IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 332

Condemning the communist regime in Laos for its many human rights abuses,

including its role in the abduction of United States citizens Houa Ly

and Michael Vang.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 14, 1999

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. GILMAN, Mr.

VENTO, Mr. KIND, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr.

HUNTER, and Mr. CUNNINGHAM) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in

addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

RESOLUTION

Condemning the communist regime in Laos for its many

human rights abuses, including its role in the abduction

of United States citizens Houa Ly and Michael Vang.

Whereas under the current regime, Laos is a one-party communist state which maintains a monopoly on power as

well as close relations with the world’s other remaining

communist nations;

Whereas the current communist regime in Laos continues to

deploy its security forces against many of its own citizens

and to deny them simple human liberties and rights, including freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and other
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basic rights, as documented by the United States Government, Amnesty International, and other organizations;

Whereas Lao and Hmong Christians, as well as American

missionaries, have been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by government authorities in Laos for practicing

their faith;

Whereas the current regime in Laos continues to deny Amnesty International and all other independent human

rights organizations access to Laos;

Whereas the King and Queen of Laos, as well as many other

members of the Lao Royal Family, disappeared while in

the custody of the current regime in Laos;

Whereas despite repeated pleas for the return of the King

and Queen of Laos, as well as other members of the Lao

Royal Family, the regime remains unwilling to release

them or their remains;

Whereas Vue Mai, a Hmong refugee leader with HmongAmerican family in Fresno, California, disappeared in

Laos in September 1993 after being repatriated from

Thailand;

Whereas two United States citizens, Mr. Houa Ly, a resident

of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Mr. Michael Vang, a resident of Fresno, California, were traveling along the border between Laos and Thailand on April 19, 1999;

Whereas according to American eyewitnesses, United States

congressional research missions, non-governmental organizations and other sources, Messrs. Ly and Vang were

seized by Lao Government authorities;

Whereas the Lao Government continues to deny knowledge of

the whereabouts of Messrs. Ly and Vang or the role of

government security forces in abducting them;
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Whereas the regime has recently denounced the Voice of

America (VOA) for VOA reporting about the disappearances of Messrs. Ly and Vang;

Whereas the Department of State has been asked repeatedly

by members of Congress to vigorously investigate and resolve this case since it was first reported in early May

1999;

Whereas congressional missions, including one conducted by

the Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives, traveled to Southeast Asia during July and August to further investigate

this incident and raise the issue at the highest levels of

government in the region;

Whereas the chief response to this incident by the Department of State and United States Ambassador to Laos

Wendy Chamberlain has been to undertake an investigation in cooperation with the regime in Laos—a regime involved with the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang;

Whereas the families of Messrs. Ly and Vang have been able

to learn very little from the United States Government

regarding the whereabouts or current circumstances of

their loved ones; and

Whereas the Congress will not tolerate any unjustified arrest,

abduction, imprisonment, disappearance, or other act of

aggression against United States citizens by a foreign

government: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) decries the abduction of Houa Ly and Mi3 chael Vang, recognizing it as an incident worthy of

4 congressional attention;
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1 (2) condemns the current regime in Laos for its

2 role in the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang;

3 (3) emphasizes to the Department of State con4 gressional dissatisfaction with the flawed investiga5 tion of this case undertaken by Ambassador Wendy

6 Chamberlain and the United States Embassy in

7 Laos;

8 (4) stresses to the Department of State the ur9 gent need to initiate a new independent investigation

10 free from coordination with the government of Laos;

11 (5) calls upon the regime in Laos and the De12 partment of State to expeditiously release any and

13 all information regarding the whereabouts or current

14 circumstances of Messrs. Ly and Vang to their fami15 lies and to Congress;

16 (6) urges the Lao Government to return

17 Messrs. Ly and Vang, or their remains, to United

18 States authorities and their families in America at

19 once;

20 (7) warns the Lao Government of the serious

21 consequences, including sanctions, of any unjustified

22 arrest, abduction, imprisonment, disappearance, or

23 other act of aggression against United States citi24 zens; and
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1 (8) urges the Subcommittee on Trade of the

2 Committee on Ways and Means of the House of

3 Representatives, as well as its counterpart in the

4 Senate, to suspend any further review, consideration,

5 or action regarding normal trade relations status for

6 Laos until Messrs. Ly and Vang are fully accounted

7 for and this case is satisfactorily resolved.

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