Government
System of government
UNFC proposes more negotiations prior to Suu Kyi meeting
The United Nationalities Federal Council, an alliance of nine ethnic armed groups, has told Burma’s peace delegation that it would like to hold additional talks with lead negotiator Dr. Tin Myo Win before meeting State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. Tun Zaw, the secretary of the ...
Amid turmoil, EU calls for review of aid to Cambodia
The European Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution accusing the Cambodian government of laying politically motivated charges against the opposition and calling for aid cuts if its respect for human rights fails to improve—a loud echo of a resolution it passed just six months ago. “Today, ...
Laos enjoys political stability, strong economic growth, parliament told
Mr. Thongsing was summarising the government’s performance under his leadership over the past five years from 2011-2015 at the inaugural session of the NA’s 8th Legislature, which opened on 20 April. He told the session that the government had placed great importance on the development of ...
Index stresses risk of violence
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party’s (CPP) popularity will continue to wane, and change is on the horizon for Cambodia, although that change could be violent, according to the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) 2016 report. The BTI has been published every two years since 2006, monitoring countries’ progress ...
Four million people to vote in National Assembly election
Some four million citizens out of Laos’ population of about 6.4 million are eligible to vote in the upcoming election of members of the National Assembly (NA)’s Eighth Legislature. The National Election Committee (NCE) made the announcement on 22 February when briefing the media about the progress ...
Lao people fighting for change 'deserve better than silence'
Anne-Sophie Gindroz, a former Swiss humanitarian worker in Laos, observed forced displacement and evictions of rural populations to make way for dams and other controversial infrastructure and plantation projects in the impoverished Southeast Asian country. Gindroz, who was the country director for Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, ...
Conservatives still call the shots in Vietnam and Laos
Vietnam and Laos, the only Communist regimes in South-east Asia, inducted new leadership this past week through party congresses. Changes in both cases saw conservatives prevail. The relatively secretive Lao People’s Revolutionary Party which runs Laos – which is chairman of the 10-nation Asean this year – chose Mr ...
Vietnam congress ‘not likely to affect Cambodia ties’
As Vietnam’s Communist Party continues its weeklong congress to choose its general secretary, experts and analysts said the outcome would likely do little to change the historically close relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam’s ruling parties. Early media reports indicate that Nguyen Phu Trong will run for ...
Lao congress sets course for exit from LDC status
Ensuring that Laos graduates from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in five years’ time has been the focus of discussion at the 10th Party Congress, a Party leader has said. Party Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Somsavat Lengsavad highlighted this fact when speaking to ...
Party leader proud of accomplishments
Despite rapid and complex changes in the world, Laos has been able to accomplish its socio-economic development plans over the past five years (2011-15) under the leadership of the Party. Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Laos, Mr Choummaly Sayasone, ...