Laos (view map)

Laos is a small landlocked country in Asia bordered by Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand and Vietnam. The country is one of the least developed in east Asia and has a population of approximately 5.8 million people with 30.7% living below the poverty line. Its mountainous terrain is covered by largely unspoilt tropical forest with only 5 per cent suitable to subsistence farming which provides 80 per cent of the country’s employment.

Laos was badly affected by the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and is still dependent on the international community for aid. There is very limited infrastructure, including restricted access to clean water. The majority of the population rely on subsistence agriculture, in particular rice, and rural poverty is high. Life expectancy is 58 years and HIV/AIDS infection rates are slowly increasing. The human rights record in Laos is an area of concern in relation to political prisoners and capital punishment still exists.

Laos gained independence from France in 1953. It was then ruled by the Laos monarchy until the early 1970s when the country became involved in the conflict in neighbouring Vietnam. In 1975 the monarchy was abolished and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) proclaimed the country the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The LPRP introduced an autocratic Communist regime which put in place socialist reforms. However, when in 1979, the country faced food shortages, the government allowed some private enterprise to be introduced and further market reforms have taken place since then. The country is one the world’s few remaining Communist states and in June 2006 Choummaly Sayasone became the new President.

SCIAF has been supporting organisations in Laos for more than 20 years and currently focuses its work on helping local partners with sustainable community development and civil society development. In 2006/07 SCIAF provided grants of £30,000 to two organisations in Laos.