Amnesty International 23 May 2013 Restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly continued. Three prisoners of conscience and two Hmong political prisoners remained imprisoned. Harassment of Christians in several provinces was reported. Concerns increased over land disputes caused by development projects affecting livelihoods. Read the full report here.
US Department of State 19 April 2013 The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is an authoritarian state ruled by the only party that the constitution legitimizes, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The most recent National Assembly election, held in April 2011, was not considered free and fair. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. The most significant human rights problems continued to be that the government denied citizens the right to change their government, prison conditions in some prisons were harsh, and corruption persisted in the police and judiciary. Other human rights problems continued to include: abuse of prisoners and detainees Read the full article…
Freedom House 10 April 2013 Construction of the Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River continued in 2012 despite protests and studies showing its potentially devastating environmental impact. In December, prominent anti-poverty activist Sombath Somphone disappeared; video footage appeared two days later showing him being abducted by police. Also that month, the government expelled the country head of the international development agency Helvetas, who had recently criticized the government. Laos was approved for entry to the World Trade Organization in October. Read the full report here.
In May 2011 the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms published its annual report (covering 1st April 2010 - 31st March 2011). The Commission placed Laos on its Watch List. Here is the Commission’s summary of religious freedom in Laos: “The Lao government continues to restrict religious practice through its legal code, and has not curtailed religious freedom abuses in some rural areas. Over the past five years, conditions have incrementally improved for Lao Buddhists and for some religious minority groups in urban areas. Nevertheless, during the reporting period, provincial officials continued to severely violate freedom of religion or Read the full article…