EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/537

(2004/C 84 E/0614)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0119/04

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: Repression of Lao-Hmong communities in the Saysomboune region (Laos)

According to international media reports, publicised by the Lao Human Rights Movement, the authorities of the Lao People's Democratic Republic conducted what can only be described as a siege of the ‘Saysomboune Special Zone’, with repeated and extremely violent attacks, in December. According to these sources, almost 3 000 people, mainly children, women and elderly people, died of hunger or as a result of the bombings by the Laotian artillery in recent weeks. This is yet another example of the fierce repression — bombings, bans on any contacts with the outside world, river poisoning, spraying of toxic substances on crops, etc. — inflicted on thousands of Laotians belonging to the Hmong ethnic group, who have lived or survived for the past 28 years in this enclave of the Xiengkhouang province. These are the communities on which journalists Thierry Falise, Vincent Reynaud and Karl Mua were reporting when they were arrested by the Laotian authorities and heavily sentenced following a sham trial.

Has the Commission reacted to this umpteenth case of terror being used by the Vientiane authorities against the Lao-Hmong people? Does it intend to inform the Vientiane authorities that the continuation of cooperation between the EU and Laos will be dependent on them stopping the campaign of extremely violent repression against the Lao-Hmong and on their willingness to facilitate access by UN representatives and international humanitarian organisations to the region? Lastly, does the Commission not consider that the steady deterioration in the human rights situation in Laos and the systematic violation of the principles on which the EU-PDRL Cooperation Agreement is based call for the immediate convening of the Cooperation Council, a meeting of which was initially due to take place in November 2003 but was called off ‘in the absence of sufficiently important issues for discussion’?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2004)

The Commission is aware that ethnic minority groups in Laos often face a difficult situation. Many of them live in the impoverished upland areas, particularly in the north of the country, and have limited access to social services such as education and health. Some groups, among them the Hmong, also frequently encounter mistrust from the administration even if there is no confirmed evidence of legal discrimination.

The Commission is also aware of reports of clashes between Laotian ‘security forces’ and some armed Hmong groups, in the Saysomboune Special Zone, as well as recent reports highlighting the difficult living conditions of these particular groups.

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the 3rd Commission-Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) Joint Committee Meeting was held in Vientiane, Laos, on 7 January 2004. The slight delay in the holding of the Joint Committee was purely due to scheduling difficulties.

The Commission would also like to inform the Honourable Member that in addition to discussions on a variety of issues falling under the scope of the Cooperation Agreement, including governance and human rights, both Parties agreed to set up an Informal Working Group on ‘Cooperation in the areas of institution building and administrative reform, governance and Human Rights’. Meeting regularly, the working group will allow the EU and the Government of Lao PDR to demonstrate their commitment to implementing the Human Rights chapter of the Commission-Lao PDR Co-operation Agreement in a more proactive way.