Laotian in Exile Warns Any Move of Election Date Undemocratic

(2006-01-27) Royal Lao Government in Exile

To: National Desk Contact: 202-349-9843 or 202-270-3163 (cell); Web: http://www.laogov.org WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2006 The Royal Lao Government in Exile 1/27/2006 10:00 AM Leader of the Royal Lao Government in Exile Warns Any Change in 2007 Election Date by Lao Regime Will Threaten Freedom and Fairness of Election. Prime Minister Khamphoui Sisavatdy called upon U.S. Government to help protect election by insuring international observers will be available even if election is suddenly moved up. Prime Minister, Khamphoui Sisavatdy, warned the international community today that if the communist Lao government moved the scheduled 2007 national elections to an earlier date, it would undermine the democracy of the vote.

“The presence and monitoring of international election officials is needed to ensure a fair and free vote in Laos,” the Prime Minister said. “An early election date would keep the international community from observing the vote, allowing the election to be tampered with. Any move by the current Lao government to move the elections up will be seen as an attack on democracy itself.”

The communist government in Laos ranks as one of Asia’s most repressive regimes. Basic freedoms, including rights to freedom of expression, association and religion, remain severely restricted. Security forces often illegally detain individuals, and hundreds of political activists have been jailed or have even disappeared permanently. The 1991 constitution makes the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party the only legal political party. As its ideology crumbles, the Communist Party exerts a stranglehold on its own people in order to retain its fading grip on power.

The Royal Lao Government in Exile is an alliance of Lao expatriates who have joined together to institute in Laos a true democracy, one which will ensure freedom, justice, and peace for all Lao people. The Government in Exile is working hard to use these 2007 elections to begin peacefully changing Laos into a true democracy.

Due to the tenuous nature of democracy, especially under a regime which has long brutally suppressed any modicum of political reform, the Government in Exile fears interference in this election by the communist government.

“The communists will do anything they can to keep power,” the Government in Exile stated. “The influence of China continues to spread unnoticed in the region, and they have an interest in keeping Laos under communist control. Changing Laos into a democracy instead would make it a beacon of freedom in this area, giving hope and opportunity to millions of people.”

No single party, force or organization can successfully spread democracy and freedom on its own. The Royal Lao Government in Exile hopes to gain the support and backing of the Western world, including the United States, in this mission, beginning with protecting the 2007 elections. The Government in Exile has already contacted several U.S. Senators and Congressmen, urging them and Congress to act to safeguard the Lao elections.

His Excellency Khamphoui Sisavatdy will be in Washington, D.C., for meetings and discussions with U.S. government officials from February 6 through 8, 2006. We would like to invited you to schedule an interview with the Prime Minister during his Washington trip. Please contact our media relations staff for more information and to set up an interview.

If you have an interest in the current situation in Laos, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can provide in-depth knowledge and information on Laos, and would be happy to work with you on bringing attention to this dire situation.