Linked with Lao Movement for Human Rights LMHR, with Les Lao-Hmongs et leurs droits de l’home, and with about human rights in Laos.
And with Thierry Falise – Belgium & Thailand and Douangdeuane Bounyavong – Laos, with Promoting the Rights, Voices and Visions of Indigenous Peoples, with
Texts about Economy and Indigenous Peoples, with The Online Burma/Myanmar Library, and with Indigenous Webs for Information.
She says, that « the health system (of the Lao-Hmong minority) is characterized by high mortality and morbidity, low use, poor quality of services and inefficient public spending … nearly a third of children between the age of 6 and 14 do not attend school », and « about one half » of the students who start school drop out before completing Grade 5″, according to this report. Its conclusion suggested that in order to ensure the success of the LPDR’s eradication of poverty plan, the LPDR government « must do all that is possible to ensure that all national budget allocations, international loans or donor funds reach their intended project targets, and do not become part of the cycle of externally funded corruption ». She also denounced the desperate plight of the Lao-Hmong minority from the Saysomboun and the Bolikhamsay regions, « which is being tracked down day and night in the jungle by the armed forces, which is being denied the right to food and is forced to live out of roots and leaves, unable to cultivate the land or pick the fruits from the forest, unable to build permanent homes, for fear of being spotted and killed by the army ».
Vanida S. Thephsouvanh – Laos & France
She works as Président for the Lao Movement for Human Rights
LAOS –Absence of the Economic and Social Rights denounced at the UN – Geneva, Wednesday 30 March 2005: At the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Vanida S. THEPHSOUVANH, president of the Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR) and member of the General Council of the Transnational Radical Party, on behalf of which she spoke on Wednesday afternoon, denounced the situation of health service and education in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) as being « at the very limit of what is acceptable », pointing more particularly at the situation of the 80% portion of the population living in rural zones, in spite of the hundreds of million euros of aids received from the international community.
Mrs. THEPHSOUVANH recalled that within the LPDR, every form of political opposition is prohibited, and that social and religious organisations, unions and the judicial system remain under the strict control of the Unique Party, and that the right to education, health, and food remain extremely limited and too often inexistent. « The LPDR, one of the states that benefited the most from the help of the international community in the course of these last 20 years, is nevertheless one of the poorest states in the world, when its leaders display unscrupulously their riches in this country where one third of the population lives under the poverty threshold. Corruption is practiced in all impunity within the State, in spite of the calls from international organizations for transparency and good governance », as reminded by the LMHR president.
Vanida S. Thephsouvanh’s statement at the 60th UN Human Rights Commission, March 15 – April 23, 2004 in Geneva, concerning Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and All Forms of Discrimination – Laotian authorities have not ceased persecuting the ethnic minority Hmong. In December 2003, approximately 3000 people died of hunger or from bombardments and another 1000 were recently arrested. Witnessing this continues violence against the ethnic and religious minorities by the Lao authorities, the TRP urges to the Commission to send a mission in Laos in order to assure fully respect of the rights, liberties and physical and moral security of the recent captured Hmongs, furthermore to examine on the spot the situation of the Christians, notably in the district of Sanamsay and finally to call the attention of the UN on the worrying state of human rights in Laos and urge it to adopt all appropriate measures, including sending a delegation to Laos and securing humanitarian assistance to this population.
Council for a Community of Democracies.
Negations of freedom in Laos denounced at the Conference in Turin, January 29, 2005.
by Mrs Vanida Thephsouvanh, May 14, 2003, in a Transnational Radical Party Press Release.
On March 2002 she participated in a hungersstrike for Chechnya. See on radicalparty.org.
Bio in italian: Vanida S. Thephsouvanh, è Presidente del Movimento per i Diritti dell’Uomo e Vicepresidente del Forum Asie Démocratie. Nata nel 1945 a Vientiane, Laos, diplomata di storia, fù l’ideatrice di diversi articoli pro-democratici e anticorruzione per un quotidiano di Vientiane dal 1973 al 1975. Rifugiata politica in Francia dal 1975, aveva partecipato, fra il 1989 e il 1991, alla formazione segreta dei militanti della democrazia nonché all’elaborazione di un libretto sui diritti dell’uomo da distribuire all’interno del Laos tramite questi militanti. Vuole far sentire la voce dei suoi compatrioti senza voce e senza diritti all’interno del Laos e si batte contro le persecuzioni delle minoranze etniche, in particolare gli Hmongs nella regione speciale di Saysomboune, le repressioni delle minoranze religiose, l’assenza di libertà d’opinione, d’espressione e di manifestazione nel Laos. Da quasi quattro anni, Vanida S. Thephsouvanh si adopera affinché i cinque leader del Movimento studentesco del 26 ottobre 1999, non siano dimenticati e vengano liberati. Ha aiutato sei manifestanti di questa marcia pacifica a nascondersi in un luogo sicuro in Taïlandia e, in seguito, ad ottenere lo statuto di rifugiati e ad essere accolti dagli Stati Uniti.
links in italian:
Associazione Radicale Adelaide Aglietta;
Read in italian: Per i diritti del Laos, ottobre 27, 2005.
Read: Press conference, European Parliament, June 13th 2002.
Bio in french: Vanida S. Thephsouvanh, est Présidente du Mouvement pour les Droits de l’Homme et Vice-Présidente du Forum Asie Démocratie. Née en 1945 à Vientiane, Laos, diplômée en histoire, elle était à l’origine de plusieurs articles pro-démocratie et anti-corruption dans un quotidien de Vientiane de 1973 à 1975. Réfugiée politique en France depuis 1975, elle avait participée , entre 1989 et 1991, à la formation secrète des militants de la démocratie et l’élaboration d’un livret sur les droits de l’homme à distribuer par ces militants à l’intérieur du Laos. Elle veut faire entendre la voix de ses compatriotes sans voix et sans droit à l’intérieur du Laos et se bat contre les persécutions des minorités ethniques, en particulier les Hmongs dans la région Spéciale de Saysomboune, les répressions des minorités religieuses, l’absence des libertés d’opinion, d’_expression et de manifestation au Laos. Depuis bientôt quatre ans, Vanida S. Thephsouvanh se démène pour que les cinq leaders du Mouvement d’étudiants du 26 octobre 1999, ne soient pas oubliés et soient libérés. Elle a aidé six manifestants de cette marche pacifique à se cacher dans un lieu sûr en Thaïlande, puis à obtenir un statut de réfugié et à être accueillis ensuite par les Etats-Unis.
links in french:
Lire: son discours lors de la 54ième session de la Souscommission des droits de l’homme à Genève en juillet-août 2002.
Voir dongtaiwang.com – Discours prononcé par Mme Vanida THEPHSOUVANH, présidente du Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l’Homme, lors de la manifestation tenue à Paris le 24 septembre 2005.
Bio in spanish: Vanida S. Thephsouvanh es Presidente del Movimiento para los Derechos Humanos y Vicepresidente del
Foro Asia Democrática. Nació en 1945 en Vientiane, Laos, graduada en historia, fue autora de varios artículos pro
democracia y anticorrupción en un periódico de Vientiane de 1973 a 1975. Refugiada política en Francia desde 1975,
entre 1989 y 1991, participó en la formación secreta de los militantes de la democracia y en la elaboración de un folleto sobre los derechos humanos, que debía ser distribuido por los mismos militantes en el interior de Laos.
Busca dar voz a sus compatriotas que no tienen ni voz ni derechos en Laos, y lucha contra la persecución de las minorías étnicas, particularmente los Hmongs en la región especial de Saysomboune, la represión de las minorías religiosas, la falta de libertad de opinión, de expresión y de manifestación en Laos. Vanida S. Thephsouvanh tiene cuatro años luchando para que los cinco líderes del Movimiento Estudiantil del 26 de octubre de 1999 no sean olvidados y sean liberados. Ayudó a seis manifestantes de esta marcha pacífica a esconderse en un lugar seguro en Tailandia, después les ayudó a obtener el estatus de refugiados y al final a ser acogidos por los Estados Unidos.