Programs and Events

Representative Betty McCollum Visits Laos

Representative Betty McCollum meets with members of the National Assembly, which hosted her during her recent visit to Vientiane.

Representative McCollum talks with schoolchildren in Xieng Khouang after watching a student play on the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

On December 21-29, 2006, Embassy Vientiane hosted Representative Betty McCollum, a Member of Congress from the state of Minnesota. Representative McCollum, who is a member of the Democratic Party, represents Minnesota’s Fourth District, which has a large population of Lao-Americans, including many Hmong-Americans. She has a longstanding interest in Laos and its people, but this was her first visit here.

Representative McCollum had the opportunity to meet with many Lao people during her visit. In Vientiane, she talked with students from the Lao-American College and addressed an audience at the Institute of Foreign Affairs. She met young people battling against drug addiction at the Somsanga Treatment Center. She tried her hand at traditional Lao weaving at the Lao Textile Museum. During a trip to Xieng Khouang province, she observed clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO), attended a school play on the dangers of UXO, and visited children who had been injured by UXO at a provincial hospital. She also participated in the festivities surrounding Hmong New Year. A highlight of Representative McCollum’s visit was attending Christmas Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Vientiane.

The National Assembly served as the Lao hosts for Representative McCollum’s visit. In addition to a meeting, the legislators hosted her at a lunch and took her on a tour of important cultural sites. Representative McCollum also met with several senior members of the Lao Government, including Deputy Prime Minister Somsavath Lengsavath, Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Onchanh Thammavong, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Phongsavath Boupha. In these meetings, she voiced her support for U.S. government programs to assist the Lao people, especially in the area of removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). She urged the government of Laos to respect human rights and encouraged increased access by international humanitarian organizations. Representative McCollum also met with Lao Women’s Union Vice President Bandith Pathoumvanh and visited the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) to discuss UXO removal efforts with NRA and UXO Lao representatives.