CONTEXTS - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 414

and would attempt to contain the fallout from “socially evil outside influences”, in part by
appealing to traditional Lao values.
Economic reforms, with the accompanying social problems, increased official corruption
and growing income disparity, represented a great challenge to internal order in the eyes of
the party. The party clung to this view despite the fact that in the mid-1990s and again in the
first few years of the new millennium, there was a slight upswing in insurgent activities, re-
portedly by the group known as the Chao Fa, perhaps owing to anger at government attempts
to resettle highland groups. The official reason for resettlement was to put an end to opium
cultivation and slash-and-burn agriculture, and bring far-flung villagers closer to hospitals
and schools. The consequences in some cases proved fatal for the highlanders, who contrac-
ted valley-related diseases such as malaria.
Laos today
Former Minister of Defence ChoummalySayasone took the reigns of power from Khamtay
Siphandone in June 2006. Sayasone is the first post-revolution leader of Laos who is not a
member of the ageing old guard, but he has been firmly committed to maintaining the status
quo. With absolutely no possibility of a home-grown opposition leader coming to the fore-
front, the government is under little pressure to initiate serious political reforms.
Despite nations like China, Vietnam and Thailand pumping millions of dollars into new
roads, rail links and hydroelectric projects - and rewards from the subsequent sale of hydro-
power to those neighbours - Laos continues to rank among the region's poorest and least
developed countries. More than a quarter of the adult population is illiterate, access to safe
drinking water is unreliable, and the country continues to languish near the bottom of World
Health Organization rankings. In the meantime, Laos continues to shrewdly manipulate inter-
national governments, as well as non-governmental organizations, in order to keep aid flow-
ing in, while human rights abuses continue to be overlooked.
In late 2009, as Vientiane geared up to host the 25th Southeast Asian Games , around
four thousand Hmong were deported back to Laos from refugee camps in northern Thailand.
The move was widely criticized by the UN, who were, along with the Hmong themselves,
concerned that they might face retribution for their involvement in the Second Indochina
War. Following the deportations, there were reports of the Hmong refugees being forced into
signing “confessions”, and the majority of the refugees were sent to an apparently heavily
guarded “resettlement area”, with limited access to adequate food and supplies.
Laos's reputation took another blow in December 2012, when the prominent Lao develop-
ment worker SombathSomphone was abducted in Vientiane. CCTV footage of the incident
was circulated widely online, leading human rights groups such as Amnesty International to
call for his safe return. The Lao government quickly denied involvement in the incident. At
the time of writing, his whereabouts remain unknown.