Jul 23, 2015

UNPO’s XII General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Hmong


On 3 July 2015, Ms Yer Vang Xiong, representative of the Congress of World Hmong People, presented a resolution to the UNPO General Assembly. The resolution focused on the worsening situation in the Xaysombun Special Zone in Laos, where the Hmong live and face systematic human rights violations by the Lao authorities and military. The UNPO General Assembly adopted the resolution, thus recognizing the crimes committed in the region, and calling for dialogue between the European Union, the United Nations, and the Lao Government on the issue.

The Hmong Indigenous community in the Xaysombun Special Zone, Laos continue to experience political hardship and military oppression. Their basic economic, social, and cultural rights are blatantly abused by the Lao Government; and it requires a political solution to bring about positive change for the people. 

The UNPO General Assembly,

Noting that the Lao military continues to occupy and establish military base in the region of Xaysombun Special Zone, Phou Bia, making life difficult for the community there, in search of food,

Regretting that the Lao Government’s rural development programme toward the region is propaganda and a conspiracy to commit crime against humanity,

Expressing concern on the fact that the regional Xaysombun Special Zone, Phou Bia is a restricted zone that prohibits international visitation and the Lao Government imposes a very restrict secret policy for people who would enter, who would consequently face a prison sentence or even be killed, and

Fully believing that those crimes committed in the region are not investigated and no one is held accountable for them.

Therefore, we, the UNPO General Assembly:

Declare that the human rights violation in the Xaysombun Special Zone Phou Bia region continue to be of great concern to this date.  Civilians and children continue to die from starvation and military clashes,

Condemn the Lao Government for using starvation tactics and rural development programme to hide the human rights violations committed by the military in the region,

Call upon the European Union and the United Nations to continue having a dialogue with the Lao Government, in the form of an open discussion on special procedures in the region, as previously mentioned.

 

To access the Hmong Resolution in PDF version, please click here.