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“URGING THE SENATE TO CONTINUE TO BLOCK THE APPOINTMENT OF U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LAOS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2081-E2082 on Nov. 3, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
URGING THE SENATE TO CONTINUE TO BLOCK THE APPOINTMENT OF U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO LAOS
______
HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, November 3, 2000
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I am troubled by the fact that the State Department has made almost no progress with regard to the disappearance of two Hmong Americans who went missing in Laos more than a year ago. Mr. Michael Vang, a constituent of mine from Fresno, CA, and Mr. Housa Ly, a constituent of Representative Mark Green from Appleton, WI, are believed to have been seized by the Pathet Lao along the border of Thailand and Laos. Our constituents have not been seen or heard from since.
I believe the U.S. Congress needs to get tougher with the military dictatorship in Laos and the bureaucrats at the State Department who are content to work gently and cooperatively with the same Lao officials who are likely responsible for the abduction of our constituents. The regime in Laos continues to brutalize and murder its own people, particularly the Lao and Hmong people--many of which have relatives in my Congressional district.
Congressmen Vento, Green and I helped to send a strong message to the State Department and to the Laos government last year with the passage of H. Res. 169, which was the first legislation to pass the House of Representatives specific to Laos--and it passed 412 to 20. Among other things it urged the Lao Government to return Mr. Ly and Mr. Vang, or their remains, to United States authorities and their families in America at once; it warned the Lao Government of the serious consequences, including sanctions, of acts of aggression against United States citizens; and finally it urged the Department of State and other appropriate United States agencies to share the maximum amount of information regarding the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang. None of these things have come to pass.
So today I want to thank my colleague, Senator Bob Smith from New Hampshire, for his efforts to place an ongoing hold on the appointment of a U.S. Ambassador to Laos until a fundamental overhaul of U.S. policy is made toward Laos, and until changes are made with regard to the way the State Department is handling the case of Mr. Michael Vang and Houa Ly.
There are others I would like to thank for their efforts to help us resolve this case. Ms. Susie Vang, the wife of Michael Vang, has repeatedly traveled from Fresno, California to provide crucial testimony at several important events highlighting this case in the 106th Congress. Chairman Ben Gilman, Congressman Mark Green, Congressman Bruce Vento, Congressman Ron Kind, Congressman Wally Herger and Congressman Richard Pombo were also among those who participated. Finally, I am grateful to the Lao Veterans of America, the largest group of Hmong and Lao veterans in the United States based in my district, for their active participation in facilitating Congress' efforts to bring these Hmong Americans home.
Mr. Speaker, I submit a letter into the Record that Congressman Mark Green and I recently sent to Senator Bob Smith regarding the need to keep a hold on the appointment of a U.S. Ambassador to Laos until fundamental changes are made in the way the U.S. State Department handles the Government of Laos and our case.
October 6, 2000.Hon. Bob Smith,U.S. Senate,Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Smith: We would like to thank you for your recent efforts in the Senate to delay the appointment of Douglas Hartwick as Ambassador to Laos. We agree with those efforts and encourage you to remain steadfast in your position.
For years we believe this Administration's policies toward Laos have been fundamentally flawed. Your placing a hold on Mr. Hartwick's Senate approval sends a powerful message that we in Congress reject this Administration's policies toward Laos, and are fully willing to support dramatic steps to force a change in those policies.
We support your efforts for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the State Department's handling over the past 17 months of the case of two Americans--our constituents--missing in Laos since April of last year.
As background, we offer the following brief review of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Messrs. Houa Ly of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Michael Vang of Fresno, California. According to America eyewitnesses who were traveling with Messrs. Ly and Vang, Lao government authorities are responsible for this disappearance--a belief we share. Given the Lao government's dismal record on human rights and other matters, we feel this allegation is entirely plausible.
These eyewitnesses have offered the following account of the incident:
``On April 19, 1999, a party of four Hmong-American men--Mr. Houa Ly, Mr. Michael Vang, Mr. Neng Lee and Mr. Hue Vang--were traveling in Thailand near the city of Chiang Khong. The group, having been advised that the nearby Thai-Lao border was open to tourists and the public, crossed the Mekong River into Laos.
``Once across the border, the party split into two groups. Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang began speaking to several men, some of whom identified themselves as authorities in the Lao government. Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang briefly left the area. When they returned, Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang were missing.
``After a brief search, Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang witnessed Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang being forced onto a boat by Lao men. The boat, with Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang aboard, sped away on the Mekong River. Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang have not been heard from since.
``On May 4, 1999, upon their return to Chiang Mai, Thailand, Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang reported this incident to the American Consulate. Two days later, according to Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang, an American official from the consulate informed them he had received reports that both men had been imprisoned and that Mr. Ly may have been killed.
``Subsequent independent reports have suggested that the two men are currently imprisoned by Lao government authorities.''
This case was initially brought to our attention in May of last year. Since then, we have been working together with the families of Messrs. Ly and Vang and attempting to work with the State Department to get to the bottom of the matter.
We have repeatedly stressed the importance of this case to the State Department. Since our initial letter on the matter to Secretary Albright on May 19, 1999, we have worked to emphasize the urgent need to have this case resolved quickly for the sake of all involved. We have written letters, made repeated phone calls, sponsored meetings, organized briefings, held hearings and even passed House legislation dealing specifically with the disappearances.
By the State Department's own admission, the communist government of Laos has been largely uncooperative in the
``joint investigation'' of the matter undertaken by our two governments. The State Department has nevertheless continued to work directly with the Lao government in their investigation, despite evidence indicating Lao government involvement in the disappearance itself. The investigation, not surprisingly, has produced virtually no results.
Adding insult to injury, the treatment of the families of these two men at the hands of the State Department has been deplorable. Despite repeated State Department promises to keep family members regularly informed of progress and developments in the case, the families have reported that their contact with the State Department has been sporadic and inadequate. The families feel, and we agree, that the State Department has handled the Lao government with kid gloves while treating the families with skepticism and suspicion.
Also, in the course of pursuing answers in this case, Rep. Green and the Ly family were forced to file a formal Freedom of Information Act request with the State Department. An unforgivable seven months passed before the U.S. government documents on the disappearance were finally released to the family.
This pace of ``progress'' cannot be permitted to continue. We are resolute in our commitment to see this case resolved, and to provide the families of Mr. Houa Ly and Michael Vang the answers they deserve. We believe that is unlikely to occur unless there is a sweeping change in policy toward Laos within the State Department.
The case of these two men is but another result of the deferential, appeasement-oriented Laos policy the State Department has consciously decided to pursue. It is but one of number of damning examples that clearly demonstrate the flaws in that policy.
Consider the following as well:
1. Laos continues to exist as an old-style one-party communist state which maintains a monopoly on power and close relations with the world's remaining communist nations.
2. Human rights abuses by the Lao government continue to be appalling and widespread. The government deploys its security forces against many of its own citizens, including incidents last year in which pro-democracy student demonstrators were arrested and imprisoned. In addition, the Lao government denies its citizens' basic human liberties and rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and religion. These abuses have all been repeatedly documented by Amnesty International and other international organizations. Perhaps most alarming of all, at time when human rights in many areas of the world are improving, the human rights situation in Laos appears to be getting worse.
3. With the help of Vietnamese military forces, the Lao government has waged a systematic military campaign against the Hmong ethnic minority in the Laotian highlands. This campaign has caused inestimable civilian casualties and demonstrates that the regime in Vientiane is willing to wage outright war against its own people to maintain its increasingly unsteady grip on power.
As these distressing events have taken place, the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane have utterly failed to recognize, document and address them. These actions by the Lao government continue to take place for the same reason actions by any dictatorship continue occurring: because no one in power has the courage and determination to stop them.
It is our hope that your brave action in the Senate will force a change in U.S. policy toward Laos, will help advance the case of our two missing constituents, and will assist in moving the people of Laos closer to a day when they will live without fear in a free and open society.
Sincerely,
Mark Green,
George Radanovich,
Members of Congress.
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