Members: Dotarot, Vahia Ralliza H.

Lopez, Chryselle

Arida, Louiza Kyla

Section Code: B49

LAOS

Figure 1. Laos Flag Figure 2. Laos Map

OFFICIAL NAME: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxôn Lao (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: unitary single-party people’s republic with one legislative house
(National Assembly [149])

HEAD OF STATE: President: Bounnhang Vorachith.

HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister: Thongloun Sisoulith

CAPITAL: Vientiane (Viangchan)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Lao

OFFICIAL RELIGION: Buddhism

MONETARY UNIT: kip (KN)

POPULATION: (2018 est.) 6,465,000

POPULATION RANK: (2018) 109

POPULATION PROJECTION 2030: 7,375,000

TOTAL AREA (SQ MI): 91,429

TOTAL AREA (SQ KM):236,800

DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ M:(2018) 70.7

PERSONS PER SQ KM:(2018) 27.3

URBAN-RURAL POPULATION

Urban: (2018) 35%

Rural: (2018) 65%

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH

Male: (2017) 64 years

Female: (2017) 67 years

LITERACY: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGE 15 AND OVER LITERATE

Male: (2015) 90%

Female: (2015) 79.4%

GNI (U.S.$ ’000,000): (2017) 15,595

GNI PER CAPITA (U.S.$): (2017) 2,270

Laos is the landlocked country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia. It

consists of an irregularly round portion in the north that narrows into a peninsula-like
region stretching to the southeast. Overall, the country extends about 650 miles (1,050
km) from northwest to southeast. The capital is Vientiane (Lao: Viangchan), located on
the Mekong River in the northern portion of the country.

The geologically diverse landscape of Laos, with its forested mountains, upland
plateaus and lowland plains, supports an equally diverse population that is united
largely through agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. Interactions—sometimes
hostile, sometimes hospitable—with the neighbouring Khmer (Cambodian), Siamese
(Thai), and Myanmar (Burmese) kingdoms between the 5th and the mid-19th century
indirectly imbued Laos with elements of Indian culture, including Buddhism, the
religion now practiced by most of the population. Both Buddhist and Hindulores have
shaped the visual, performing, and literary arts of the country. Many of
the indigenous and minority peoples of the remote highland slopes and mountainous
regions, however, have maintained their own idiosyncratic ritual and artistic traditions.

Colonization by the French from the late 19th to the mid-20th century infused
Laos with a European cultural element, which intensified throughout the country’s
embroilment in World War II and the Indochina wars, as well as a civil war of its own
in the second half of the 20th century. Guided by Marxist-Leninist ideology, Laos
emerged from the turmoil in 1975 as a communist country. Economic reforms of the late
20th and early 21st centuries, including the development of tourism, have strengthened

Laos’s economy, gradually shrinking the country’s debt and diminishing its
dependence on international aid.

HISTORY

The Lao people migrated into Laos from southern China from the 8th century
onward. In the 14th century, the first Laotian state was founded, the Lan Xang
kingdom, which ruled Laos until it split into three separate kingdoms in 1713. During
the 18th century, the three kingdoms came under Siamese (Thai) rule and, in 1893,
became a French protectorate. With its territory incorporated into Indochina. A strong
nationalist movement developed during World War II, but France reestablished control
in 1946 and made the king of Luang Prabang constitutional monarch of all Laos. France
granted semiautonomy in 1949 and then, spurred by the Viet Minh rebellion in
Vietnam, full independence within the French Union in 1950.

In 1951, Prince Souphanouvong organized the Pathet Lao, a Communist

independence movement, in North Vietnam. Viet Minh and Pathet Lao forces invaded
central Laos, resulting in civil war. By the Geneva Agreements of 1954 and an armistice
of 1955, two Northern provinces were given to the Pathet Lao; the rest went to the royal
regime. Full sovereignty was given to the kingdom by the Paris Agreements of Dec. 29,
1954. In 1957, Prince Souvanna Phouma, the royal prime minister, and Pathet Lao
leader Prince Souphanouvong, the prime minister's half-brother, agreed to
reestablishment of a unified government, with Pathet Lao participation and integration
of Pathet Lao forces into the royal army. The agreement broke down in 1959, and armed
conflict began anew.

In 1960, the struggle became a three-way fight as Gen. Phoumi Nosavan,

controlling the bulk of the royal army, set up in the south a pro-Western revolutionary
government headed by Prince Boun Oum. General Phoumi took Vientiane in
December, driving Souvanna Phouma into exile in Cambodia. The Soviet bloc
supported Souvanna Phouma. In 1961, a cease-fire was arranged and the three princes
agreed to a coalition government headed by Souvanna Phouma.

Coalition Government Is Short-Lived

But North Vietnam, the U.S. (in the form of CIA personnel), and China remained
active in Laos after the settlement. North Vietnam used a supply line (Ho Chi Minh
Trail) running down the mountain valleys of eastern Laos into Cambodia and South
Vietnam, particularly after the U.S.–South Vietnamese incursion into Cambodia in 1970
stopped supplies via Cambodian seaports.

An agreement reached in 1973 revived the coalition government. The

Communist Pathet Lao seized complete power in 1975, installing Souphanouvong as
president and Kaysone Phomvihane as prime minister. Since then, other parties and
political groups have been moribund and most of their leaders have fled the country.
The monarchy was abolished on Dec. 2, 1975, when the Pathet Lao ousted the coalition
government and King Sisavang Vatthana abdicated.

The Supreme People's Assembly in Aug. 1991 adopted a new constitution that
dropped all references to socialism but retained the one-party state. In addition to
implementing market-oriented policies, the country has passed laws governing
property, inheritance, and contracts.

One-Party Rule Continues as International Relations Improve

During the 1990s, the country began making more diplomatic overtures toward
its neighbors. In 1995, the U.S. announced a lifting of its ban on aid to the nation. By
most international estimates, Laos is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world. The
subsistence farmers who make up more than 80% of the population have been plagued
with bad agricultural conditions—alternately floods and drought—since 1993.

Since March 2000, Vientiane has been rocked by a series of unexplained blasts.
The activity has been widely attributed to a group of Hmong tribesmen based in the
north. The anti-Communist rebel group has been protesting the government's
reluctance to embrace democratic reforms. Others attribute the bombs to rival factions
in the government or military.

In Feb. 2002 parliamentary elections, 165 out of 166 candidates were members of
the governing Lao People's Revolutionary Party. In 2006, Choummaly Sayasone became
party secretary-general and president of Laos. First Deputy Prime Minister Bouasone
Bouphavanh became prime minister.

Laos is one of the poorest countries on Earth. Although the Lao have few
possessions beyond their food, their Buddhist beliefs help them to find happiness
through a simple life. Most of the people live in small rural communities near the
river.

The whole family works hard to grow enough food. Many people do not have
running water and must carry water from the river to their small wooden houses for
cooking, drinking, and washing.

In Laos and other Southeast Asian countries people play a sport called kataw.
The game is a bit like volleyball, but players cannot use their hands and instead must
kick or force a small hollow ball made of woven bamboo over a high net. The Lao also
like the sport of rhinoceros-beetle wrestling. People bet on which beetle will stay
standing the longest.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Prime Minister

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is one of the world's only socialist states
openly endorsing communism.[citation needed] The only legal political party is the Lao
People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP).[57] The head of state is President Bounnhang
Vorachith, also General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.[citation
needed]

The head of government is Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also a

member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party's Politburo.[citation needed]
Government policies are determined by the party through the all-powerful eleven-
member Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the 61-member Central
Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.[citation needed] Important
government decisions are vetted by the Council of Ministers.[citation needed]

Laos's first, French-written and monarchical constitution was promulgated on 11

May 1947, and declared Laos an independent state within the French Union.[citation
needed] The revised constitution of 11 May 1957 omitted reference to the French Union,
though close educational, health and technical ties with the former colonial power
persisted.[citation needed] The 1957 document was abrogated on 3 December 1975,
when a communist People's Republic was proclaimed.[citation needed] A new
constitution was adopted in 1991 and enshrined a "leading role" for the LPRP.[citation
needed] In 1990, deputy minister for science & technology Thongsouk
Saysangkhiresigned from the government and party, calling for political
reform.[citation needed] He died in captivity in 1998.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN LAOS

Human rights violations remain a significant concern in Laos. Prominent civil

society advocates, human rights defenders, political and religious dissidents, and
Hmong refugees have disappeared at the hands of Lao military and security forces.

Ostensibly, the Constitution of Laos that was promulgated in 1991, and amended
in 2003, contains most key safeguards for human rights. For example, Article 8 makes it
clear that Laos is a multinational state and is committed to equality between ethnic
groups. The Constitution also contains provisions for gender equality, freedom of
religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of press and assembly. On 25 September 2009,
Laos ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, nine years after
signing the treaty.The stated policy objectives of both the Lao government and
international donors remain focused upon achieving sustainable economic growth and
poverty reduction.

However, the government of Laos frequently breaches its own constitution and
the rule of law, since the judiciary and judges are appointed by the ruling communist
party—an independent judicial branch does not exist. According to independent non-
profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch and Civil Rights Defenders, along with the U.S. State Department, serious
human rights violations such as arbitrary detentions, disappearances, free speech
restrictions, prison abuses and other violations are an ongoing problem.

Amnesty International raised concerns about the ratification record of the Lao
government on human rights standards, and its lack of co-operation with the UN
human rights mechanisms and legislative measures—both impact negatively upon
human rights. The organization also raised concerns in relation to freedom of
expression, poor prison conditions, restrictions on freedom of religions, protection of
refugees and asylum-seekers, and the death penalty.

In October 1999, 30 young people were arrested for attempting to display posters
calling for peaceful economic, political and social change in Laos. Five of them were
arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on charges of
treason. One has since died due to his treatment by prison guards, while one has been
release. The surviving three men should have been released by October 2009, but their
whereabouts remain unknown. Later reports have contradicted this, claiming they were
sentenced to 20 years in prison. In late February 2017, two of those imprisoned were
finally released after 17 years.

Laos and Vietnamese (SRV) troops were reported to have raped and killed four
Christian Hmong women in Xiangkhouang Province in 2011,according to the US-based
non-governmental public policy research organization The Centre for Public Policy
Analysis. CPPA also said other Christian and independent Buddhist and animist
believers were being persecuted.

The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch, US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Lao Veterans of
America, Inc. and other non-governmental organisations (NGO)s have reported
egregious human rights violations, religious persecution, the arrest and imprisonment
of political and religious dissidents as well as extrajudicial killings, in Laos by
government military and security forces.[98] Human rights advocates including Vang
Pobzeb, Kerry and Kay Danes and others have also raised concerns about human rights
violations, torture, the arrest and detention of political prisoners as well as the detention
of foreign prisoners in Laos including at the infamous Phonthong Prison in
Vientiane.[citation needed] Concerns have been raised about the high-profile abduction
of Laotian civic activist and Lao PDR's only living Ramon Magsaysay Awardlaureate
Sombath Somphone by Lao security forces and police on 15 December 2012.

FESTIVALS

Figure 2. Pachyderm Party

PACHYDERM PARTY (ELEPHANT FESTIVAL)

The Asian elephant has its day, actually two, in mid-February when Laos turns
its eyes to Sayabouly Province and the Elephant Festival. Launched in 2007, the annual
fete draws more than 80.0000 elephant fans to the ceremonies, processions, and
performances to pay tribute to the...
Figure 4. Rocket Festival

ROCKET FESTIVAL IN LAOS

The festival is a call for rain and a celebration of fertility. In the afternoon, people
gather in the fields on the outskirts of villages and towns to launch self-made firework
rockets. Different communities compete for the best decorated and the highest
travelling rocket.

GOVERNMENT

After independence from France in 1953, the country fell into turmoil; in 1975
the communist Pathet Lao seized power with help from North Vietnam. Many fled
and many resettled in the United States. Laos is one of the few remaining communist
states. The economy is hampered by poor roads, no railroad, and limited access to
electricity.

LAND

Laos is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to
the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest
by Myanmar (Burma).

RELIEF

Dominating the landscape of Laos are its inhospitable forest-covered mountains,

which in the north rise to a maximum elevation of 9,245 feet (2,818 meters) above sea
level at Mount Bia and everywhere constitute an impediment to travel. The principal
range lies along a northwest-southeast axis and forms part of the Annamese
Cordillera (Chaîne Annamitique), but secondary ranges abound. On the Xiangkhoang
Plateau in north-central Laos, the Plain of Jars (Thông Haihin; the name derived from
large prehistoric stone jars discovered there) consists of extensive rolling grasslands
rather than a true plain and provides a hub of communications. The karst landscapes of
the central provinces of Bolikhamxay and Khammouan contain caverns and severely
eroded limestone pinnacles. In the south the Bolovens Plateau, at an elevation of about
3,600 feet (1,100 metres), is covered by open woodland and has generally fertile soil. The
only extensive lowlands lie along the eastern bank of the Mekong River.

DRAINAGE

The general slope of the land in Laos is downhill from east to west, and all the major
rivers—the Tha, Beng, Ou, Ngum, Kading, Bangfai, Banghiang, and Kong—are
tributaries of the Mekong (Mènam Khong). The Mekong flows generally southeast and
south along and through western Laos and forms its boundary with Myanmar and
most of the border with Thailand. The course of the river itself is severely constricted by
gorges in northern Laos, but, by the time it reaches Vientiane, its valley broadens and
exposes wide areas to flooding when the river breaches its banks, as it did most notably
in August 1966. A few rivers in eastern Laos flow eastward through gaps in the
Annamese Cordillera to reach the Gulf of Tonkin; the most important of these is the Ma
River, which rises in the northeast, just inside the Vietnam border.

SOILS

Soils in the floodplains are formed from alluvium deposited by rivers and are
either sandy or sandy clay with light colours or sandy with gray or yellow colours;
chemically, these are neutral to slightly acidic. Upland soils derived from crystalline,
granitic, schistose, or sandstone parent rocks generally are more acidic and much less
fertile. Southern Laos contains areas of laterite (leached and iron-bearing) soils, as well
as basaltic soils on the Bolovens Plateau.

CLIMATE

Laos has the typical tropical monsoon (wet-dry) climate of the region, though the
mountains provide some variations in temperature. During the rainy season (May to
October), the winds of the southwest monsoon deposit an average rainfall of 50 to 90
inches (1,300 to 2,300 mm), with totals reaching some 160 inches (4,100 mm) on the
Bolovens Plateau. The dry season (November to April) is dominated by the northeast
monsoon. Minimum temperatures average between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 °C) in the
cool months of December through February, increasing to highs of more than 90 °F (32
°C) in March and April, just before the start of the rains. In the wet season the average
temperature is 80 °F (27 °C).

PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE

Laos has tropical rainforests of broad-leaved evergreens in the north and

monsoon forests of mixed evergreens and deciduous trees in the south. In the monsoon
forest areas the ground is covered with tall, coarse grass called tranh; the trees are
mostly secondary growth, with an abundance of bamboo, scrub, and wild banana. Laos
is also home to hundreds of species of orchids and palms.

The forests and fields support a wealth of wildlife, including nearly 200 species
of mammals, about the same number of reptiles and amphibians, and some 700
varieties of birds. Common mammals include gaurs (wild oxen), deer, bears, and
monkeys. Elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers, as well as several types of wild oxen,
monkeys, and gibbons, are among the country’s endangered mammals. Geckoes,
snakes, skinks, and frogs are abundant; several types of turtles are threatened. The
canopy and floor of the forest are inhabited by countless warblers, babblers,
woodpeckers, and thrushes, as well as an array of larger raptors. Numerous water birds
live in the lowlands. Several dozen species of Laos’s birds are threatened, including
most hornbills, ibises, and storks.

PEOPLE: ETHNIC GROUP AND LANGUAGES

Laos is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country. The official language of

Laos is Lao, although various foreign languages have often been used by the elite.
French was once the language of the Lao upper classes and of the cities, but by the
1970s English had begun to displace it. Under the leadership of the Lao People’s
Revolutionary Party, Vietnamese became the third language of the elite.

Before the Indochina wars, sources commonly identified more than 60 different
population groups; after the wars, which displaced (or killed) a large segment of the
population, that number had been significantly reduced, with
some communities amounting to only a few hundred persons. By the late 20th century
the various peoples of Laos were officially grouped primarily by language and location
into one of three categories: Lao Loum (“Lowland Lao”), Lao Theung (“Lao of the
Mountain Slopes”), and Lao Soung (“Lao of the Mountain Tops”). These groupings
have simplified administration, and even individuals in the remotest villages now
typically identify themselves to visitors with this nomenclature. The scheme does not,
however, reflect the intricacy of the country’s cultural and linguistic composition. For
example, the language spoken by the Lao of Vientiane, a Lao Loum group, bears closer
resemblance to that spoken by the Thai across the river than to languages spoken by
some other Lao Loum peoples such as the Tai Dam (Black Tai; so named for their black
clothing) in the northeast. Beyond the government’s three Lao groupings are
communities of Chinese and Vietnamese, both of which are concentrated primarily in
the large towns.

The Lao Loum generally lives on the banks of the Mekong and its tributaries and
in the cities. All speak Tai languages of the Tai-Kadai family. The Lao

Loum constitute roughly two-thirds of the population, with the ethnic Lao by far
the largest component. Other prominent Lao Loum communities include the Phuan of
the northeast, the Lue of the northwest, and the Phu Tai of the south. Also subsumed
under the Lao Loum rubric are those peoples who were once classified as Lao Tai,
including the Tai Dam and Tai Deng (Red Tai; so named after their red clothing),
among others.

Prior to the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) in

1975, the Lao Loum peoples had a distinct pattern of culture and dress. They also had a
well-defined social structure, differentiating between royalty and commoners. Members
of the elite included only a few outsiders of nonnoble descent. Most of the elite lived in
the cities, drawing their incomes from rural land rents or from urban occupations. After
1975 a new elite emerged, representing the victorious leftist forces. Many of those
group, however, were of aristocratic origin.

Lao Tai peoples of the Lao Loum group also once had a clear
political hierarchy and a stratified social structure. Black Tai tribal organization, for
instance, had three levels: the village, which was the smallest unit; the commune,
which comprised several villages; and the muong, which embraced multiple
communities and villages. Each muong was led by a chao muong, a hereditary ruler and
member of the nobility. While communes were also ruled by nobles, villages were
headed by commoners selected from the heads of households. The muong were
ethnically diverse social and administrative units. Among the Black Tai, for instance,
the nobility consisted of two descent groups, the Lo and the Cam, who provided the
rulers of the muong. Religious leaders came from two other descent groups, the Luong
and the Ka. The Red Tai had a similar social and political structure, with an additional
council of five to aid the chao muong. The nobility owned the land and had the right to
request service from the commoners.

The Lao Theung peoples are scattered throughout Laos and

speak Austroasiatic (Mon-Khmer) languages. They are probably the original inhabitants
of the country, having migrated northward in prehistoric times. Unlike the Lao Loum,
the Lao Theung had no political or social structure beyond the village. They were led by
a village headman, who was their link to the central government, but his role in the
village was not clear. Major ethnic groups within the Lao Theung category include the
Khmu (Kammu) and Lamet in the north, the Katang and Makong in the center, and the
Jru’ (Loven) and Brao (Lave) in the far south. The Lao Theung constitute about one-
fourth of the population.

The Lao Soung group includes peoples who have migrated into northern Laos
since the early 19th century and speak Hmong-Mien (Miao-Yao) or Tibeto-
Burman languages. Among the most prominent of those communities are
the Hmong, Mien (also called Man or Yao), Akha (a subgroup of Hani peoples),
and Lahu. The Lao Soung account for roughly one-tenth of the population.

Among the Lao Soung, the Hmong maintained a tradition of large-scale social
organization with a king and subchiefs, although these figures were of little significance
at the village level. The village consisted of several extended families belonging to one
or more clans. If all the h eads of households were members of a single clan, the head of
the clan was the headman of the village. Where several clans resided together in a large
village, there were several headmen, one being the nominal head and the link to the
government. The headman had real authority in the village and was aided by a council.
The Hmong activated their organization beyond the village for military purposes.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic: a Communist state

Figure 5. The communist flag of Laos

Laos is one of the world's 5 remaining ‘communist' countries (alongside North

Korea, China, Cuba and Vietnam). After the civil war ended in 1975, the communist
government overthrew the monarchy and has been ruling since

The official name became the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the red
communist flag with hammer and sickle can usually be seen flying alongside the blue &
red flag of Laos.

The Nationwide Midnight Curfew

Figure 6. Laos Curfew Signage

In Laos, there is an official nationwide midnight curfew: another sign of it being

ruled by a ‘communist' government. In practice, this is not enforced on the people but
more on businesses. Midnight curfew is most strictly enforced against businesses in
Luang Prabang in order to help the city retain its UNESCO status. The midnight curfew
in Laos is more strictly enforced in Luang Prabang

Champa: the national flower of Laos

The Champa is the white national flower of Laos. It is considered sacred and
respected by the Laotians. We noticed it just after crossing the Fourth Friendship Bridge
on the “Welcome to Laos” sign as you cross over from Thailand.

Figure 7. National Flower in Laos

The most expensive postage stamps

One stamp for a postcard to Europe cost 13,000 kips (around £1/$1.60).

Figure 8. Laos postage stamp

Advice for LGBTQ travellers to Laos

Laos is a gay friendly country and never had an issue getting a double bed or
being tender with each other in public on the odd occasion. As foreigners, you're always
treated differently in Laos and highly respected by locals. However, for LGBTQ locals,
the situation is slightly different. Whilst it's not illegal to be gay in Laos, the Communist
government has yet to pass any progressive LGBTQ laws legislation such as for anti-
discrimination or recognition of same-sex relationships.

Sources:

www.laostourism.org

www.khoroshunovaolgashutterstock.com

www.travelguide.com

www.knowlaos.org