AFP
Laos’ new prime minister wants to give the country an upgrade, telling the national assembly that the nation needs to leave the ranks of least-developed nations.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in an April 20 speech urged the national assembly and Lao local governments to give the new government support as it “aims to upgrade the country from least-developed status by addressing the poverty of the people with substantive results that enrich the nation.”
While Thongloun wants to lift Laos out of the U.N.’s list of least developed countries, some of the nation’s citizens and human rights experts don’t hold out much hope.
Corruption and human rights
To begin to move Laos up the international ladder, the government first must address the rampant corruption that saps confidence in the nation, local residents told RFA’s Lao Service. Transparency International ranks Laos as the 139th most corrupt country out of 168 nations.
“I expect the new cabinet will make an effort to address corruption,” said a Vientiane resident, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity. “However, I do not know how the new government will manage it, and I don’t have confidence the government can do it at all.”
Another resident of the Lao capital was even more critical, telling RFA that the new leaders should “not get more new luxurious cars and more new houses because they are rich enough.”
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director, told RFA that he doesn’t see the Lao government doing what it needs to do to improve its human rights record.
“Laos continues to be to be of the most rights-repressive governments in Southeast Asia,” he said. “I have no confidence that there will be any changes on Lao government policy on human rights as a result of there being a new president or a new prime minister.”
Roberts said he was not alone in his opinion. The ASEAN People’s Forum decided against holding its annual convention in Laos because the civil society organizations that make up the group were concerned for the safety of the participants. Laos is the 2016 chair of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“Look at the decision of ASEAN People’s Forum to not hold their annual meeting in Laos,” Roberts said. “It’s because they could not receive the guarantees from the Lao government that people who join the ASEAN People’s Forum meeting from Laos would be protected and would not face retaliation.”
Sombath Somphone
The forced disappearance more than three years ago of Lao development specialist Sombath Somphone serves as a cautionary tale.
Sombath went missing on Dec. 15, 2012, when police stopped him in his vehicle at a checkpoint in Vientiane. He was then transferred to another vehicle, according to police surveillance video, and has not been heard from since.
Rights groups suspect that Lao officials were involved in or are aware of the abduction of Sombath, who received the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership—Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize—for his work in the fields of education and development.
Lao officials have yet to state a reason for his disappearance or make any progress in the case, which has become a major headache for the Vientiane government, drawing criticism from European and U.S. development partners and aid donors and attention from the United Nations.
“Many people believe Sombath Somphone faced [retaliation] as a result of his participation in the Asia-Europe People’s Forum three years ago,” Robertson said. “Of course Sombath Sompon has been disappeared by the government of Laos, and the government of Laos refuses to reveal what they’ve done to him.”
Thongloun avoided the sticky issues of corruption and human rights when he addressed the national assembly, only appealing to their patriotism while asking for their cooperation.
“Standing in front of the national flag and national assembly on this important occasion, I swear and am committed to raising the revolutionary spirit in order to implement our duties under the constitution and our laws, and to make my high efforts in performing the mission with high commitment and honesty, to dedicate myself to jointly work with the party and state at all levels to implement the resolutions of the 10th Party Congress and National Assembly’s 8th Legislature successfully,” he said.
Reported by RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
I believe that there is little to no hope, at least in the foreseeable future, for any real progress here. The corruption is deeply entrenched, at all levels of government. The country is being bled dry. We're a long, long way from a "Lao
Spring".
Jun 08, 2016 04:56 AM
They are upgrading their own wallets $$$ and purses not the country standard. Yet they've been doing the upgrade for the last 40 + years--only improves standard of living of their own but not Lao citizens. Everything is getting worse and drifting downhills.
May 09, 2016 11:19 AM
So Laos wants to upgrade from her current version ? All I see is her system is self-destructing, upgrading is only for a short-term deal. The best route is to replace it and come joint the main stream of the world. Crooks in power surely will not like my idea.
May 01, 2016 01:53 PM
They have been upgrading for the longest time... did nobody noticed?
All the corrupt officials started with simple motor bike and constantly upgraded all the way to Lexus and Range Rover... some have even managed to upgraded all the way to Ferraris and Lamborghinis... I guess they all want to upgrade to personal jets now... for them, cars are becoming obsolete.
Apr 30, 2016 11:49 PM
