ເມື່ອ ເປັນເຊັ່ນນີ້....ເຫັນທີວ່າ ຄໍາເຕືອນຄັ້ງສຸດທ້າຍ ຂອງທ່ານ specom ສົ່ງອອກມາຫວ່າງບໍ່ນານມານີ້ນັ້ນ ການຊິ້ນຊາຕລາວ ກໍ່ີຄົງຈະໃກ້ຄວາມຈິງທີ່ສຸດແລ້ວໃດນິເນາະ.."ຍຸກລາວຊິ້ນຊາຕ"is now at the frnt door..
ຂພຈ ບໍ່ເຄີຍໄດ້ເຫັນ ປະທານາທິບໍດີ ອມຣກ ຈະລົດຕົວລົງໄປຢ້ຽມຢາມ ປະເທດຄອມມູນິສນ້ອຍໆຈັກເທື່ອ..ໄປ ປະເທດພະມ້າ ກໍ່ແຄ້ ຣມຕ ຕ່າງປະເທດ....ເຫັນວ່າ ປະທານາທິບໍດີ ອມຣກ ພົບກັບບັນດາປະເທດອາຊ້ຽນໃນ ເວລາທີ່ ເຂົາເຈົ້າມີປະຊຸມ ຊັມມິຕ ໃນປະເທດໃດປະເທດໜຶ່ງເທົ່ານັ້ນ ແມ້ ກະທັ້ງຈະໂອ້ລົມເປັນພິເສດ ກັບຜູ້ ນໍາສາມຊາຕ ຄອມມູນິສ ນີ້ ກໍ່ບໍ່ເຫັນມີຂ່າວຈັກດີ້.... January 27, 2012 Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell will travel to the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia January 30-February 4. In Seoul, Republic of Korea, January 31-February 1, Assistant Secretary Campbell will meet with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Blue House. He will discuss a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including recent developments in North Korea. Assistant Secretary Campbell will visit Hanoi, Vietnam, February 1-3, to meet with senior Vietnamese leaders to discuss bilateral and regional issues and seek progress on initiatives to deepen bilateral ties. February 3-4, Assistant Secretary Campbell will visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia. While there, he will meet with senior Cambodian government officials to discuss areas of mutual interest, including Cambodia’s role as 2012 ASEAN chair, and to discuss ways to further strengthen our bilateral engagement. Assistant Secretary Campbell returns to Washington, D.C., on February 4. PRN: 2012/133
Southeast Asia Feb 22, 2012 Off the air in Laos By Beaumont Smith
VIENTIANE - Amid an unprecedented flurry of public debate and critique of government policies and actions, Lao authorities abruptly canceled a popular call-in radio program in late January without any public explanation.
The program, Talk of the News, ran for four consecutive years and encouraged the public to comment on issues of the day through often anonymous phone calls. The host, Ounkeo Souksavanh, an urbane ex-print journalist found himself uniquely enmeshed in the Lao population's complaints and grievances.
Social justice, overt corruption and land grabs were daily fare on Talk of the News, a rarity in Laos' authoritarian context. While many wondered when the boot would drop on the program, Lao listeners had grown accustomed to this point of light in the
otherwise drab government-controlled media landscape.
Summoned by the director of Lao National Radio, Ounkeo was told that Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Bosengkham Vongdara had issued the cancellation order. "I was shocked. I had no warning," said Ounkeo. "Suddenly I was told by the head of national radio that he had been told to cancel my show. I think the order came from high up in the Ministry of Information and Culture," Ounkeo said.
"I take my program from the daily news. I open the show by reading out segments from the Lao press and then open the lines for people to comment. Recently people have been saying strange things. When many nightclubs were re-opened, someone called to say, 'well what do you expect - you know who owns them' and then he hung up." The rub was that they are likely owned by senior government officials.
"Later, someone called me and warned me not to give space to the public. But it's an open line program, so people complain about many things; the Vietnamese taking land from veterans for a golf course, the loss of farming land on Don Chang [an island outside of Vientiane]. What can I do?"
Hopes that Laos may emulate Myanmar's recent tentative moves to greater press freedom, or that the ruling Communist Party might begin to move towards more enlightened policies, have been snuffed out with the program's closure. The cancelation and continued human-rights abuses indicate that democracy is still elusive.
"Who [demanded the closure] is not the issue here, but there is no legal reasons at all. There is no warning about the mistakes. This case reflects that the Lao government limits on people's freedom expression [and is] violating the national constitution. It expresses that the power belongs to only the government. In fact that the constitution says power belong to people, by people and for people [sic]" one anonymous fan posted to the program's website.
Many Lao used the anonymity of radio to bring into question what one long time Vientiane observer has called "patrimonial politics", referring to the dominance of several influential families in Laos' politics and economy.
Some suggest the last straw may have been a live-to-air interview with a delegation of farmers from the Boloven plateau, a well-known coffee growing region in the south. They insisted that a Vietnamese coffee company had been given permission to plant 150 hectares of coffee.
Over time, however, the area had expanded into 1,000 hectares. The farmers alleged the district governor had taken bribes from the company to look the other way, and that he had recently been seen driving a new luxury car, which they insinuated was part of his pay-off.
That particular program attracted a huge audience and might have contributed to the subsequent deluge of the National Assembly's hot-line with similar land-grabbing complaints.
Before the program's airing, Ounkeo had already achieved a degree of Robin Hood-like fame for giving voice to poor versus rich social justice issues. For instance, he took his microphone into the city's jail to interview a woman wrongly accused of arson following a neighborhood feud with a wealthy Lao family. The woman was subsequently released.
The show's cancelation caused unprecedented commentary among Laos' online community. Members of Lao Links, a Lao language online bulletin board, expressed dismay and regret that "society won't be able to listen to this program anymore because it is as same as a big microphone to speak out about social problems", one online contributor wrote.
"It's the hot issue on Lao Links right now," engineer Khantone Soumiphone said. "We are all wondering why it happened and we are very concerned. It was the only source of interesting news and discussion about important development issues ... The government says it is pro-development but closes the only program that discusses the results. It doesn't make sense."
After the program's closure, Ounkeo held discussions with European Union charge d'affaires Michel Goffin, who apparently told him that the issue of press freedom would be raised at the forthcoming 9th Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) to be held in Vientiane in November. Goffin did not answer this correspondent's request for confirmation that he made the comment.
Ironically, some of the complaints raised on Ounkeo's radio show were about the agricultural land on Don Chang. A luxury hotel is scheduled to be constructed in time for the ASEM meeting on land that previously provided much of Vientiane's fresh produce.
Meanwhile, less than a week after the program's cancelation, the front page headline in Laos English language daily newspaper, Vientiane Times, announced that the party was poised to "bolster propaganda at grassroots level".
The Ministry of Information and Culture's Propaganda and Training Board is "to accelerate the establishment of mobile propaganda teams ... to penetrate grassroots communities". The new propaganda drive, some suggest, is a government reaction to the open public hostility to its policies and actions often aired on Ounkeo's program.
Those grievances are apparently mounting. It is an open secret that many Lao provinces still function as modern-day fiefdoms for Lao political leaders to extract money and privilege. "Gate keeping, influence peddling and rent seeking are national sports disguised as development," said agro-economist Jeff Casey from Bangkok.
While Laos' gross domestic product has grown in recent years, so too has the national Gini coefficient, a statistical measure of economic inequality. Laos remains one of the world's poorest countries and mushrooming mansions owned by government officials and the sheer number of new luxury cars on Vientiane's roads have raised uncomfortable questions about who are the real beneficiaries of the communist leadership's development agenda.
Some Lao residents believe that the party is rattled by the spate of demonstrations against official abuse in neighboring Vietnam and the rise in local complaints lodged via the National Assembly's hot-line. Most of those complaints have focused on a lack of government transparency, particularly on land issues, and systemic corruption that Ounkeo's program not so subtly suggested taints all levels of government.
Beaumont Smith is a freelance journalist.
(Copyright 2012 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 23:48:43 -0800 From: toum.rasika@yahoo.com Subject: 062) Remarks in Cambodia ( we prepare for our leaders to come to Cambodia later this year.) To: laosnetworkroom@googlegroups.com CC: laodemocracy@googlegroups.com
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: A. Bounkhong. Date: 2012/2/4
02/03/2012 09:47 AM EST
Remarks in Cambodia
Remarks Kurt M. Campbell Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Carden Ambassador to ASEAN Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL: I’ll just make a very quick statement. First of all, just good afternoon. I am joined here with our Ambassador to ASEAN, David Carden. He’ll have a few words to say as well. First of all, let me just say it’s wonderful to be back in Cambodia. We had a very warm welcome from the Foreign Minister. We passed on our very best wishes from the United States. We had a chance to review our bilateral cooperation, which is outstanding. We work well together in so many ways, and David and I came to Cambodia to commit fully to supporting this historic Cambodian leadership of the important ASEAN events this year – the ASEAN Regional Forum in July, the East Asia Summit. And we confirmed today that we will also be holding a fourth U.S.-ASEAN summit in October, excuse me, in November during the East Asia Summit proceedings. We believe that the opportunities for cooperation on so many issues -- the United States is deeply supportive of the connectivity initiative that ASEAN has initiated. We are looking forward to bringing a strong business delegation this summer to ASEAN. We are closely following all the preparatory works and we wanted to meet with the Minister to commit to attending and supporting all the senior official meetings that will be taking place over the course of the coming months. I simply want to say that I believe that Cambodia’s role in so many ways is important this year. I think they can play a key role in helping bring China and ASEAN together towards progress on the South China Sea issues, that will be of interest to all parties. I believe that they will be able to work closely on some economic initiatives that will bring ASEAN closer together with the goal towards the 2015 community that the organization aspires to. And I believe that Cambodia will help us identify clearly the role for the friends of ASEAN countries, like the United States and others, and how we can better support ASEAN unity, development, peace, and prosperity. I look forward to visiting Cambodia many times in the months ahead as we prepare for our leaders to come to Cambodia later this year. David… AMBASSADOR CARDEN: Well, hello everyone. I’ve seen some of your before. It’s good to be back in Cambodia. I think this is my fourth trip and other people in our Mission have been here on other occasions. This is the 35th anniversary of U.S. engagement with ASEAN and we hope to have a celebration this year recognizing that, so that’s 35 years of the United States supporting ASEAN and its ambitions. This is, I think, the second time that Cambodia has assumed the chairmanship and this affords us a wonderful opportunity to provide what assistance we can working with other dialogue partners – our dialogue partner friends – to try to make this a successful year. There are many things which Cambodia can show, I think, real leadership on and we look forward to supporting it in every way possible. You will see much more of me this year. It’s my aspiration to be here as often as I can be and I look forward to talking to you again. Thank you. Remarques au Cambodge
It is well known that Vietnam forestry is nearly zero compared to Laos'. And we also know that there are illegal logging of Laos' forest toward this country. How come they could sell wood product with an amount of 3.9 billion USD? Where did they get the raw material from?
It can be roughly estimated that the very high quality wood from Laos could fetch as much as 2 or 3 billion USD. This is a big lost for the country. Only a few powerful rogues thought they have done good busines for themselves as much as 500 or 600 millions USD.
Yes folks, Lao people are losing $2 billion worth a year because of corruptions of these crooks.
Even far away we still care for our next generations. Please defend your country.
ແຕ່ແມ່ນນັກຄົ້ນຄັ້ວອິສຣະ ດຽວນີ້ ແມ່ນແຕ່ ວີທຍຸສຽງ ອມຣກ ທີວໍຊີງຕັນຍັງໄດ້ໄຟຂຽວຈາກຣັຖບານກາງໃຫ້ຂຽນຄວາມຈີງກ່ຽວກັບຊົນຊາດເຊື້ອລາວເກືອບເຄີ່ງຮ້ອຍລ້ານໃນ ປທ ນີ້ຢ່າງຢ່າງເຖິງຖອງທີ່ ສູດ ເຂົ້າ google ແລ້ວຕີ Lao History in Issan or ไทยลาวแยกกันเถร
เพราะการลงทุนของจีนในลาวไม่ได้มีเฉพาะ China Town ในเขตนครเวียงจันทน์เท่านั้น หากยังมีโครงการในลักษณ์เดียวกันนี้เกิดขึ้นทั้งในภาคเหนือและใต้ของลาวอีก ด้วย
C'est vrai...la situation économique de la France à l'approche des élections présidentielles est plutôt difficile. Je ne crois pas qu'un autre président qui s'appelle autrement que Sarko aurait pû faire mieux face à la conjoncture de l'économie mondiale.
Par conséquent, cela rend un peu difficile pour moi le choix électoral. C'est tout-à-fait probable que je déciderai au dernier moment de glisser mon bulletin de vote dans les urnes.
Mon coeur est à gauche, tout le monde le sait. Mais pour la gauche française c'est finie pour moi pour toute ma vie. C'est vraiment une idéologie lamentable aidant les fainéant incompétents tout en pénalisant ceux qui bossent efficacement. Je ne te raconte pas n'importe quoi, mais de mes propres expériences professionnelles vécues.
Pour résoudre ces problèmes, il faut en finir avec le pouvoir excessif des syndicats. La Dame de Fer du Royaume Uni, Margaret Thatcher, en a déjà fait avec succès dans les années 70.
Depuis, les grèves presque quotidiennes paralysant l'économie du pays ont beaucoup plus de mal à se déclencher. Cela a permit à l'économie du Royaume de monter de changer la face du mauvais élèves de l'Europe à la première place, notamment pendant que Tony Blair était au commande au 10 Downing Street.
Par ailleurs, les réformes en profondeur à l'instar de l'Allemagne dirigée par Gerhard Schroder du parti Social Démocrate (prédécesseur d'Angela Merkel) pourraient être aussi bonnes pour la France.
Mais, crois moi cher Phoui, ce ne sera pas chose facile de changer la mentalité d'un peuple d'une nation. Comme on ne déplace une montagne du jour au lendemain.
Cordialement Settha
De : Phoui À : laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr Cc : freelaos@yahoogroups.com Envoyé le : Jeudi 26 janvier 2012 5h16 Objet : [freelaos] La France dégradée
Cher Settha, Je suis tout à fait d’accord avec toi concernant certaines catégories des salariés dans la fonction publique qui obtiennent des avantages sociaux plus que les autres, ils en profitent et ne veulent pas lâcher de ces avantages acquits, quand je compare les salariés du secteur médical par rapport à ceux de SNCF ou RATP, il n’ y a de photos, syndicalistes aidant, ils font la loi et priment le développement du pays. Quant aux salariés français du secteur privé, on ne voit jamais manifester, si quelqu’un osait protester, soit qu’il quitte son job ou soit la porte est ouverte pour lui. A l’approche de l’élection présidentielle, la mauvaise nouvelle tombe encore aujourd’hui avec plus de 29000 chômeurs le mois dernier, les attaques de la banque avec la nouvelle méthode en fonçant la voiture de grosses cylindres dans la banque et s’enfuient en motos ou scooters après avoir pris le butin. C’est au quotidien qu’on entend de ces nouvelles, où est l’état de droit ? Où est la protection de la population ? Et si par malheur ce type d’évènement se produit au Laos, ne penses tu pas que nos forums seraient bombardés du matin au soir !!! Le peuple français a tendant de 40% de droite et de 40% de gauche, le reste de 20% c’est la balance des évènements, il y a aussi des outsider comme Le Pen en 2002, pourquoi pas les 2 outsiders au 2è tour en 2012. Le tigre dort mais il n’est pas mort, les sondages peuvent se tromper. Cordialement Phoui
De : laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr [mailto:laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr] De la part de Settha Viravong Envoyé : jeudi 19 janvier 2012 04:30 À : laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr Cc : freelaos@yahoogroups.com Objet : Re : [Laos-Sol] La France dégradée
Cher Phoui et tous;
Se permettre de dire que les Français sont tous fainéants peut être considéré comme des propos grossiers et inadmissibles. Mais dire que les fainéants opportunistes existent dans la sociétés françaises me paraît exact. C'est le pire dans la fonction publique. Mais aussi dans le secteur privé. C'est tous ceux-là qu'ils ne faut pas trop favoriser au détriment des gens courageux et compétents.
Pour résoudre ce problème je pense aux plans de réformes en profondeur réalisés par l'ancien Chancelier allemand,Gehrard Schroder, le prédécesseur d'Angelar Merkel. Je ne sais pas si tu t'en souviens encore. C'est avec des réformes de telle ampleur que la France et l'Europe s'en sortiront. J'en suis certain. Le problème c'est que oui ou non la mentalité fraçaise pourra s'adapter à celle des Allemands. C'est un gros point d'interrogation.
En tout cas, je ne voterai pas à gauche en 2012.
Cordiallment Settha
De : Phoui À : freelaos@yahoogroups.com ; laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr Envoyé le : Mardi 17 Janvier 2012 17h07 Objet : [Laos-Sol] La France dégradée
Cher Settha, Je ne me permets pas à penser que les français sont des fainéants, la plupart des gens que je connais sont dans une situation financièrement défavorable malgré leurs efforts dans la recherche de l’emploi, j’étais contre la loi de 35 heures dès le début, on connaît la suite. Sous Chirac, ses gouvernements ont pu emmener le taux du chômage à un niveau acceptable mais encore des efforts à faire pour aider le peuple français. Depuis l’élection de Nicolas Sarkozy en 2007, son bilan est catastrophique, le chômage, la dette, l’insécurité, la perte du pouvoir d’achat, la précarité du peuple français. Nous avons dit ou discuté souvent que c’est le chef de l’Etat est responsable de mauvaise gestion dans les affaires intérieures, toutes les réformes que Sarkozy a fait depuis qu’il est au pouvoir, c’est de appauvrir le peuple, il peut dire que c’est de la crise mondiale, il peut raconter comme il voudra, mais c’est lui le responsable qui a coulé le bateau de la France avec son arrogance politique et son favoritisme pour les riches. C’est le moment de discuter et de débattre pour l’élection présidentielle, quelque soit l’élu du président de la République , il ou elle ne pourra pas résoudre le problème de chômage et de la dette de la France , la France est dans une crevasse profonde, parce que la France n’a plus de production industrielle, plus de grande usine, plus de PMI/PME, il n’en reste que l’industrie du tourisme, de l’armement, même les avions ne sont plus vendables. On peut critiquer ce qu’on veut de la Chine , mais c’est un pays qui travaille beaucoup, qui produit beaucoup et qui investie énormément. La crise de l’Euro, à cause de qui, à cause de quoi, on verra le programme politique et social de chaque candidat. Je vois 4 candidats potentiels : Sarkozy, Hollande, Bayrou et Le Pen. J’écarte déjà la tête de liste, même si j’ai voté pour lui en 2007, ce sera de la même politique de propagande et de mensongère, je verrai les programmes des autres. Cordialement Phoui
De : freelaos@yahoogroups.com [mailto: freelaos@yahoogroups.com ] De la part de Settha Viravong Envoyé : lundi 16 janvier 2012 06:18 À : laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr Cc : freelaos@yahoogroups.com Objet : Re : [Laos-Sol] RE: Re : [freelaos] La France dégradée
Cher Phoui,
Je suis pour les pauvres laborieux et travailleurs mais qui n'ont pas de chance, et contre les pauvres fainéants et vauriens ne cherchant pas du travail et ne comptent que sur les aides sociales avec l'appui des syndicats dont certains dirigeants vivent en or.
Avec François Hollande président tu vas voir que le déficit budgétaire se creusera davantage au fur et à mesure que le problème des dettes souveraines de la zone euro s'aggravera. Enfin, l'Europe ne s'en sortira pas.
Toi qui effectue souvent des voyages professionnls à l'étranger tu seras pénalisé par cette situation financière dont la faiblesse de l'euro par rapport à la valeur des autres monnaies asiatiques.
Je me souvient bien des propos d'une personnalité chinoise disant que dans dix ans ou 20 ans on verra pleins de mendiants occidentaux dans les rues de Pékin car pour faire l'économie on ne pénalise pas des travailleurs avec les impôts et ne favorisent pas les fainéants vauriens avec trop d'aides sociales.
La gauche française, tu sais, dépense toujours sans compter pour aider les fainéants vauriens..
Cordialement Settha
De : Phoui À : freelaos@yahoogroups.com ; laos-solidarite@yahoogroupes.fr Cc : laos-fr@yahoogroupes.fr Envoyé le : Dimanche 15 Janvier 2012 18h48 Objet : [Laos-Sol] RE: Re : [freelaos] La France dégradée
Vous êtes des guerriers reconnus ! Pensez plutôt aux pauvres en France, l’Etat ne sait qu’exploiter les pauvres, depuis le 1er Janvier 2012, tout est augmenté en France, tout ce qu’il ramasse du peuple c’est pour alimenter les banques et le CAD40, dans quelques mois, je pense que c’est Sarko qu va sauter le premier. Wait and see.
Phoui
De : freelaos@yahoogroups.com [mailto: freelaos@yahoogroups.com ] De la part de Khamphiou Douangphoutha Envoyé : samedi 14 janvier 2012 22:03 À : freelaos@yahoogroups.com Cc : laos-fr@yahoogroupes.fr Objet : RE: Re : [freelaos] La France dégradée
Bah ! Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec cette proposition de Loung Khampha ! To: freelaos@yahoogroups.com CC: laos-fr@yahoogroupes.fr From: loung_khampha@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:48:53 +0000 Subject: Re : [freelaos] La France dégradée
Bonsoir ,
Je propose de faire débarquer le GIGN, le groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale, dans les bureaux de l'agence de notation financière Standard & Poor's dont la filiale se trouve aussi à Paris .
A la guerre comme à la guerre, on a bien fait sauter Kadhafi , pourquoi pas ces gratte-papiers .
LKP
De : blue max À : Envoyé le : Samedi 14 Janvier 2012 8h50 Objet : [freelaos] la France dégradée
Relatives and supporters of three Americans jailed and tortured in Laos are appealing to the Obama administration to put high-level pressure on the communist government for their release.
However, one of the leaders of the campaign for their freedom suspects that President Obama might ignore their plea, as he seeks better relations with the Southeast Asian nation despite its brutal human rights record.
When they heard that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent greetings on behalf of Mr. Obama on the Laotian new year earlier this month, “we were appalled,” said Philip Smith, director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis in Washington.
He added that the new year’s message, which also expressed hopes for expanded bilateral military relations, makes him worry that the White House is drifting toward “total appeasement of a military dictatorship.”
Mr. Smith joined a coalition of organizations representing Laotian-Americans and Laotian Hmong refugees in writing to Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton to seek “higher diplomatic” attention to the plight of the three naturalized U.S. citizens of Hmong descent.
The three Hmong-Americans have been “interrogated, beaten and tortured, according to eyewitness and multiple sources,” Mr. Smith said.
Congshineng Yang, 34, Hakit Yang, 24, and Trillion Yunhaison, 44, visited Laos with valid tourist visas in July 2007. Laotian soldiers and secret police arrested them the next month in northeastern Laos.
“They were arrested without charges and for unknown reasons,” Mr. Smith said.
The secret police later moved the three Americans to Lao’s notorious Phonthong Prison in the capital, Vientiane. Their families believe the three are now being held in a secret military prison in the northeast of the country.
Mr. Smith said the families initially appealed to Ravic Huso, the U.S. ambassador to Laos at the time, and urged him to raise a diplomatic protest to the foreign ministry.
“He did almost nothing,” Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Huso assigned the case to a consular officer, who confirmed the arrests, Mr. Smith said.
“We wants answers now …,” said Shen Xiong, a spokeswoman for the families and the wife of Hakit Yang. The three Hmong-Americans had relocated from Laos to Minnesota, where their families still live.
The State Department cited a privacy act that restricts what they can say about Americans imprisoned abroad.
“We are unable to confirm claims that U.S. citizens were ever or still are in the custody of the Lao government,” an official said.
The Laotian Embassy declined to respond to an e-mail request for comment.
The State Department’s latest human rights report calls Laos “an authoritarian one-party state” where prison conditions are “harsh and, at times, life threatening.”
The Hmong people have long been the target of repression by Laotian communists because they sided with royalist forces, organized by the CIA, in the Laotian civil war, which ended in 1975.
The same day that a top Chinese official praised U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman as a friend of China, the outgoing envoy denounced the communist government for imprisoning a prominent artist.
“It is very sad that the Chinese government has seen a need to silence one of its most innovative and illustrious citizens,” Mr. Huntsman wrote in an introduction to a Time magazine profile on Ai Weiwei.
The artist, also an outspoken government critic, was included among Time’s 100 most influential people last week.
On the day of the April 21 publication, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping expressed his regret that Mr. Huntsman will resign from his position later this month.
“You are an old friend of the Chinese people,” Mr. Xi said.
Mr. Huntsman, a former Republican government of Utah, is considering seeking the GOP nomination to challenge President Obama, who appointed him ambassador in 2009.
Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297 or e-mailjmorrison@washingtontimes.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: blue max To: "laosnetworkroom@googlegroups.com" Sent: Thursday, 19 January 2012 4:59 PM Subject: Re: ຍອມຮັບວ່າມີການປ່ຽນແປງຣະບົບຜູ້ນຳໃນລາວນ້ອຍນຶ່ງ
Little has changed in Laos' one-party political system and its rulers are trying to emulate the market-based authoritarianism of China and Vietnam with pro-business reforms, with some success. ลิตเติ้ลมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงในระบบการเมืองลาว'หนึ่งของบุคคลและผู้ปกครองที่มีความพยายามที่จะเลียนแบบอำนาจตามตลาดของจีนและเวียดนามมีการปฏิรูป Pro ธุรกิจกับความสำเร็จบางอย่าง The once fragile economy has grown an average 7.9 percent a year since 2006. เศรษฐกิจที่เปราะบางครั้งมีการเติบโตเฉลี่ยร้อยละ 7.9 ต่อปีตั้งแต่ปี 2006
Liberia is one of the top 5 countries in the world whose farmland are under the control of foreign concessionaires, according to a report made by Grain, a non-governmental organization supporting small farms. The other countries include Laos, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, Indonesia and Romania. At world level, most target countries for farming land purchases made by foreign companies or citizens are in Africa or South America but investors do not avoid Australia, eastern Europe or South-East Asia as well.
Foreigners own more than 1% of farming areas in Africa in 20 out of the 56 countries of the continent. In Liberia foreign companies control 67% of the farming land, which is 200,000 hectares. In Sierra Leone, 15% of the land is leased on a long term or is owned by foreign companies. The same situation can be found in South America, in countries like Paraguay or Uruguay, where foreigners own a quarter of farming lands.
Romania ranks first among European countries for the percentage of farming land owned by foreign companies. In the local market, foreign investors own 7% of the farming land, which is 700,000 hectares. In the Czech Republic, non-residents own 4%, while in Ukraine investors own 3%. Foreigners hold in Romania farming land worth 1.5 billion euro for 700,000 ha of land, according to data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and an average price of 2,000 euro/ha.
Investors exploit land in Romania by means of local companies. Foreign citizens cannot purchase land unless they have stable residence in Romania or buy as a juridical person.
Cereal traders, big multinational companies in the food industry, banks and investment and pension funds are among the most active investors in farming land. On the background of the economic crisis investors considered that placement in land is safer than placements in shares, bonds or precious metals.
According to Liberian law, only Liberian citizens or qualified foreigners can own land. Foreign companies investing in agriculture in Liberia may sign a long-term lease, renewable for the life of their investment.
Come on people!!! Can we all just get along and move on with a better thing!! I think this is not necessary to accuse each other for whatever the reason maybe!!! As a leader, you should be able to withstand the noise, accusation, and whatever the opposition will do to you, right ?? What are some lessons learned from the past leadership so that we do not make the same mistakes!!! As I can see and hear from this forum.... There's much more lessons need to be learn and share among our Lao people. By criticizing and mocking each other, does it really make you abetter person or a community leader??? I guess you already know the answer, right? How can we move thing forward if you still living in the past??? Why is it o.k. for you to do your way and not someone else???? I believe "RESPECT" is a two way street and definitely not a one way street!!! I am not quite sure why khon Lao love to fight among themselves and make a negative criticism against one another.
Anyway, have a wonderful new year and good luck to everyone to continue to do their job and serving Lao people and community taht tehy live in. May we all stay focus and do what is best for the great common cause!!! Last but not least, may 2012 bring much more joys, prosperity, longivity, happiness, and sucess to each everyone of you and yours!!!
Vietnam seeks stronger trade ties with Laos 18:09 08/01/2012
Vietnam will increase its trade and investment ties with Laos, aiming to raise two-way trade to US$1 billion in 2012 and US$2 billion in 2015, says Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Mr Phuc made the commitment at a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong in Vientiane on January 8.
Vietnam seeks stronger trade ties with Laos
Lao PM T. Thammavong welcomed Deputy PM Phuc (L) in Vientiane on January 8 He said bilateral trade was valued at US$636 million between January-November, 2011, a year-on-year increase of 48 percent, and it is estimated to hit US$700 million for the whole year.
According to Deputy PM Phuc, many Vietnamese businesses such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, Golf Long Thanh Trade and Investment JSC, the Bank of Development and Investment of Vietnam, and Hoa Phat group have already operated successfully in Laos.
To date, Vietnamese businesses have invested more than US$3.5 billion in Laos, ranking second among foreign investors in the country.
Mr Phuc said the two countries have cooperated well in education, human resources training and transport infrastructure construction. They have also held a number of cultural exchanges and workshops on information technology and science and technology.
Both countries have agreed to enhance the implementation of joint statements and high-level agreements reached by their top leaders to welcome Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012.
Many Vietnamese localities which do not border Laos, including Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, HCM City and Hanoi, have provided practical assistance to Lao provinces.
This represents the close-knit, long lasting and durable relationship between Vietnam and Laos, said Mr Phuc.
PM Thammavong welcomed Mr Phuc to the 34th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Cultural, Educational and Scientific and Technological Cooperation and said he believes that the results of the session will help raise bilateral ties to a new level in the near future.
The Lao government supports and creates the best possible conditions for Vietnamese businesses to operate in the country, said the PM.
He proposed organizing conferences on trade promotion and meetings between Lao leaders and Vietnamese businesses to iron out snags and facilitate their operations in Laos.