Mr. President. a decade of war in Laos has turned that small country into a nation of refugeeswith nearly half the population forced to move once. and often many times. because of the shifting tides of war. Hardest hit have been the highland peoples of Laosthe Meowho bore the brunt of the conflict and who have been pushed from their highland homes to the crowded plains along the Mekong. There they remain dependent refugees today. because there is no land and no way for them to become selfsufficient again. Recent field reports indicate that some 800.000 refugees are still settled along the narrow strip of land controlled by the Vientianeformer Royal LaoGovernment. and that almost 80 percent want to return to their homelands. Small numbers of refugees have already made their way back to their homes since the ceasefire took effect. But for the vast majority returning home is still a long way offboth in distance and in the assurance of security. Going home is something they cannot do without helphelp in moving. in housing. and in food. for a period until their first crop.
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refugeeswith refugees