Laos and Sweden hold the 7th Meeting on Bilateral Informal Working Group on Human Rights in Luang Prabang
- From: "ດອກກະຈຽວ" <pheetai@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 31 Mar 2006 05:03:02 -0800
Laos and Sweden hold the 7th Meeting on Bilateral Informal Working
Group on Human Rights in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang 29 March 2006 – On 30 March 2006, A Lao delegation led
by Mr. Somphet Khousakoun, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and a Swedish Delegation led by Mr. Jonas Hafstrom,
Swedish Ambassador to Thailand convened the 7th Meeting on Bilateral
Informal Working Group on Human Rights at the Grant Xiengthong hotel in
Luang Prabang to discuss the establishment of the United Nations Human
Rights council and Human rights Indicators. A workshop on the
Right-Based Approach has also been organized in the afternoon of the
same at the same venue where officials from several services of Luang
Prabang Administration together with the Lao delegation attended the
workshop.
The 6th Lao-Swedish Bilateral Informal Working Group on Human Rights
was held in Vientiane Capital.
In the framework of the 7th Meeting on Bilateral Informal Working Group
on Human Rights, the Lao Delegation led by H.E. Mr. Somphet Khousakoun,
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish
delegation led by H.E. Mr. Jonas Hafstrom, Ambassador of Sweden, on 29
March 2006, visited Houy Pho village, district of Pakseng, 70
kilometres North-East of Luang Prabang city.
Houy Pho village has 319 inhabitants including 159 female. Out of this
31 families totaling 171 population including 82 female are from Khmu
ethnic group, 20 Hmong families totaling 143 persons including 75
females and one Lao Loum ethnic including 3 persons. This multi-ethnic
village has been regrouped and merged in 2000 from two mountainous
villages which did not have any access road. Now Houy Pho village is
located along the Luang Prabang to Pakseng road and is next to Nam
seuang river. Asked why the villagers decided to shift their village to
a new location, the village Headman said: both of our former villages
did not have any access road, no drinking water, no any social
facilities such as dispensary, schools, electricity among other
facilities. The major reason pushing us to move down to this location
is that in 1999, the former Houy Pho village has lost 25 of its
population due to Haemoragic Dengue. After that epidemic, we had
convened a meeting among us and agreed to move down and since then,
none of us had ever been affected by any desease.
In a meeting with the population, the Swedish delegation asked the
reason why the population decided to resettle and about the
circumstance how the resettlement has been conducted, the attendance
replied unanimously that the main reason is poverty, hardship and no
access to any social facilities. With regard to the circumstance, they
said that the beginning was rather difficult due to several reasons
including the reconstruction of their housing, how to clear new
farmland and how to adapt to the new environment. And both community,
the Hmong and Khmu had prior meeting to agree upon on how to move down
and where to build their new houses in the new area. Asked if the
living condition is anyhow better than before, the attendance replied
unanimously that there is no comparison, the new location is providing
them with much better facilities including access road, a primary
school for their kids and volunteer medical post and if they are very
sick, a dispensary is about one hours walk. They also have a water
supply system and very soon electricity. Asked about they income, they
said that as of today, the village has 250 goats, 30 cows, 15 water
buffaloes and a lot of poultry. They also sell sesame; Jobs-tear seed
and Mulberry plan which provide them rather good income.
Asked if there is any ethnic dispute or clash between the two
community, the village Head answered that the population of both
community are living in good intelligence, cohesion and unity. We have
to have solidarity among us, he said because since the time of the
revolution and chase away the imperialist, we had developed this fine
tradition of unity and solidarity and we will maintain this for
longtime so that our kids would be able to live in a united community.
With regard to dispute among the members of the village, he said that
the village has an arbitrary committee where the village Head and
Deputy head, Representatives of the Lao front for National
Construction, the Women’s Union and the Youth Union and elderly
people in the village sit together to settle of dispute in conformity
with Laws and Order and an internal regulations of the village.
The villagers hosted a lunch in honnour of the both delegations and
also offered them with a well-wishing Baci Ceremony.
.
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