Extracts. Lao expat speaks out Vientiane Times A. Khammalavong A Lao expatriate in France last week spoke to the press about what he and Lao people in foreign countries think about the current Government and how the anti-Government movement really works. Mr Sengthong Soutmanivong, President of the Lao Union in France, shared his experience as a Lao person living in a foreign country. He identified three major types of Lao expat. The first are those who support the Government, the second are those who fight against the Government, and the third are those who are undecided. Those who support the Government are satisfied with what it has done to develop the country. ³We do everything to help the country. We make every effort to unite Lao people in France and we are ready to contribute to Lao national development,² said Mr Sengthong. He went on to explain that over 560 families belong to his group and support the Government. ³I, personally, am very happy with the great achievements of the current Party and Government,² he stressed. He said that each time he visits the country he is surprised with the pace of national development. Recently, he had a chance to take a car to visit Luang Prabang and Borikhamsay provinces and was very happy to see a good road linking north and south. ³Previously, people said that Nam Kading was haunted because a bridge was unable to be built to cross the river. Today I can see a large bridge there,² said Mr Sengthong. ³Let me praise the Party and Government for their efforts to develop the country and unite people of all strata,² he said. Mr Sengthong told the press not to worry about the anti-government practices of Lao people in France, US and Australia. He said that it was the final call for life of those who feel jealous after losing power. ³They expected to overthrow the Government in 25 years, but now 25 years is over and they know they have lost but cannot do anything else, so they have to keep on opposing the Government until their lives end. This is the final call for them,² he said. ³These people cannot unite because there are too many power struggles between them,² he stressed, explaining that there are a lot of conflicts among the people living in foreign countries. I have received many phone calls threatening to kill me if I don¹t join them,² he added. ³These anti-government people exaggerate reality. For example, a protest of 18 people was reported as 300-400 people,² Mr Sengthong said. Activities practised among the anti-Government people have included the establishment of an Internet web site to damn the Government with jealous words or release incorrect information. ³Those web sites use very bad words and old language. They do not print the names and address of the responsible individuals or organisations,² Mr Senthong said, telling the Lao press that only a small number of people believe things produced on those unofficial web sites. He reiterated that the anti-government movement will not continue for long because these troubled people are getting old and their children do not harbour the same misguided resentments. Many people change their minds after they see the development of the country and praise the Government, which attempts to build a future for the country in the face of negative external forces. ³Many who have opposed the Government in the past have changed their minds after visiting Laos,² Mr Sengthong concluded. **** New university IT systems Vientiane Times Somsack Duangpanya The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA) at the National University of Laos will soon receive a boost in information technology (IT) with the introduction of an administrative network for students. The network will provide programmes for the students¹ academic and registration needs. On February 23, the FEA, located in Sokpalouang, hosted an IT conference with the co-operation of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and King Mongkut¹s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Thailand. The conference, entitled ³Computer Networking Design and Student Registration Systems,² had two objectives. The first was to fulfill the study programme of staff development at the FEA, and secondly, to introduce the IT systems to users at the University. ³This conference has provided the university with a new dimension in student learning. We let the students do research that can be applied to help their campus to step into the world of IT,² said Dr Somkot Mangnomek, Dean of the FEA. The university listened to the viewpoints of its staff while applying the new administrative network. According to Dr Somkot, their suggestions have eased the task of applying this new information technology to the university bureaucracy. The conference was conducted by Associate Professor, Supamith Jittayasothone, and Mr Narin Thammarugwattana from KMITL. The design of the student registration system, campus networking, and micro controller systems was conducted by staff of the FEA. There were 30 participants at the conference from government development and private sectors. **** Government projects reduce rural poverty Phonekeo Vorakhoun Lao Government policy aims to eradicate poverty by focussing on the development of rural areas. Over the last 25 years, the living conditions of people have improved substantially. The Party promotes the development of rural areas by establishing infrastructure such as irrigation systems, roads, hospitals, schools, fresh water supplies, and electricity with the aim of upgrading the living conditions of the people. Party policy in relation to rural development concentrates on mountainous areas and border areas, which are populated by poor ethic groups. Government development policy discourages slash and burn cultivation and opium plantation and attempts to provide these people with permanent jobs. The implementation of Party policy is bringing a better life to the people, especially in remote areas. Many of these areas have developed quite rapidly. One example of this rapid development is the project in Laksao, Khamkueth district, Borikhamsa province. Since 1984, Khamkeuth district has undergone rapid development, especially the town known as ŚLaksao¹ or ŚKm 20.¹ Prior to 1984, Khamkeuth district was just another remote, undeveloped village, with no roads and poor living conditions. Villagers lives depended on natures offerings and education was non-existent. The government decided to improve the area by offering the Phathana Khetphoudoun company a contract to develop it into an industrial and tourist town. Now Laksao links Laos to the sea in Vietnam for trading purposes and facilitates communication between neighbouring provinces. In 1998, Laksao¹s population was more than 14, 000. ³The people now trade and produce goods to sell and their living conditions have also improved. Previously, all the necessary consumer goods came from other areas such as Vientiane province. Now the people of Laksao are more self sufficient and can even produce to sell to other provinces,² said the former head of Khamkeuth district, Mr Bounsom Phaphommanyvong. In the past, the villagers¹ main occupation was slash and burn cultivation and hunting wild animals as a means of survival. After the government decided to develop the area, living conditions took a turn for the better and the government made efforts to change local jobs from unsustainable ones to more permanent ones. This was achieved through infrastructure development such as roads, markets, hospitals, schools, an airport, and a hydropower development project to generate employment. Other remote areas, such as Saysomeboun Special Zone, have also been improved. These developments are showing the effort of the Party to eradicate the poverty of the people. Every year the government contributes 90 billion kip toward rural development projects. Drug cultivation is one very big obstacle hindering national development. The government plans to eradicate the plantation of opium nationwide by 2006. The government has cooperated with international organisations and other countries to fight the drug problem. For example, in 1998 the Lao Government cooperated with the US government to set up a rural development project in Viengkhan district, Hauphan province. This project provided new alternatives to the local people encouraging them to avoid opium plantation. This Lao-US cooperation was quite successful. Many people in the project area have found permanent jobs. According to the Governor of Houaphan province, Chur Ching Vang, ³since the implementation of this project, the living conditions of the people have improved dramatically. Before the project, people had no electricity and the roads were in bad condition. The project has helped with the construction of roads, irrigation and hydropower systems, which has enabled the farmers to carry out two season¹s rice harvests and the roads have given them the opportunity to trade with other districts.² Opium plantations in Hauphan province have been reduced by 30 to 50 per cent since 1995. The district government plans to completely eradicate opium cultivation by the year 2005. ³Our villagers are very happy with the new roads. We have lived in isolation for such a long time that we are eager to produce as much as we can sell. The villagers found it hard to live a self-sufficient lifestyle in the past,² the head of the Ban Mouang Kouth, Mr Sivon Phongsomephou, said. According to the Party its policies will pull Lao out of its poverty situation by the year 2020. The party will continue to support infrastructure projects and continue to develop the basic economy for the short and long term by co-operating with other nations in the region and in the world. The Party¹s goal is to improve, survey, and design development projects that solve bureaucratic shortfalls, which waste time and money. In eradicating poverty, the Party will ensure that all Lao people have rice to eat, permanent housing and employment, enough money, and adequate schooling for Lao children of the future. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
