Amnesty International Report 1995 - Laos

Three prisoners of conscience continued to be held throughout 1994. Three political prisoners continued to serve sentences of life imprisonment imposed after an unfair trial. Information about political prisoners and the death penalty was limited as a result of restrictions on freedom of expression and a lack of official information. Three prisoners of conscience continued to be held in the northern province of Houa Phanh. Thongsouk Saysangkhi, Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong had been sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment in November 1992 after a trial that failed to meet international standards for fairness. Although official charges against them included preparing for a rebellion, Amnesty International believed that they were detained for peacefully advocating a multi-party political system. They were believed to be still detained in "Re-education" Camp 7, where conditions were harsh and no medical facilities were available (see Amnesty International Report 1994). One untried political prisoner, Ly Teng, was allowed to leave a village in Sop Hao, Houa Phanh province, to which he had been restricted, and move to Vientiane, the capital, with his family. Two other untried political prisoners – Tong Pao Song and Yong Ye Thao – were also reported as having been released from their restriction to Sop Hao, but they remained living in the area. All three had been detained or had their freedom of movement restricted for the purposes of "re-education" since 1975 (see Amnesty International Report 1993). Three political prisoners – Pangtong Chokbengboun, Bounlu Nammathao and Sing Chanthakoummane – who had been detained without charge or trial for more than 17 years, continued to serve sentences of life imprisonment imposed after an unfair trial in 1992 (see Amnesty International Report 1993). They remained in detention at Sop Pan camp, Houa Phanh province. Bounlu Nammathao and Sing Chanthakoummane were reportedly in poor health. Amnesty International continued to call for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, and the fair trial or release from detention or restriction of other long-term political prisoners. By the end of the year no response had been received from the Lao authorities.