Our groups letters of concern helped release Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaph of Laos.
Latsami Khamphoui, a Laotian economist and former government vice minister—and his cellmate, Feng Sakchittaphong, also a former high-ranking government official—finished serving, in October 2004, harsh 14-year prison sentences for peacefully expressing their concern about the Lao government’s economic policies. According to reliable reports, they were released from prison when their sentences expired in October, but were held under house arrest in a village near the remote prison until mid-December.

Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today received MM Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong
Following their release from prison, Mr. Latsami and Mr. Feng—both of whom suffered from serious ill-health—requested permission to travel to France to seek specialized medical treatment and to join members of their families who live there.
Both men were reunited with their families in France, released December 12, 2004
The Global Importune letter signing group began sending letters of concern on behalf of Latsami Khamphoui & Feng Sakchittaph to officials in the government of Laos sometime around April 1998.
They were released on December 12, 2004.
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