Vol. 432 No. 3
62 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has written to the President of Laos to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Thongsouk Saysangkhi, Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakachit-taphong, who were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in November 1992, after campaigning peacefully for multi-party democracy.
Thongsouk Saysangkhi (born 1938), Latsami Khamkphoui (born 1940), and Feng Sakachittaphong (born 1940) were arrested on 8 October 1990 for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly by criticising Laos's political and economic system and for holding meetings at which the replacement of the country's one-party Communist regime by a multi-party one was advocated. According to the reports available to Amnesty International the three repeatedly requested the opportunity to be brought before a court in order to contest the legality of their detention. This request was denied by the Laotian authorities.
Human rights abuses wherever they occur are a matter of concern to the Government. The cases of the three persons mentioned in the Deputy's question are being followed closely by Amnesty International which considers them to be prisoners of conscience and Amnesty is calling on the Laotian authorities for their immediate and unconditional release. I have not myself, written directly to the President of Laos on the case but I support the call to the authorities in Laos by Amnesty International for their immediate and unconditional release.
