Help free Laotian prisoners of conscience

The morning of 26 October 1999, the annual water festival, Thongpaseuth Keuakoun, Seng-Aloun Phengphanh, Bouavanh Chanhmanivong, Keochay, and Khamphouvieng Sisaath were arrested for attempting to unroll posters at the National Assembly building.  They were charged with treason and given excessive sentences.

All five men were part of the Lao Student Movement for Democracy (LSMD). LSMD%u2019s concerns were for free education, a multi-party democracy, free and fair elections, and release of political prisoners.

Amnesty International believes all men to be Prisoners of Conscience.  They were arrested for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly, all of which are rights under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Thongpaseuth Keuakoun, Seng-Aloun Phengphanh, and Bouavanh Chanhmanivong remain in Samkhe prison in Vientiane.  Keochay apparently was released in 2002 but not known until 2006. Khamphouvieng Sisaath died in September 2001 in Samkhe prison, as a result of severe punishment by prison guards.

We the undersigned strongly urge authorities to:

-Immediately and unconditional release Thongpaseuth Keuakoun, Seng-Aloun Phengphanh, and Bouavanh Chanhmanivong;

-Immediately launch an investigation into the circumstances of Khamphouvieng Sisaath death and to provide redress and compensation to his family;

-Improve detention conditions and eradicate use of torture and ill treatment (Article 5 of the UDHR);

-End use of national security laws to criminalize peaceful political protests.