Save the Hmong in Laos

The report "The secret war in Laos", aired Thursday, June 16, 2005 in the emission of France 2 "Special Envoy", revealed to the world a campaign of brutal repression and even extermination carried out with impunity for 30 years by Leaders of the single party in power in Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), against thousands of Lao-Hmong people in the Laotian jungle of Xaysomboune and Bolikhamsay. The images of these men, these women, these children, these babies, hounded, chased by soldiers, living in fear, disease, destitution and despair have raised legitimate emotion, indignation and revolt. And everyone here wondered how such horrors, may have been committed in a member country of La Francophonie, a member of the United Nations, and with which the European Union signed in April 1997 a cooperation agreement which was respect for the rights of Man one major condition. It is also clear from this report - conducted secretly by Gregory DENIAU journalist in a country without freedom of expression and the press - and for the regime in place these people Lao-mongs, who refuse to bend to the dictatorship, "do not exist" and were only "simple villagers on the move." Broad smiles to mollify donors and tourists, but denial of democratic reforms and ruthless repression against any domestic opposition, have been the rule of conduct of the leaders of the regime that reign supreme since 1975. It is also clear that to have served in the army of the French Union at the time of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and then under the command of the United States military during the Vietnam War, many these Lao-Hmong suffer the ordeal in the jungle alongside their children, grandchildren and rear grandchildren. Faced with this unacceptable situation, and outraged by such abuses against an innocent population, the signatories: -- Solemnly request the authorities of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to put an immediate end to the campaign of repression against these people and to publicly acknowledge their existence; -- Ask the Lao authorities to allow, without conditions and without delay, the international organization to access these populations in distress to provide emergency humanitarian aid; -- Call on the United Nations, including its Secretary General Kofi Annan, to take appropriate measures to rescue these people Lao-Hmong before it is too late; -- Call the President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac, and all public authorities to do everything possible to ensure the survival of these populations, and to respect the rights of the Lao people in accordance with the values of La Francophonie and the principles of the Declaration Universal Human Rights, which has joined the Lao PDR; -- Call on the United States of America and its president George W. BUSH to take all their responsibilities in this matter and to take steps to help these people; -- Called on the international community - especially the European Union and its 25 members as well as ASEAN, whose LPDR currently holds the presidency - to take appropriate action, including diplomatic and economic order ' bring the authorities of the LPDR to stop abuses against the Lao-Hmong people, to respect the rights of all minorities, and to engage without delay democratic reforms; -- Send an urgent appeal to international humanitarian organizations to launch emergency operations in order to help these people in distress; -- Call on the representatives of the press, including the association Reporters Without Borders, to mobilize support for these sad people whose conditions have been revealed through the media; -- Call for public demonstrations outside embassies of the Lao PDR in the world to protest against the atrocities committed against the people by the regime.