Laotian prime minister completes visit to Malaysia. HANOI, August 12 (Itar-Tass) - Laotian Prime Minister Sisavath Keobounphanh completed his three-day official visit to Malaysia on Wednesday. This is Keobounphanh's first official visit in the history of bilateral relations between the two countries. The Laotian prime minister met his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir bin Mohamad to discuss measures to overcome the Asian economic crisis. Malaysia, which ranks fifth among Laos's largest investors, expressed concern about its economic decline in 1997 (from 7.2 percent to 6 percent). After the talks, the two sides signed an agreement on the use of national currencies at mutual accounts which will allow to save currency reserves. Malaysia intends to work out a plan under which ASEAN countries will make all accounts based on national currencies. Apart from Laos, this initiative has been supported by Thailand and the Philippines. During the visit, the two prime ministers also signed agreements on investments, the expansion of foreign economic relations and cooperation in the area of tourism. U.S. Helps Preserve Laos' History By Don Pathan / Associated Press Writer VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) -- The U.S. campaign to account for Americans missing in action during the Vietnam War is helping the people of Laos preserve their history. Scouring for clues on the fate of MIAs, the U.S. military has played a key role in getting missing wartime films back from Vietnam to Laos and is improving the preservation of important archives here. "The idea is that we wanted to review the films, and the Lao needed an adequate facility to accommodate them," says Lt. Col. Robert T. Gahagan, a member of the search project. "It helps preserve Lao history." Since the establishment in 1994 of an archival research team under the U.S. task force on MIAs, American military personnel and Lao officials have screened thousands of reels of film. The team looks for information that would help account for the 2,090 American servicemen still listed as missing in action in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In exchange for the access, the United States has provided new computers, film editing machines, air- conditioned storage rooms and other improvements for Laos' film archives. Most of the films were taken during the Vietnam War by Lao and Vietnamese cameramen. They include documentaries on life in the countryside, war propaganda, educational films and entertainment. Although not officially at war in Laos, the United States backed the government then in Vientiane in its fight with Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao Communists. In an unsuccessful effort to stem communist advances, Washington unleashed history's most intense aerial bombardment on Laos. Most of the 446 American servicemen still listed as MIA in Laos were airmen bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail to stop North Vietnam from moving troops and supplies through Laos into South Vietnam. One reason for improving Laos' film archive facilities was to prepare a home for 1,181 reels of film from Vietnam, which arrived in July. Lao authorities believe 162 of these reels may contain relevant information on MIAs. "We started to review the films and thus far we have run into a couple items that may be related," said Chief Warrant Officer Ruben Williams, the team leader. "At this stage we don't have the final analyses." The United States played a significant role in helping the Lao government obtain the films, which were transported to Vientiane by a U.S. C-130 military cargo plane. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert L. Jones witnessed their arrival. "We wanted to help the Lao government get hold of them for quite a while," said Gahagan. "We have spent the last four years working on this." The American MIA search in Laos has also involved examining oral and written wartime accounts and the joint excavation of 26 plane crash sites since 1996. Eighty-two other crash sites have been identified and are awaiting excavation. The work has led to the resolution of 119 MIA cases, as well as friendlier ties between the United States and Laos' government. Although several leads have been obtained from the films, none has yet led to the recovery of any American remains. Gahagan, however, said the film archives project shouldn't be dismissed as insignificant. "Our mission is the fullest possible accounting, and so we will pursue any and all leads regardless where we get them," he said. "We won't leave any stone unturned." Malaysia, Laos Agree To Boost Barter Trade KUALA LUMPUR, August 11 (Asia Pulse via COMTEX) -- Malaysia and Laos have agreed to enhance barter trade and promote the use of regional currencies in other areas of trade, Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday. "Malaysia informed Laos of the use of regional currencies as a new mechanism in trade and it had agreed to this," he said when briefing reporters on the talks between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and visiting Laotian Prime Minister Sisavath Keobounphanh. The Prime Minister briefed the Laotion leader on the new mechanism at their meeting here, Abdullah said. Malaysia hoped Laos would benefit from the use of regional currencies in trade, he said. During the talks, the Prime Minister also offered Malaysia's help in the development of the rural areas in Laos, he said. Malaysia and Laos would also have a government-officers exchange programme for their mutual benefit. Laotian officers sent to Malaysia would study the government's rural development programmes as this country was a model to other nations in raising the standard of living of the rural people, Abdullah said. Laos also sought Malaysia's help in organising English Language courses for its officers to help them in their dealings with Asean, he said. Abdullah said Sisavath briefed Dr Mahathir on the development programmes in his country and the strategies it was adopting towards this end. Dr Mahathir expressed confidence that Laos would achieve speedy progress following its membership of Asean about a year ago. Abdullah said Laos had also requested Malaysia Airlines to resume flights to Vientiane where the airport had been upgraded. Malaysia Airlines discontinued flights because of the passenger factor but the Prime Minister assured Laos that the airline could use smaller aircraft to mitigate this factor. Abdullah said Laos had also assured Dr Mahathir that it would continue to cooperate with Asean members on all matters pertaining to the grouping. After the talks Dr Mahathir and Sisavath witnessed the signing of trade and tourism agreements between the two countries. Malaysia was represented by Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz and Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Sabbaruddin Chik while Laotian Trade Minister Phoumi Thipphavone signed for his country. Malaysia-Laos trade totalled RM6.5 million (US$1.5 million) (US$1:RM4.24) last year. Malaysia's exports amounted to RM6.2 million while it imported RM270,000 worth of goods from Laos. (Bernama) Malaysia Laos Sign Economic Cooperation Agreement KUALA LUMPUR, August 11 (Asia Pulse via COMTEX) -- Malaysia and Laos, whose bilateral trade totalled RM6.5 million (US$1--RM4.24) in 1997, Tuesday signed an agreement to expand and deepen trade, economic and industrial cooperation. Under the agreement, governments of both countries agreed to provide necessary assistance and encourage the private enterprises to explore the opportunities in trade, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) disclosed in a statement Tuesday. International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz signed the agreement for Malaysia while Laos was represented by its Commerce and Tourism Minister Phoumy Thippavone in a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Laotian counterpart Sisavath Keobounphanh at the Prime Minister's Department here. Keobounphanh is leading a 12-member delegation on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, a first by a Laotian head of government since the country joined ASEAN in July last year. MITI said the trade agreement would also facilitate the development of trade relations between the two countries through granting each other Most Favoured Nation Treatment in matters relating to customs tariffs, charges and customs procedures in connection with importation and exportation of products. It would also pave the way for the setting up of a joint trade committee to discuss measures to enhance two-way trade as well as facilitate each other's participation in trade fairs and exhibitions which include exemptions from customs duties and other similar charges on articles and samples intended for exhibitions and fairs. In 1997, Malaysia exported goods worth RM6.2 million to Laos as compared to imports amounting RM0.27 million. The main export items were television receivers, metal containers and office machines while import items were mainly coffee and its substitutes, alcohols and derivatives and textile. In January to June this year, Malaysia's bilateral trade with Laos stood at RM3.4 million. MITI disclosed that total cumulative Malaysian investment in Laos from 1992 until June 1998 amounted to RM1.04 billion. Malaysia was the fifth largest investor in Laos. There are 18 Malaysian companies operating in the country with investments in road construction, hydropower, tourism, banking, timber processing and education. MITI said it is expected that the signing of the trade agreement would provide a conducive framework for the two countries to enhance bilateral trade and ensure expansion of Malaysian investment in Laos. (Bernama) BKK Post / 13 August 1998 REFUGEES Move to repatriate Hmong Chettha to seek Lao cooperation during visit to Vientiane Army Chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro will ask the Laotian government to take back Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok in Saraburi during his visit to Laos on Saturday, a source said. Gen Chettha will lead an entourage of high-level army personnel to perform a tod pha pa ceremony in Luang Prabang in the morning and stop over in Vientiane to meet Laotian Prime Minister Sisavat Keobounphanh in the afternoon. The Laotian government has expressed suspicion over the Thai stance on the anti-Vientiane movement, particularly Hmong refugees at Tham Krabok, and Gen Chettha wants to clear the matter up. The source said the military will separate Hmong people at Tham Krabok into groups to define who are involved in narcotics trade and who are members of the resistance movement. There are only about 300 Hmongs who are members of the resistance movement. Thailand has shown its willingness to send them back but Laos has said it is not ready to accept them. During his Vientiane stopover, Gen Chettha will ask whether Laos is ready to take them back to clear the suspicion that Thailand may have supported them, the source said. Concerning the Hmong at Tham Krabok, the Army has asked the Interior Ministry to move them to another holding centre for better control. The former holding centre for Vietnamese refugees at Nakhon Ratchasima's Si Khiu district has been spotted for this purpose but the Interior Ministry is not yet ready, the source said. Gen Chettha leaves for Japan on September 1 on a six-day visit to strengthen military ties. The visit will discuss a personnel exchange programme, transfer of military technology, and the proposed merger of attache offices under the government's cost-saving policy. Gen Chettha will meet Japan's new prime minister Keizo Obuchi, said a source. As a goodwill gesture, Japan is sending a team of dentists to treat Klong Toey slum dwellers. They are due to arrive on Saturday, the source said.