I.

Brief Background of Laos

Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lane Xang, established in
the XIVth century under King Fa Ngum. For 300 years Lane Xang had an
influence on present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as all of what is
now the People's Democratic Republic of Laos. After centuries of gradual
decline, Laos came under the control of the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) from
the late XVIIIth century until the late XIXth century, when it became part of
French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current
Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Pathet Lao party took control of the
government, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a socialist
regime closely aligned to that of Vietnam. From 1988, Laos slowly opened its
economy up to private enterprises by liberalising direct foreign investment
laws. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.
The Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos is located in the centre of the
Mekong sub-region, with a multi-ethnic population of approximately six million,
and occupies 236 800 km2. The country is landlocked and has borders with
five countries (Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1
754 km and Vietnam 2 130 km). Population growth is slightly less than 2% per
year and about 50% of the population is aged under 20. Laos is mainly made
up of limestone mountains crossed by the fertile valleys of the Mekong river
and its tributaries. Approximately 77% of the population of Laos lives in rural
areas and they are mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture. Less than 30%
of the population aged over 15 has more than a primary-level education, and
31% of adults are illiterate. 23% of women have never gone to school and
less than 9% of women have attended secondary school. Depending on the
province where a child is born, life expectancy at birth varies between 54 and
63. Laos is still a country with under-developed infrastructure, particularly in
the rural areas. It has a rudimentary network of roads and limited access to

internal and external telecommunications. Electricity is available in urban

areas and in many rural districts as hydro-electric power is becoming the
country's main export

II.

The Developmental Promises of Economics in Laos

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Political Stability
Educational Sector
Transportation Sector
Health Sector
Population Development
Social Attitudes and Values

A. Political Stability
Laos is a country in transition and has set a goal of graduating from
Least Developed Country status by 2020. While the Lao political system
remains firmly in the control of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP),
the forces of globalization and regionalization continue to drive the Lao
government to open the economy to market forces. Laos increasingly shows
a willingness to engage in international fora on governance issues as well.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) was proclaimed on 2
December 1975, abolishing the monarchy and the previous Royal Lao
Government. The new constitution was unanimously endorsed by a
unicameral 85-member Supreme People's Assembly on 14 August 1991,
and amended most recently in 2003. The Supreme People's Assembly was
renamed as the National Assembly in 1992. It exercised power according to
principle of democratic centralism. The law provides for a representative
national assembly, elected every five years in open, multiple-candidate, fairly
tabulated elections with universal, adult-suffrage voting by secret ballot.
Election committees appointed by the National Assembly must approve all
candidates for local and national elections. Candidates do not need to be
LPRP members, but in practice almost all were. The only legal political party

is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The head of state in 2012
was President Choummaly Sayasone. The head of government at that time
was Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong. Government policies are
determined by the party through the powerful 11-member Politburo and the
50-member Central Committee. Important government decisions are vetted
by the Politburo. The first National Assembly was elected in December 1992.
Its inaugural session was in February 1993. As the country's legislative
organ, it oversees the judiciary and activities of administration. The National
Assembly, which has added seats at every election, approves all new laws,
although the executive branch retains the authority to issue binding decrees.
The most recent elections took place on 30 April 2011, when the National
Assembly was expanded to 132 members. Independent observers were not
allowed to monitor the election process. Laos has enacted a number of new
laws in recent years, but the country is still governed largely through the
issuance of decrees. Many new laws are being passed at this writing. They
are designed to bring Laos into compliance with WTO requirements as Laos
aspired to become a member in the near future. The country's President is
the head of state, and is elected by National Assembly for a 5-year term. The
President also acts as the country's commander in chief of the armed forces
(Lao People's Army). The Council of Ministers is the country's highest
executive organ, and its chairman is designated as prime minister. Its vice
chairmen oversee the work of ministers. Real power is exercised by
members of the ruling party, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP),
particularly the Political Bureau (Politburo) and Central Committee. A smallscale insurgency against the regime that continued since the end of the
Indochina conflict has essentially ended. Past incidents included attacks in
2003 and 2004 against various types of land transportation and public
markets. There were reports of clashes in 2005 and 2007. In late 2006 and
2007, more than 1,000 former fighters and family members were estimated
to have surrendered to Lao authorities, and there were no credible reports of

clashes in 2010 or 2011. The United States opposes any acts of violence
against the Lao Government.

One of the major outcomes stated in the United Nations

Development Assistance Framework Action Plan (2012-2015) for The
Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos is:
By 2015, the poor and vulnerable benefit from the
improved delivery of public services, an effective protection of their
rights and greater participation in transparent decision making
Good and effective Governance is a precondition and cornerstone for achieving
equitable and sustainable economic growth as laid out in the 7th NSEDP. Thus
Good Governance is essential for the achievement of the MDGs and Millennium
Declaration by 2015 to which the Government is fully committed to. There is also
a strong commitment to implement international treaties and to take part in
associated processes such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Human
Rights instruments. It is expected that, with the support of the UN system,
especially the poor and vulnerable will benefit from improved delivery of public
services, the effective protection of their rights and the advancement of the Rule
of Law, and greater participation in transparent decision-making by 2015. The
support to an effective National Assembly will be crucial and cross-cutting to
address these areas and widening disparities in the country.

Through the

Strategic Plan on Governance (2011-2015) the Government has committed

itself to the promotion and enhancement of governance and public administration
reform through improving service delivery, strengthening the Rule of Law,
enhancing peoples participation and improving sound financial management.
The UNs Governance Outcome addresses 3 of the 4 government priorities
directly and is hence fully linked to and addressing national development
priorities in the area of governance. In addition, the Party Congress of the Lao

Peoples Revolutionary Party held in March 2011 endorsed a four-point

breakthrough strategy in order to achieve the MDGs by 2015 and the graduation
from LDC status by 2020. The breakthrough strategy calls for overall
improvement and streamlining of the public administration for effective and
efficient service delivery and the strengthening of human resources further
confirming the relevance of the Good Governance Outcome of the UNDAF. The
establishment of a national high level leading board on governance reform by the
Government will provide the necessary leadership and oversight over the
effective implementation of the reform process. To improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of public services, the UN system will develop the capacity of the civil
service at national and sub-national levels including that of the sectors where the
overall policy, regulatory framework and guidance apply to better deliver services
to the poor and vulnerable. The UN system will support those macro-reforms in
public administration and water and sanitation governance that will benefit the
poor and marginalized and that will enhance efficiency, accountability and
transparency in public service. Especially capacities at sub-national levels will be
strengthened through decentralized fiscal transfers to better plan and manage
the delivery of priority services. The support to the definition and clarification of
centre/local relationships is expected to further improve sub-national service
delivery through strengthening of local level planning and implementation. Meritbased performance management in the civil service will further improve the
retention of talented civil servants. Support to the effective use of evidence based
planning tools will further improve the delivery of public services. To ensure a
better protection of human rights, the UN system will support the implementation
of the Lao PDRs Legal Sector Master Planwhich lays out the broad direction of
legal reform to assist the country to become a state fully governed by the Rule
of Law by 2020. Capacity development for the application of the criminal and civil
law and the fight against corruption will be central to this approach as well as the
progressive realization of human rights through domestic implementation of
international human rights obligations laid out in the international treaties the
country is party to as well as relevant processes such as the UPR. Further, the

UN system will support the development of gender sensitive and rights-based

labour migration policies, development and application of the law on drugs and
crime, domestic violence/gender-based violence, and the prevention and
combating of human trafficking, access to justice for women, and mechanisms to
ensure industrial peace. Public legal education, implementation of international
juvenile and gender justice standards and providing/enhancing access to justice
for the poor and marginalized are additional important elements of an overall
strategy to protect and enhance peoples rights during a process of rapid
economic development and increasing marginalization of vulnerable groups
during this process. To realise greater participation in decision making, the UN
system will support peoples participation in planning and monitoring of
development plans and their access to relevant information in order to make
informed decisions. The support to the emerging civil society and an enabling
environment for it to thrive and meaningfully contribute to national development
will be an important element of this effort. Supporting access to information
though community media and radio will help to bring locally relevant information
to communities. As an institution with cross-cutting impact the UN will continue to
support

the

National Assembly to

fulfill

its oversight,

legislative

and

representative roles as it is more and more emerging as the highest institution

with considerable impact on key decisions affecting the future development path
of the country. Sound law making capacities in line with international standards
and obligations will be essential in this regard

B. Educational Sector
In March 2008 the Eighth Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party Congress
reemphasized its long-term national development goal of enabling the Lao
Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) to graduate from the ranks of the least
developed countries by 2020, and to build the basic human and physical
infrastructure for the shift to industrialization and modernity. In order to achieve
this goal, the Congress confirmed in that during the period 2006 to 2010
education is to be considered the main focus for human resource development.

Reform of the national education system is urgently required for the improvement
of educational quality and standards. The aims of a reformed national system of
education will be to educate the Lao people to be good citizens, to be
knowledgeable, to be creative and enthusiastic, and to contribute to the
development of both the country and themselves. Through education people will
gain employment, will learn to protect their own health, and will behave with the
integrity necessary to meet the demands of the socio-economic development of
the country and its growing movement towards globalization. Over the last 20
years since the introduction of a market economy, the national education system
has gradually improved in terms of quantity and quality. The current education
system developed through an eclectic approach, which drew upon the best
aspects from the education system of the colonial era, of the semi-royalist era,
and the revolutionary era. The system has also introduced ideas pertaining to
new education, drawing on lessons learned from experiences in other
countries. However, the education system still has not achieved an appropriate
balance between quantity and quality. In its development it has not directly follow
a national education strategy and it does not complement the current goals for
socio-economic development. In addition, the status of teachers and incentive
systems for them are still not sufficiently advanced to allow teachers to devote
themselves to effective teaching. It is therefore time to solve these problems by
reforming the national education system. Through the National Education System
Reform Strategy 2006-2015, an overall goal for education has been set,
directions and strategies have been established, and a plan for the
implementation of the Strategy has been prepared. In this way the Strategy aims
to gradually improve the national education system leading to better growth and
quality and moving the education system towards international standards. Overall
the Strategy aims to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country
over every five year period from 2010 until 2020.
The Goals of the National Education Reform Strategy 2006-2015
(1) Overall goals

Educational development is placed as the central task for human resources

development aiming for a better quality of education in order to contribute to the
transfer to industrialisation and modernity by gradually building the basic
fundamentals necessary to sustain socio-economic development. Educational
development should encourage behavior and attitudes within the nation, that take
as their foundation the scientific approach, friendliness towards others and
practices of modernity in order to gradually move towards regional and
international educational standards, as well as to be relevant to the actual
situation of the country.
Lao people should obtain full educational development including being good
citizens, being educated, knowledgeable, employed, capable, innovative,
creative, and enthusiastic about the development of the country; and in terms of
their personal development, having good health, living with integrity and
maintaining the revolutionary ideals of living a proper and upright life in order to
respond to the requirements for the development of the country in the new
millennium.
(2) Objectives of the National Education Reform Strategy 2006-2010 at each
level of education
1. Early childhood education/ pre-school level
Improve curricula, content and methodology of pre-service training and
enhance the early development of the individual child in the areas of
physical growth, cognitive development, creativity, thinking and speaking,
and appreciation of beauty in the natural world.
Expand the network of the model nursery and kindergartens and
attached nursery and kindergarten rooms at primary schools, especially in
rural remote areas.
Mobilize communities to build nurseries and kindergarten schools.
2. Primary education level

 Implement the five pillars of education: the intellectual, physical, artistic,

moral and labor ethics dimensions.
Establish cluster school networks in order to ensure that children 6
years of age or above are all enrolled in schools.
Train pupils in basic knowledge and vocational techniques.
Reform attitudes, learning approaches and creativity of pupils
Continue to achieve compulsory primary education
Train, recruit and allocate teachers based on the proposed plan
Change learning assessment methodology, in particular for the transition
to upper grades and levels of education Promote a desire to learn
amongst girls, ethnic groups and children from the poorest families
Supply school textbooks
3. Secondary education level
Implement the five pillars of education
Reform the general education curriculum by increasing the number of
years of schooling from 11 years (5+3+3) to 12 years (5+4+3)
Train pupils in basic knowledge and vocational techniques.
Reform attitudes, learning approaches and creativity of pupils
Train, recruit and allocate teachers based on the proposed plan
Change learning assessment methodology, in particular for the transition
to upper grades and levels of education
Promote a desire to learn amongst girls, ethnic groups and children from
the poorest families Supply school textbooks especially to mountainous,
rural and isolated areas.

4. Technical education and vocational training

Improve the quality of the education and training and see that it is closely
related to the modern world of work. The training received by secondary
school graduates, technical personnel and technicians should be relevant
to the needs of the economy and the labour market.
Encourage lower and upper secondary education graduates to enter
technical schools at different levels (beginning and medium) with targets
from 25,327 trainees in 2005 to 50,000 trainees by 2010.
Encourage the private education sector to establish vocational training
centres and technical schools in provinces where this is feasible. Promote
cooperation between the state and private sector production units.
Implement participatory practices in factories. Encourage government and
the private sector to set up technical and vocational training centres.
Expand technical and vocational schools in all provinces. By 2010 it is
expected that each province will have a technical school.
Persist in solving the problem of a lack of teachers and instructors and
as a minimum try to supply sufficient numbers of teachers and instructors
to meet the 8basic needs. Train and upgrade the capacity of teachers,
instructors and educational personnel.
Train technical staff relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country.
5. Higher education and university levels
Persist in solving the problem of a lack of teachers and instructors and
as a minimum try to supply sufficient numbers of teachers and instructors
to meet the basic needs. Train and upgrade the capacity of teachers,
instructors and educational personnel.
Train technical staff relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country.

 Upgrade the 5 Teacher Training Schools (TTSs) to Teacher Training

Colleges (TTCs). Some of the TTCs are able to run Bachelor of Education
(BEd) programmes in cooperation with the Faculty of Education, National
University of Laos.
Improve the quality of teaching and learning at the 3 universities aiming
to reach regional standards and enabling links with international
standards.
Increase the percentage of female ethnic tertiary students enrolled in
higher education courses and increase the tertiary student-population ratio
from 1,068:100,000 persons in 2005 to 1,140: 100,000 persons by 2010.
6. Non-formal Education
Develop non-formal education in such a way that it promotes community
participation in education, targeting life long learning opportunities for all
people based on their conditions and abilities.
Systematically develop policy, strategy and non-formal education
improvement plans.
Promote vocational and basic skill training for the community in order to
stimulate them to participate in on-the-job training and in informal
education.
Improve information communication technology systems for non-formal
education.
Carry out illiteracy eradication, especially in mountainous remote areas.
Conduct upgrading programs for the primary education level in order to
upgrade towards compulsory lower secondary education level aiming to
reach the following targets by 2020: reduce illiteracy rate for 15-24 yearolds reaching 90% literacy rate in 2010, as compared to 84% in 2005; for
15-40 year-olds reaching 87% literacy rate in 2010, compared to 79% in

2005; for the over 15 year-olds reaching 80% literacy rate, as compared to
73% in 2005; upgrade to a primary education level 38,000 adults in 2010
as compared to 31,600 people in 2005; continue to upgrade to a lower
secondary education level 2,500 adults in 2010, as compared to 1,860 in
2005; upgrade to upper secondary education level 5,000 adults in 2010,
as compared to 3,640 in 2005 and upgrade to basic vocational training
targeting 5,000 people in 2010 as compared to 3,000 people in 2005.
Review, revise, develop and produce sufficient national and local
curriculum and materials appropriate to the demands of the target groups.
Develop a standard training system for non-formal education personnel.
7. Inclusive education
Improve and promote inclusive education for disabled children.
Increase the enrollment of mentally and physically disabled children
reaching 3,075 in 2010, as compared to 2,700 in 2005.
Construct special schools for badly disabled children.
Build and equip facilities for inclusive education.
The prioritized government projects. In order to carry out education reform, the
education sector will focus on 4 prioritized government projects. These projects
are described below:
1. The National Education System Reform Strategy 2006-2010 will increase the
length of schooling in general education from 11 years (5+3+3) to 12 years
(5+4+3).
2. The Quality Improvement and Access Expansion Project consists of 2
programs - an access expansion program and a quality and relevance
improvement program, which are currently being implemented in the education
sector.

3. Problem Solving for Teachers and Instructors and Upgrading the Capacity of
Educational Administrators and Managers Project. This project is presently being
implemented through the Teacher Education Strategy 2006-2015 and Action Plan
2006-2010 (TESAP).
4. The expansion of technical schools and vocational training in all provinces
throughout the country, which is currently being implemented within the Technical
and Vocational Training Development Strategy of the education sector.
The Lao population of 4.9 million is ethnically and linguistically diverse. The
government has defined 49 ethnic groups, many having their own language.
School attendance, literacy, and other indicators of educational attainment vary
greatly among different ethnic groups. Census data from 1995 reveal that 23
percent of the Lao never went to school as compared with 34, 56, and 67 percent
for Phutai, Khmu, and Hmong. Among two of the smallest ethnic groups, 94
percent of the Kor and 96 percent of the Musir never attended school. The quality
of instruction tends to be poor, and nearly half of those who enter do not
complete the primary cycle.
Lao, the official and instructional language, is the first language of about 50
percent of the population. Children from homes where Lao is not spoken enter
schools with a significant handicap, a condition partly accounting for the high
dropout rate. Changing the language of instruction would be a complex problem;
however, steps can be taken by schools to assist non-Lao speaking pupils.
The rural quality of Laos implicates the provision of education as urbanization
facilitates educational delivery. It is more expensive to provide schools for each
small village than to build a smaller number of large schools in cities. These
rural-urban differences are even more significant for provision of secondary,
technical or vocational schools given the higher unit costs involved. The quantity
and quality of schooling are influenced by demographic structures and are highly
sensitive to the size of the school-age cohort.

The extremely young population of Lao PDR puts a heavy burden on schooling
and, at the same time, the high dependency ratio contributes to the low national
productivity. Large families force choices as to which children go to school,
tending to suppress female enrollments and indirectly reducing the number of
subsequent opportunities for girls in education and in the labor market.
The education system is evolving under severely constraining conditions of
inadequately prepared and poorly paid teachers, insufficient funding, shortages
of facilities, and often ineffective allocation of the limited resources available.
There is significant geographic, ethnic, gender and wealth disparities in the
distribution of educational services, and inequalities exist in every level of the
system.
Short-term process solution
Aide et Action (AEA) is trying to increase the education of the people in Laos, by
promoting access to school for the disadvantaged, improving the quality of
primary education and supporting and encouraging education programs for
children migrant and geographically inaccessible. AEA hopes to prevent the
exclusion and marginalization that is occurring throughout the country. AEA is
employing a two-prong approach to tackle this problem of low education levels in
Laos. On one hand, it is trying to lay some basic infrastructure, which can aid this
effort to increase the national education level and literacy rates. A couple of
libraries have been built and are operational.
On the other hand, AEA is training locals to be adequately qualified and skilled to
run and management libraries so as to be able to benefit from the libraries.
School headmasters have been trained on school management, and teachers
have been trained to use of the preprimary education project curriculum, class
facilitation and on early childhood education and care, in a pilot phase to promote
reading and preprimary education in Laos.
Though AEA is trying to help in Laos, it has been careful and has entailed the
cooperation of local organizations, such as the Ministry of Education. This is

essential, as AEA being an international organization most probably would not be

well-versed in the local culture and procedures. Hence, by being involved in joint
efforts with local organizations, it enables AEA to reach areas and people that it
otherwise would not have reached. This makes the projects more effective

C. Transportation Sector
Laos has witnessed a steady growth in the transportation sector along with
greater connectivity in the region following the governments enormous
investment in the development of infrastructure. The road networks in Laos now
extends to a total of 43,600 kilometres in total across the country in 2013, which
is an expansion of more than 7 percent compared with the previous year.
According to a report from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport 6,496
kilometres of the road throughout the country is not paved. The volume of goods
transport is growing by between 5-8 percent per year, while the volume of
passenger transport grows between 8-10 percent yearly. In 2012 goods transport
via water routes reached 923,000 tonnes, which is a growth rate of 11.6 percent
compared to 2011. However, the transport of passengers on water routes
dropped 11.7 percent to 1.9 million people in 2012. In order to boost water
transport, the ministry is working towards maintaining a water route along the
Mekong River from the border area shared by Laos, China and Myanmar. The
333 kilometre distance allows cargo ships as heavy as 150 tonnes to sail
throughout the year. Markers have been put along the route to help with the
navigation of cargo ships. Air transport has gained remarkable progress and
achievements over the recent years. The air transport sector has generated
steady and increasing revenue for the state budget. It brought in revenue of
US$42.43 million for the 2012-13 financial year, marking an increase of 56.39
percent compared with the 2007-08 fiscal year when only US$27.13 million was
earned. The number of air transport passengers grew by 15 percent in 2012
compared with 2011 while air transport of cargo and other goods grew by only

8.78 percent. It was reported previously that national carrier Lao Airlines
recorded significant increases in passenger numbers in recent years. In 2010,
Lao Airlines carried approximately 500,000 passengers but in 2012 the figure
jumped to around 900,000. Laos has signed bilateral agreements on air transport
with eight Asean countries. The only country with which it is yet to sign an
agreement with is the Philippines. Similar agreements have been signed with
Hong Kong, Macao, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and
the United States. The Lao government is currently negotiating agreements with
Japan, Australia, France, Iceland, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Qatar, and the United
Kingdom. Laos also plans to amend its agreements on air transport with China,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Beside the bilateral agreements,
Laos has signed a multilateral agreement on air transport with Cambodia,
Myanmar and Vietnam. ASEAN is preparing an Action Plan for open skies by
2015 when the ASEAN economic community is due to be established. This will
be done under the ASEAN air transport agreement. According to the report,
ASEAN has also signed a master agreement on air transport with China. The
next project sees Laos seeking finance to construct a US$7 billion railway line
which will link Vientiane to the Chinese border.
Because of its mountainous topography and lack of development, Laos
has few reliable transportation routes. This inaccessibility has historically limited
the ability of any government to maintain a presence in areas distant from the
national or provincial capitals and has limited interchange and communication
among villages and ethnic groups.
The Mekong and Nam Ou are the only natural channels suitable for large-draft
boat transportation, and from December through May low water limits the size of
the draft that may be used over many routes. Laotians in lowland villages located
on the banks of smaller rivers have traditionally traveled in pirogues for fishing,
trading, and visiting up and down the river for limited distances.

Otherwise, travel is by ox-cart over level terrain or by foot. The steep mountains
and lack of roads have caused upland ethnic groups to rely entirely on pack
baskets and horse packing for transportation.The road system is not extensive. A
rudimentary network begun under French colonial rule and continued from the
1950s has provided an important means of increased intervillage communication,
movement of market goods, and a focus for new settlements. In mid-1994, travel
in most areas was difficult and expensive, and most Laotians traveled only
limited distances, if at all. As a result of ongoing improvements in the road
system started during the early 1990s, it is expected that in the future villagers
will more easily be able to seek medical care, send children to schools at district
centers, and work outside the village. In Laos, there are 21,716 km of highway, of
which 9,673.5 km are paved, leaving 12,042.5 km unpaved. Driving in Laos is on
the right. Laos has constructed a new highway connecting Savannakhet to the
Vietnamese border at Lao Bao, with funding coming from the Japanese
government [1]. This has greatly facilitated travelling across Laos. This highway
can now be traversed in a few hours, while in 2002 the trip took over 9 hours
along a very bumpy (and scenic) route. Laos is connected across the Mekong to
Thailand by First and Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges. Vientiane is linked to
Udon Thani using the First Friendship Bridge. TheThird Thai-Lao Friendship
Bridge began construction in March 2009 linking Nakhon Phanom province in
northeastern Thailand and Khammouan province in Laos. It was completed on
November 11, 2011. Laos opened a highway connection to Kunming in April
2008. The Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is under construction and is hoped
to be completed by December 2012 linking Kunming to Bokeo, Laos and Chiang
Rai. It will reduce the travel time to 5 hours. This is a cooperation between
Thailand, China and Laos.

D. Health Sector

Health is closely linked with war, peace, social stability and security, linked with
poverty, hunger, malnutrition (stunting, underweight), preventable morbidity,
stamina to work and education, illiteracy or level of education, superstition and
health risky lifestyle.
In the conditions of globalization and international integration, in the condition of
market economy under the leadership and the management of the Government,
the climate warming has facilitated the emergence or reemergence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, avian influenza, mad cow
disease etc..... Health is also linked with the healthy growth of socio-economic
development in the country since the development has changed peoples lifestyle
in both better and worse ways. For instance of the negative way of lifestyle:
smoking, illicit drug abuse, over alcohol drinking related accidents, physical
inactivity leading to diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke,
contaminated food and cancer. The international and regional integration has
increased threats to health, to food and drug safety at the higher level.
The Specific Directions of the Laos Health Sector:
Strengthening the Health system: Improve health services quality focusing on
diminishing the rate of mother and child mortality by strongly exploring domestic
potential and using existing capacity (human resources, infrastructures, science
and technology capacity, equipment and drug etc.), by dispatching quality
services to regional, mountainous and remote areas using Primary Health Care
approach as a basis of developing Model Healthy Villages within the framework
of the village development and development of strategic groups of villages. This
is the spearhead for poverty and superstition eradication and improvement of the
population quality of life by focusing especially on nutrition activity.
Improve quality and expand the health service capacity:
(human resource development on political ideology, knowledge and capacity,
ethics, interpersonal skill and expertise; infrastructure development for disease
prevention-epidemiology,

patient

examination,

diagnosis,

treatment,

resuscitation, rehabilitation; infrastructure for staff training and for health

research....), improvement health production force(pharmaceutical factories,

modern traditional medicinal research centre, traditional medicine factory,
companies and small factories in provinces...) along with an improvement of
service(property right, management and distribution) to make it appropriate, good
coverage, complete and strongly in quality in line with the key direction to turn
health service down to population.
The following are the common problems in Health of the Laos Population:
Malaria
In the first malaria eradication program between 195660, DDT was sprayed
over much of the country. Since 1975 the government has steadily increased its
activities to eradicate malaria. The Ministry of Public Health operates provincial
stations to monitor and combat malaria through diagnosis and treatment.
Prevention measures involve chemical prophylaxis to high-risk groups,
elimination of mosquito breeding sites, and promotion of individual protection.
The campaign has had some success: the ministry reported a decline in the
infected population from 26 percent to 15 percent between 1975 and 1990.
Diarrheal diseases
As of 1993, diarrheal diseases were also common, with regular outbreaks
occurring annually at the beginning of the rainy season when drinking water is
contaminated by human and animal wastes washing down hillsides. Only a few
rural households have pit or water seal toilets, and people commonly relieve
themselves in the brush or forested areas surrounding each village. For children
in these villages, many of whom are chronically undernourished, acute or chronic
diarrhea is life-threatening because it results in dehydration and can precipitate
severe malnutrition.
Nutrition
Although nutrition appears to be marginal in the general population, health
surveys are of varying quality. Some data indicate that stuntinglow height for
agein the under-five population ranged from 2 to 35 percent, while wasting
low weight for heightprobably does not exceed 10 percent of the under-five

population. These figures reflect village diets based predominantly on rice, with
vegetables as a common accompaniment and animal proteinfish, chicken, and
wild foodseaten irregularly. Children aged six months to two yearsthe
weaning periodare particularly susceptible to undernutrition. The nutritional
status of adults is related closely to what is being grown on the family farm, as
well as to dietary habits. For example, fresh vegetables and fruits are not highly
valued and therefore are not consumed in adequate amounts. As a result, it is
likely that vitamin A, iron, and calcium deficiencies are common in all parts of the
country.
Common Infection and safety
As Western and European medical industries reported so much, the environment
in Laos has infectious issues even now.[2] The government state newspaper
"Vientiane times" tells that Laos government launch improvement plans of water
and foods quality. The travel guide "Lonely Planet" also describes this social
reality in their books. However, it is not definitely found in the Laos tourism
market materials.
Laos is also the place where Thais leak dumped products which failed the quality
test for finished foods and deal with it there. Even though Barack Obama
released Laos from economic blacklist, this situations are being left on the whole
Laos areas.
HIV/AIDS
Permissive attitudes of Laotian men toward sex and prostitution facilitated the
transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the 1980s and
1990s, making HIV infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) a
growing concern. In 1992 a focused sample of about 7,600 urban residents
identified one AIDS case and fourteen persons who tested HIV positive. No other
statistics were available as of mid-1994.
Maternal and Child Health Care

In June 2011, the United Nations Population Fund released a report on The State
of the World's Midwifery. It contained new data on the midwifery workforce and
policies relating to newborn and maternal mortality for 58 countries. The 2010
maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Lao People's Democratic Republic
is 580. This is compared with 339.2 in 2008 and 1215.4 in 1990.
The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 61 and the neonatal mortality as a
percentage of under 5's mortality is 38. The aim of this report is to highlight ways
in which theMillennium Development Goals can be achieved, particularly Goal 4
Reduce child mortality and Goal 5 improve maternal death. In Lao People's
Democratic Republic the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 2 and the
lifetime risk of death for pregnant women 1 in 49.
Health Infrastractures
Despite government promises that the urban-oriented health system inherited
from the RLG would be expanded to support rural primary health care and
preventative programs, little money had been allocated to the health sector as of
1993. According to figures from 1988, less than 5 percent of the total government
budget was targeted for health, with the result that the Ministry of Public Health
was unable to establish a management and planning system to facilitate the
changes envisioned. UNICEF considered the effort to construct a primary health
care system to have failed entirely.
Official statistics identified hospitals in fifteen of the sixteen provinces, plus
several in Vientiane, and clinics in 110 districts and more than 1,000 tasseng
(subdistrictssee Glossary). In reality, most subdistrict clinics are unstaffed,
unequipped, and unsupplied, and in 1989 only twenty of the district clinics
actually provided services. The physical condition of the facilities is poor, with
clean water and latrines unavailable at most health posts, and electricity
unavailable at 85 percent of district clinics, rendering vaccine storage impossible.
Drugs and equipment stored in the central warehouses are seldom distributed to
outlying provinces, and in most situations, patients had to purchase Western

pharmaceuticals from private pharmacies that imported stock from Thailand or

Vietnam.
The number of health care personnel has been increasing since 1975, and in
1990 the ministry reported 1,095 physicians, 3,313 medical assistants, and 8,143
nurses. Most personnel are concentrated in the Vientiane area, where the
population per physician ratio (1,400 to one) is more than ten times higher than in
the provinces. In 1989 the national ratio was 2.6 physicians per 10,000 persons.
Training medical personnel at all levels emphasizes theory at the expense of
practical skills and relies on curricula similar to those used prior to 1975.
International foreign aid donors supported plans for a school of public health, and
texts were written and published in Lao. As of 1990, however, the school did not
exist, because of delays in approval of its structure and difficulties in finding
trainers with the appropriate background.[6]
Rural and provincial health personnel work under conditions similar to their
counterparts in education: salaries are low and seldom paid on time, necessary
equipment and supplies are unavailable, and superiors offer little supervision or
encouragement. In these circumstances, morale is low, job attendance sporadic,
and most health care ineffectual. In general, the population has little confidence
in the health care sector, although some village medics and a few district or
provincial hospitals are respected by their communities.
Use of traditional medical practitioners remains important in urban as well as
rural locations. Healers who know how to use medicinal plants are often
consulted for common illnesses. The Institute of Traditional Medicine of the
Ministry of Public Health formulated and marketed a number of preparations from
medicinal plants. Spirit healers are also important for many groups, in some
cases using medicinal plants but often relying on rituals to identify a disease and
effect a cure. Many Laotians found no contradiction in consulting both spirit
curers and Western-trained medical personnel.

In the absence of a widespread system of health workers, local shops selling

drugs became an important source of medicines and offered advice on
prescriptions. However, these pharmacies are unregulated and their owners
unlicensed. As a consequence, misprescription is common, both of inappropriate
drugs and incorrect dosages. In rural areas, vendors commonly make up small
packets of drugstypically including an antibiotic, several vitamins, and a fever
suppressantand sell them as single-dose cures for a variety of ailments.
E. Population Sector
The current population statistics of Laos are Population growth rate: 1.63
percent (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 74; Birth rate: 25.23
births/1,000 population (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 57; Death
rate: 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.); country comparison to the world:
107; Net migration rate: -1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.); country
comparison to the world: 148. [Source: CIA World Factbook ++]
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24
years: 0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: 0.96
male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female; total population: 0.99
male(s)/female (2013 est.) ++
Total fertility rate: 2.98 children born/woman (2013 est.); country comparison to
the world: 60. The total fertility rate in the Laos is one of the highest in South East
Asia, on average 3.5 children per woman (2005-2010). In rural areas the total
fertility rate has been close to 5 and in urban areas its around 3 children per
woman, but this has recently begun to decrease.
Birth control techniques were not generally available to the population before the
late 1980s, although there was limited use of oral contraceptives from the late
1960s through 1975. The government took a pronatalist stance, believing that the
country was underpopulated. In the 1990s fertility rates were consistently high

from ages twenty through forty, reflecting a lack of contraceptive use. Each
woman bore an average of 6.8 children.
Couples and individuals had the right to decide the number, spacing, and timing
of children, and had the information and means to do so free from discrimination.
Access to information on contraception was generally available; however,
contraception was not widely available in rural areas and was often financially out
of reach. The UN Population Fund estimated the maternal mortality ratio to be
660 deaths per 100,000 live births. Deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth
were the number one cause of death for women of reproductive age. Very few
women had access to skilled birth attendants and very few medical centers were
equipped to deal with complicated births, especially in small, nomadic, and ethnic
villages. Antenatal care remained low. [Source: 2010 Human Rights Report:
Laos, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. State Department,
April 8, 2011]
Because high fertility and poor nutrition contributed to the poor health of women
and high infant and child mortality, the Federation of Women's Union since the
late 1980s has advocated a policy of birth spacing to improve the health of
women and their children. Official prohibitions on contraceptive technology were
relaxed, but use of contraception was still low as of mid-1994 and virtually
nonexistent in villages distant from provincial capitals or the Thai border.
Regional differences in birth rates as of late 1988--forty per 1,000 in Vientiane
and Bolikhamxai provinces versus forty-eight per 1,000 in other provinces-reflected uneven access to contraception.
Resolution of the Lao PDR Government on National Population and
Development Policy (Adopted by the Government Meeting May, 1999 which held
from 3 to 4 June 1999)
Part I - Background on Population and Development Issues in the Lao PDR

Many countries of the world, especially the developing countries, view population
issues with the utmost urgency. High rate of population growth hampers the
development of various sectors. Population change in many countries depends
to a large degree on the formulation and implementation of national population
policies.
In this regard, governments must take into account the formulation of policies for
both quantitative and qualitative change of the population, as this is considered
an important policy along with other sectoral development policies.
The 1995 Population Census of the Lao PDR puts the population at 4.6 million
inhabitants. When compared to land area, it still shows a low density of 19.3
persons per square kilometer. However, it has a young age structure with 44 per
cent of the population under 15 years of age, and 52 per cent in the working
age~. This represents an important potential for the country's development if this
human resource can be fully developed.
The 1995 Population Census of the Lao PDR puts the population at 4.6 million
inhabitants. When compared to land area, it still shows a low density of 19.3
persons per square kilometer. However, it has a young age structure with 44 per
cent of the population under 15 years of age, and 52 per cent in the working
ages. This represents an important potential for the country's development if this
human resource can be fully developed.
The Lao PDR faces several problems relating to population. The average life
expectancy at birth is only 51 years; the infant mortality rate (IMR) is 104 per
1,000 live births; the mortality rate in children under 5 years of age (CMR) is 170
per 1,000 live births; and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of women during
their reproductive years is 656 per 100,000 live births. In addition, the total fertility
rate (TFR) is high at 5.6 children per woman. These factors constitute major
obstacles to the development of women, and childhood malnutrition and poor

health contribute to the very high mortality rate in children under five years of
age.
Children between 5 to 9 years of age constitute 15.2 per cent of the total
population, and this requires a substantial investment in primary school
education. However, the net primary school enrollment rate is only 76 per cent,
and the literacy rate is 72.5 per cent. These constraints limit human resource
development.
The average annual rate of population growth is 2.5 per cent. At this rate of
population growth, the Lao population is expected to increase to 5.2 million by
the year 2000; to 6.8 million by the year 2010, and to 8.7 million by the year
2020. Continuing growth of population will require sufficient food, public services,
including education and health- care, and progress in other sectors to meet the
populations' needs.
The Central Executive Committee's Report to the Sixth Party Congress in 1996
stated that, "the Population Policy shall be actively implemented in order to make
the population growth correspond to economic growth. Upgrade the knowledge
level and hygiene concepts of the population; train professional labor and staff to
meet the urgent demand of national development; solve social problems along
with economic development, and to gradually foster civil society and justice ".
The Government's 1991-95 Medium-Term Development Policy and Investment
Programme also recognized the adverse consequences of high fertility on the
health of Lao women and children, as well as on the economic wellbeing of the
family. It further stated that a large number of children poses severe health
problems for Lao women and locks them in a cycle of poverty and poor health;
hinders their participation in socio- economic development and creates health
problems for their children as well. Thus, the situation calls for measures to
reduce the fertility rate, and enable women to participate in development and
improve their own, as well their children's well-being.

Articles 24 and 27 of the Lao PDR Constitution state that both females and males
have equal rights in political, economic, cultural and social fields; and family
affairs. Lao citizens have the freedom of settlement and movement as provided
by law. Therefore, attention should be paid to both equity and development.
Women and minorities should receive equal treatment in terms of legal rights,
economic and social opportunities.
To reduce urban congestion and rural depopulation, the 1996-2000 SocioEconomic Development Plan introduced a policy to create Priority Rural
Integrated Development Areas (PRDA). This plan provides for the creation of
conditions for sustainable development in the Lao PDR; for access to land and
water sources, improvement of rural infrastructure and social services and
making financial services available in rural areas.
The National Birth Spacing Policy was adopted in 1995. The document
recognized the importance of population policy in achieving development
objectives and stated that the Government is aware of the important linkage
between population growth and economic development and realizes the
importance of incorporating population issues into national development
planning. To improve maternal and child health and the quality of family life, the
policy recommended that the number of children born to a woman should not be
so large as to impair the health of the mother and place her at high risk for
adverse outcomes. So far, family planning services are available as a means of
child spacing for health reasons and for the overall reduction of maternal and
infant morbidity and mortality.
I.Objective and Goals of the National Population and Development Policy of Lao
PDR.
1.General Objectives
1.1. Enable the people of the Lao PDR, specifically couples, to reasonably and
responsibly determine the number and spacing of their children taking into

account their own social and economic conditions, with a view to improving their
quality of life and ensuring that the country's population growth is compatible with
its level of socio-economic development.
1.2. Promote a balanced distribution of population between rural and urban areas
and between the different regions of the country, while at the same time,
guaranteeing the free movement of people within the country.
1.3. Promote the development of the nation's human resources and their full
utilization in socio-economic development with the aim to reduce poverty;
especially among the minority populations.
2.Policy Goals
To attain the above-mentioned objectives the following policy goals will be
pursued:
2.1. Support measures to promote the achievement of a rate of population
growth

compatible

with

socio-economic

development

and

employment

opportunities available within the country.

2.2. Motivate and assist the people to improve their quality of life by ensuring
safe motherhood, reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality associated
with conditions of the reproductive system, and enable couples to responsibly
decide the number and spacing of their children taking into account their own
social and economic conditions.
2.3. Improve the status of women and the ethnic populations by improving
access to education, health, social welfare and socio-economic development.
2.4. Promote a balanced distribution of population between rural and urban areas
and between different parts of the country in order to preserve the country's
environment, with the view to ensure sustainable development.

2.5. Promote and facilitate the incorporation of population factors and concerns
into all social and economic policies, plans and programs, through support for
data collection and research on population and development issues while
simultaneously upgrading the nation's institutional and technical capacities in the
fields of population and development.
II. Specific Objective and Implementation
1. Reproductive Health
1.1 Specific Objectives:
Extend primary health care, reproductive health and family planning services to
all areas of the country; especially to the rural areas, in order to reduce:

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) for women during their reproductive
age from 656 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1993, to:

490/100,000 live births in the year 2000

250/100,000 live births in the year 2010

130/100,000 live births in the year 2020

The infant mortality rate (IMR) from 104/1,000 live births in 1995,to:

85/1,000 live births in the year 2000

40/1,000 live births in the year 2010

20/1,000 live births in the year 2020

The under 5 years of age mortality rate (CMR) from 170/1,000 live births
in 1995, to:

127/1,000 live births in the year 2000

60/1,000 live births in the year 2010

30/1,000 live births in the year 2020

The total fertility rate (TFR) from 5.6 children per woman in 1995, to:

4.5 children per woman in the year 2000

3.5 children per woman in the year 2010

3.0 children per woman in the year 2020

Simultaneously, take measures to increase the contraceptive prevalence

rate from 3 per cent in 1994, to:

25-30 per cent in the year 2000

50-55 per cent in the year 2010

60-65 per cent in the year 2020

Increase access to information and services by encouraging the private sector

and local communities to participate in primary health care, family planning and
reproductive health training; especially in rural areas, in order to enable people to
appreciate the importance of spacing births for at least 2 to 3 years. At the same
time let people determine the size of the family that is suitable to their own social
and economic conditions. The ideal is 2-4 children for a mother.
Provide adolescents with reproductive health and sexuality education.
Take effective measures to reduce unwanted and early pregnancies for women
under 18 years of age. At the same time, promote education of adolescent and

young adults about preventing the transmission of Sexually Transmitted

Diseases (STDs); including HIV/AIDS.
1.2 Implementation:
Reproductive health and family planning services

Increase reproductive health services, especially family planning services

including the prevention of Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs), STDs and
HIV/AIDS, through implementation of a nationwide primary health care
network.

Increase the number of well-equipped birth-spacing service centers,

mobile clinic units and village health volunteers to provide services and
counseling to people throughout the country.

Broaden the range of safe and effective contraceptive methods, in

accordance with Government policies, enabling couples to make choices
appropriate to their needs.

Increase the number and quality of all categories of health personnel in

order to provide adequate primary health care, birth spacing methods and
reproductive health services at all levels: central, provincial, district and
village.

Extend health services to local areas by encouraging participation of the

private sector and local communities.

Provide Knowledge on Population and Reproductive Health through Information,

Education and Communication (IEC) activities.

Expand mass media coverage throughout the country using radio,

television, newspapers, posters, videos, etc., to provide information on
primary health care, contraceptive methods and reproductive health.

Promote small family size through campaigns that emphasise the benefits
it provides to couples. Educate the population about at-risk pregnancies,
especially for women in the early or late states of their reproductive lifecycle.

Incorporate primary health care, reproductive health and sexuality

education into the curricula of formal and non-formal education. Through
the mass organizations, teachers training colleges and higher vocational
institutions, enable people throughout the country, especially adolescents
and young adults, to be aware of and understand these issues correctly.

Take measures to provide information on reproductive health and family

planning via the mass media, such as posters, booklets, newspapers, etc.,
to schools and various educational institutions.

2.Improve the Status of Women and Children

2.1 Specific Objectives:
Improve the status of women in socio-economic development to attain the
following specific objectives:

Increase the literacy rate of women over 15-years of age from 48 per cent
in 1995, to:

60 per cent in the year 2000

75 per cent in the year 2010

85 per cent in the year 2020

Increase the net school enrolment rate of primary-school-aged girls, from

68 per cent in 1995, to:

75 per cent in the year 2000

89 per cent in the year 2010

95 per cent in the year 2020

Increase the enrolment rate of secondary-school-aged girls from 28 per

cent in 1995, to:

35 per cent in the year 2000

55 per cent in the year 2010

74 per cent in the year 2020

Increase employment opportunities for women in various sectors.

2.1 Implementation:
To attain the above specific objectives the following activities should be
implemented:

Upgrade the capacity of the Lao Women's Union, the National Front for
Construction, the Federation of Lao Trade Unions and the Lao Youth
Union to incorporate gender issues into their own policies, plans,
programmes and activities.

Encourage all sectoral ministries to utilize data on gender in their sectoral

policies, plans, and programmes.

Undertake gender related research and data collection to evaluate and

recommend effective policies and strategies to address women and
development issues.

Review, and where necessary, revise or abolish laws and regulations that
are inconsistent with the improvement of women's status, or their full
participation in socio-economic development.

Take

measures

to

educate

women

to

understand

their

rights

Simultaneously, make efforts to educate men about women's rights and

the importance of sharing family responsibilities.

Promote equality in roles between men and women in decision making

concerning the family and the development of society.

Study and research the causes of high school 'drop-out' rates among girls
and boys and take appropriate measures to resolve the causes.

3. Status of Ethnic Populations

To reduce socio-economic disparities between different minorities, measures will
be taken to provide opportunities for education, health care and other social
services throughout the country.
3.1. Encourage data collection and research activities on the socio-economic
conditions of ethnic populations and their cultural dimensions to increase the
availability of information to use in planning, policy making, program
implementation and monitoring.
3.2. Organise campaigns in order to encourage various ethnic populations to
send their girl children to school and keep them longer in the school system, and
on the importance to at least complete primary education.
3.3. Take measures to enable ethnic populations to access reproductive health
and primary health care services.
3.4. Encourage Mass Organizations such as the Lao Women's Union, the Lao
Front for National Construction, the Lao Youth Union and other organizations to

participate in IEC activities on population and development issues for ethnic

populations.
4.Economic Development
Accelerate overall economic growth to absorb the country's labor force, which is
growing at the rate of 2.6 per cent annually, and which is expected to rise to 3 per
cent in the year 2020. Create educational and employment opportunities in the
rural areas in order to reduce the flow of population from rural to urban areas.
4.1. Accelerate rural development and promote the development of more stable
employment within rural areas in order to reduce the degree of seasonal and
permanent movement from rural to urban areas.
4.2. Expand investment in social and economic services in rural areas to provide
jobs and social services for a wider population base.
4.3. Expand and encourage the ownership of land in rural areas suitable for
agricultural production and encourage permanent settlement to these areas in
order to prevent a reduction in productive areas.
4.4. Give priority to investment in human resources development in development
strategies. Pay special attention to provide information, education, skills,
development and employment opportunities for the population.
4.5. Create the necessary technical and institutional conditions to integrate
demographic, gender and environmental factors and concerns into social and
economic development planning and policy-making processes. This includes
capacity building in the State Planning Committee and sectoral ministries to
integrate population factors in their development planning, and regular collect
information on population and development.
5.Data Collection

Support data collection and research on population, especially the research

necessary for more effective formulation of policies, planning, programmes and
implementation of population activities.
5.1. Improve existing institutions/universities or, if necessary, set up a new
institute for population research and development; for policy and strategy
formulation; monitoring and evaluation, as well as provide training, education and
research population.
5.2. Improve data collection, management and analysis systems at the central
and local level in order to increase the efficiency of monitoring and assessment
of population activities.
5.3. Increase the number of training courses in population studies within and
outside the country in order to build national capacity in demographic data
collection, analysis and research on population.
Part III - Implementation of National Population and Development Policy of the
Lao PDR.
1.

The State Planning Committee introduce the National Population and

Development Policy uniformly throughout the country and coordinates with

various agencies in the formulation of plans, programs, projects and activities
related to population.
2.

Ministries, ministerial level organizations, provinces, municipalities and

special zones are the key organizations to successfully implement the National
Population and Development Policy.

F. Social Attitudes and Values

Laos developed its culture and customs as the inland crossroads of trade and
migration in Southeast Asia over millennia. As of 2012 Laos has a population of
roughly 6.4 million spread over 236,800 km 2 (91,400 sq miles), yielding one of
the lowest population densities in Asia. Yet the country of Laos has an official
count of over forty-seven ethnicities divided into 149 sub-groups and 80 different
languages. The Lao Loum have throughout the countrys history comprised the
ethnic and linguistic majority. In Southeast Asia, traditional Lao culture is
considered one of the Indic cultures (along with Burma, Thailand and Cambodia).
Laos is geographically isolated and mountainous, bounded by the Annamite
Range in the east, forming a traditional political and cultural boundary
with Vietnam (a more Chinese influenced Sinitic culture). Much of the western
borders of Laos are formed by theMekong River which provided the major means
of inland trade despite limited navigability along the rivers length. Prior to the
20th century Lao principalities and the Kingdom of Lan Xang extended to
the Sipsong

Panna (China), Sipsong

Chau

Tai (Vietnam),

andKhorat

Plateau (today the northeast of Thailand) where the river was used as a
transportation artery to connect Lao peoples on both the right and left banks.
However, the political history of Laos has been complicated by frequent warfare
and colonial conquests by European and regional rivals. As a result, Laos today
has

cultural

from France, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Burma andCambodia.

influence
The

history

of

Laos is unique with a national character defined by its diversity in both culture
and customs.
Lao social status places an emphasis on respect for elders; religious images and
clergy; family and village authority; and the Buddhist concept of dharma which
emphasizes

personal

moral

duty. Buddhist principles

encourage

stoic

indifference and quiet reserve in dealing with disagreements. However, Lao

people also have a strong concept of muan or happy contentment which
encourages actions to not be taken too seriously or too quickly.

The family unit is the basis of much social interaction, as such it is common for
Lao to refer to each other using familiar cognatessuch as sister, brother, aunt or
uncle without an actual family tie to that person. Friendship falls between two
categories, moo linhplay friends are acquaintances and moo tai die friends
who are considered as family. It is not uncommon or even considered rude
for moo tai to show up unannounced for an extended stay, or to share personal
possessions. Personal face-to-face contact is considered the most polite, and
Western notions of invitations, letters and emails are viewed as foreign.
Traditional Lao are conservative about their appearance and personal space. Lao
people are also generally sensitive about physical contact. The head is
considered as sacred, whereas the left hand and feet are ritually unclean. In
keeping with social status it is expected that younger people slightly bow or keep
their heads lower than elders or clergy. Except among a parent child relationship
it is considered condescending to touch a Lao persons head. Pointing with the
hands or fingers is also insulting especially during a disagreement. Positioning of
feet is highly important. Feet should never be pointed toward a Buddha image,
member of the clergy, or elders. Shoes should always be removed when entering
a temple or a Lao home or will give serious offence.
The typical Lao greeting is the nop which is similar to the wai in Thailand or
the satu in Cambodia, and is based on the Indic Ajali Mudr. In a nop the hands
are clasped together upright in a prayerful position, with fingertips below the nose
and a slight downward gaze. The nop is often accompanied with the greeting
"Sabaidee" or good health (to you) and is considered the polite address for
members of higher social status.
Special social attention is paid to monks and religious items. Touching
a Buddha image

or animist shrine

is

always

offensive.

Lao

people

will

generally nop and kneel when approached by passing monks. In respect for the
monastic vows, it is considered an offence for women to touch a monk, his robes,
or to hand anything to a monk directly. In many instances a male friend or family

member will be used as an intermediary or lacking that a plate or some other

item will be used and then placed on the ground for the monk to use. However,
compassion is the guiding principle in such interactions and the exception is up
to the monk to determine.
Lao social etiquette is extremely complex, and much of it may go unnoticed by a
non-Lao. In the past it was not uncommon for rule books (dtumla) which
thoroughly explained social interactions, timing, and which activities which should
be undertaken at key times to be used.

The Developmental Promises of Economics in Laos

Development Economics
Prof. Manolito G. San Jose
Submitted By:
Dadula, Gerald M.
De Guzman, Audrey Mae B.
Decena, Carlo Martin A.
Dela Cruz, Mark Arjay M.
Dino, Patric Kane J.
Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in Social Studies 3-1N
January 2015