Communist Vietnam's Neo-Colonizing Policies Must Be Stopped to Prevent the Destabilization of Southeast Asia and the Continuing Human Rights Violations of the Indigenous Populations.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Southeast Asia Conference was recently held in Washington, D.C., featuring diverse, local and international, speakers from Hawaii, Thailand and France as well as Laotians, Khmers, Montagnards and Americans with related expertise and experiences from academic institutions, business communities, and Law firm and past US government involvements. There were also screenings of interviews with Mr. Sovan Pen, the very first Prime Minister of Cambodia during the Vietnamese occupation and former prisoner in Hanoi on the Vietnamese government true objectives on Cambodia, and Dr. Mong Hay Lao on geopolitics of Southeast Asia. Vietnam neo-colonization of Cambodia and Laos had been further explored by the audience's questions & answers session and open discussions. The conference participants were very actively engaged in drawing up the conference 14-point Resolutions, of which an unsigned copy is as follows:

Resolutions of the Southeast Asia Conference 2014
Washington, DC October 4 & 5, 2014

This document contains the resolutions of the Southeast Asia Conference 2014, organized by the Khmer People Network for Cambodia (KPNC) and Laotian Human Rights Council (LHRC). The conference was held in Washington, DC on October 4^th through 5^th, 2014 entitled "Vietnam's Destabilization of Southeast Asia and Tragic Human Rights Violations." The conference working group presents these resolutions to the US government for implementation. This is the work of civil society from Cambodian and Laotian Americans concerned for the stabilization and security of the people of Southeast Asia.  As Americans, we are concerned for US self-interests in the area and present these recommendations to our government holding in all seriousness the best interests of our beloved country the United States of America. 

These are presented to the Foreign Relations Committees of both the Senate and the House with the hope that along with the administration, you will incorporate them into US policy. We hope that our government will work with civil society to improve our relations with the governments of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and to avoid more violence which has claimed the lives of Americans, Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese in the last 50 years. 

The participants stand ready to dialog with our government and request that a commission be established to further that dialog and implement these resolutions. The resolutions will come alive as we work through this commission. Dialog is the way of Peace that replaces the current deafening silence. The dialog with civil society and implementation of its resolutions places the welfare of all the people involved in high esteem. 

Resolutions presented to the US Government

We ask that the US government:

1. For the sake of stability and security of the entire Southeast Asia region, put pressure on communist Vietnam to stop Crimea-like colonization of Laos and Cambodia. Urge the governments of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to terminate permanently the so-called "Special Lao-Vietnamese Friendship Treaty" of 1977 and to nullify the 2005 Supplementary Cambodia-Vietnam treaties.
2. Deny communist Vietnam the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) membership until it makes dramatic improvements in its human rights practices, reforms its laws to meet international labor standards and demonstrates a clear commitment to the rule of law as per the July 29, 2014 letter to President Obama from 33 members of Congress.
3. Call for the reconvening of the 1991 Paris Peace Conference on Cambodia and nullify all later agreements and treaties contrary to the spirit of the Paris Peace Agreements of 1991, especially those contrary to territorial integrity, national sovereignty, freedom from foreign interference, and the respect for human rights. 
4. Call for the reconvening of the 1973 Paris Peace Conference on Vietnam.
5. Reinstate the arms embargo to Vietnam, until we can be assured that it is not being used for expansionist purposes and for the repression of civilians.
6. Provide technical assistance to develop an independent and more accurate estimate of the numbers of Vietnamese immigrant population in Cambodia and Laos.
7. Urge Vietnam to end the intrusion in Laos and Cambodia's internal affairs.
8. Place Cambodia and reinstate Vietnam as "countries of particular concern (CPC)" until they respect religious rights and human rights especially with regards to their indigenous people.
9. Create a special commission on US policy and relations towards Cambodia and Laos.
10. Call upon the US Government to treat and deal with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam individually, not to lump all three together as Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are distinct and independent states.
11. The governments of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam must open space for civil society, release all political prisoners, and abide by the international human rights covenants to which they are signatories.
12. Pressure the Cambodian and Laotian governments to allow their people the rights to freedom of speech, press, and assembly.
13. Urge the US government to reinforce the US Lacey Act of 2008, prohibiting the importation of illegal wildlife and logging.
14. Stress mutual respect of freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity between Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Dr. Bob Ung
Chairman, KPNC

Kim Hort Ou                            
Chairman, SEA Conference               

Sonn Moeung  
Secretary General, KPNC

Kamthene Chinyavong
President, LHRC

Bounchanh Senthavong  
Secretary General, LHRC

Ruben Treviso 
Past National Director American GI Forum

The Southeast Asia Conference was followed on Monday, October 6, 2014 by a mass rally and a demonstration with participants from across the United States, Thailand and France in front of the White House and the Communist Vietnamese Embassy respectively.

Contact: Kim H Ou
SEA-Conference
Phone: (215) 280-6576
[email protected]

SOURCE Khmer People Network for Cambodia (KPNC) and Laotian Human Rights Council (LHRC)