchanged ideas about 
microenterprise and health issues with the Vice President of the Lao 
Women's Union.  End summary. 
 
Representative McCollum Observes UXO Activities 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (U) On December 23, Representative McCollum, accompanied by DCM 
and consular officer, traveled to Xieng Khouang Province to see 
firsthand the effects of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos and to 
visit UXO clearance, education, and victim's assistance programs and 
organizations supported by the USG. 
 
¶3. (U) At a school that participates in a Consortium/World Education 
mine-risk education (MRE) curriculum program funded by PM/WRA, 
Representative McCollum watched students put on a play and a puppet 
show describing the dangers of unexploded ordnance.  She visited an 
80-hectare farming site being cleared of UXO by the Mines Advisory 
Group (MAG), a PM/WRA and USDA grantee in Laos.  At the provincial 
hospital in Phonsavan, which recently completed USAID-supported 
building upgrades and trauma treatment training, she met with 
doctors and talked with children who were receiving treatment for 
severe injuries caused by UXO.  One girl had lost an eye and several 
fingers in the explosion of a piece of ordnance her father had 
collected as scrap metal. 
 
Meeting with UXO Officials 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) On December 28, Representative McCollum met with Dr. Maligna 
Saignavongs, Director of the Lao UXO National Regulatory Authority, 
and Bounpone Sayasenh, Director of UXO Lao.  The directors shared 
with Ms. McCollum their organizations' history, current challenges, 
and successes in shaping Lao UXO policy and in ongoing efforts to 
clear land of UXO, educate the Lao people on the dangers of UXO, and 
respond to the needs of victims of UXO accidents.  Representative 
McCollum commended the directors on their work and noted that she 
and the USG were committed to working with the Government of Laos 
(GOL) to clean up the explosive remnants of the Indochina war.  She 
said that the close coordination among mine action organizations, 
the GOL, and donors and the pragmatic approach to UXO clearance can 
serve as a model for other UXO-affected countries to follow. 
 
Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) In a meeting with Onchan Thammavong, Minister of Labor and 
Social Welfare, Representative McCollum commended the Minister on 
her government's dedication to UXO clearance and education, noting 
that she appreciated the GOL's planning to maximize the dollar 
effectiveness of donor-supported clearance.  She pointed out that, 
not only does UXO clearance help to protect Lao families and 
children from the dangers of UXO, it also helps Laos to move towards 
attaining Millennium Development Goals.  Minister Onchan thanked Ms. 
McCollum for her support of Lao UXO activities and urged her to 
continue her support for USG assistance to Laos. 
 
¶6. (U) Representative McCollum said that, apart from clearance 
assistance, the USG could be a partner in developing Laos' health 
care capacity.  She explained that the US military has medical 
specialists who could work with Lao doctors to develop techniques 
and use technologies to treat UXO accident victims.  The same 
techniques would be useful in treating other trauma patients, such 
as road and construction accident victims.  The Minister replied 
that Laos needs both technical and financial medical assistance and 
that she would discuss Representative McCollum's proposal with the 
Cabinet. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: Representative McCollum expressed strong support 
for continued USG assistance to the Lao UXO sector.  She emphasized 
in various meetings with GOL officials her personal commitment to 
continuing support for the Lao UXO program.  Representative McCollum 
said she would be speaking to her colleagues in Congress about the 
UXO problems that continue to plague Laos and would seek further 
funding in Congress to support efforts to clear land and educate the 
Lao about the dangers of UXO.  End Comment. 
 
 
Lao Front for National Construction 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) On December 28, Representative McCollum met with Ton Yeu 
Thor, Vice President and Head of Ethnic Affairs at the Lao Front for 
National Construction, an important body that oversees various 
political and social organizations.  Mr. Ton complained that people 
in foreign countries are receiving false information about 
conditions in Laos because of rumors spread by former residents of 
Laos living abroad.  He urged Representative McCollum to help set 
the record straight.  Representative McCollum said that allowing 
respected organizations such as the International Committee of the 
Red Cross to monitor developments such as population resettlement 
would be helpful in this regard. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Mr. Ton said that he believes in freedom of religion.  He 
told Representative McCollum that he himself is not a Buddhist; his 
own religion emphasizes respecting ancestors.  Every religion has 
good teachings, he said, but if bad people abuse freedom of religion 
it becomes a problem.  This is why the government had to issue a 
decree to control people who want to use religion in the wrong way. 
The purpose of the decree as it applies to Christianity, he said, is 
to make sure that people use the teachings of the Bible rather than 
taking advantage of people.  This principle applies to other 
religions as well.  For example, people should not become Buddhist 
monks just to get free food or use animist beliefs to practice black 
magic.  Representative McCollum said that the United States has 
learned the lesson, often following unacceptable practices such as 
forced conversions of Native Americans, that tolerance, transparency 
and dialogue are the best practices when it comes to respecting 
religious diversity and freedom. 
 
Lao Women's Union 
----------------- 
 
¶10. (U) On December 29, Representative McCollum met with Lao Women's 
Union Vice President Bandith Pathoumvanh.  Representative McCollum 
praised the Lao Women's Union's efforts to educate the Lao 
population on avian influenza and other public health issues.  She 
recommended that the organization, in coordination with the Embassy, 
study programs in African and India in which women have increased 
profits in microenterprise programs by eliminating middlemen. 
Representative McCollum and Ms. Bandith also shared views on other 
challenges such as combating HIV/AIDS and malaria. 
 
¶11. (U) Representative McCollum did not have a chance to clear on 
this cable. 
 
HASLACH