[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 144 (Friday, November 3, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2081-E2082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    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

[[Page E2082]]

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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