State John Kerry: Laos

Moua Toua Ter Dept: Rights activists said former ethnic Hmong rebel leader Moua Toua Ter is being held at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok, while they and at least one Western embassy made representations on his behalf to the Thai government. They fear he faces severe persecution if returned to his homeland, according to Montreal Gazette. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Laos' failure to provide significant information about the case of award-winning activist Sombath Somphone is raising questions about the government's commitment to the rule of law and engaging responsibly with the world notwithstanding its recent accession to the World Trade Organization and BANGKOK - A U.S. admonition to Laos over its shaky human rights record spurred efforts Tuesday to halt the possible deportation from Thailand of a former ethnic leader to the authoritarian Southeast Asian nation. Concern over his fate came after the United States took Laos to task for failing to account for the disappearance of a prominent social activist. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.