LAOS

officially Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lao Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxn Lao, French Rpublique Dmocratique Populaire Lao landlocked country situated in the centre of the Indochinese peninsula of Southeast Asia. The country's maximum length from northeast to southwest is about 650 miles (1,050 km), and its maximum width from east to west is 290 miles (470 km). Laos is bordered on the north by China, on the northeast and east by Vietnam, on the south by Cambodia, on the west by Thailand, and on the northwest by Myanmar (Burma). The Mekong River forms the boundary with Myanmar and the greater part of the boundary with Thailand also. The capital is Vientiane (Lao: Viangchan). Area 91,429 square miles (236,800 square km). Pop. (1996 est.) 5,023,000. For current history and for statistics on society and economy, see Britannica Book Of The Year. officially Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lao Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxn Lao, French Rpublique Dmocratique Populaire Lao, landlocked country located on the Indochinese Peninsula. It is bounded on the north by China, on the northeast and east by Vietnam, on the south by Cambodia, on the west by Thailand, and on the northwest by Myanmar (Burma). Laos extends about 650 miles (1,050 kilometres) from northwest to southeast and has a total area of approximately 91,400 square miles (236,800 square kilometres). The capital is Vientiane (Lao: Viangchan). Additional reading Frank M. LeBar and Adrienne Suddard (eds.), Laos, rev. ed. (1967), is a general survey. Grant Evans, Lao Peasants Under Socialism (1990), treats ethnography and economics. Martin Stuart-Fox, Laos (1986), is the standard work, with good chapters on the economic system and domestic policies. A more current overview is found in William Worner, Economic Reform and Structural Change in Laos, Southeast Asian Affairs (1989), pp. 187208. Joseph J. Zasloff and Leonard Unger (eds.), Laos: Beyond the Revolution (1991), examines political, economic, social, and foreign policies. Further information can be found in the annotated bibliography by Helen Cordell (compiler), Laos (1991). Arthur J. DommenArthur J. Dommen, Laos: Keystone of Indochina (1985), is a brief general history, and his Conflict in Laos, rev. ed. (1971), a political history, focuses primarily on the period from the early 1950s to 1970. Hugh Toye, Laos (1968), depicts Laos' historic position between Vietnam and Thailand. Paul F. Langer and Joseph J. Zasloff, North Vietnam and the Pathet Lao (1970), studies the role of communist North Vietnam in the origin and development of the Lao communist movement. Joseph J. Zasloff, The Pathet Lao (1973), examines the political dynamics of the group, its leadership, commanding party, front, political and administrative organizations, and military forces. Martin Stuart-Fox (ed.), Contemporary Laos (1982), is a collection of essays. MacAlister Brown and Joseph J. Zasloff, Apprentice Revolutionaries: The Communist Movement in Laos, 1930-1985 (1985), provides a political analysis. Joseph J. Zasloff Administration and social conditions Government Since its establishment in December 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) has been effectively controlled by the communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party. This party, in alliance with the Vietnamese communists, carried out the revolution that ended in its seizure of power and the abolition of the monarchy. Top government positionsbeginning with the president, who is head of state, and the prime minister, who is also the party chairmanare held by high-ranking party members, who constitute a Central Committee with a Politburo at the head. A constitution adopted in 1991 provides for a National Assembly, the members of which are elected to five-year terms. The judicial system is headed by the Supreme People's Court. The country is divided into 16 provincesroughly from north to south, Phngsali, Louang Namtha, Bokeo, Oudomxay, Louangphrabang, Houaphan, Xaignabouri, Vientiane, Xiangkhoang, Bolikhamxay, Khammouan, Savannakht, Saravan, Xkong, Champasak, and Attapuas well as Vientiane Municipality, the administrations of which are said to have considerable autonomy in economic matters. The provinces are subdivided into districts and villages. At each level of local government there are party committees and administrative committees, which often are headed by the same individuals. Security Laos maintains a small military force consisting almost entirely of army personnel, with smaller air and naval branches. Internal security measures have been strictly enforced, as the regime fears political opposition linked to a large exile population and sporadic armed resistance within the country. Cultural life The arts The basis of Laotian culture is religion and tradition. Art, literature, music, and drama draw mainly from these sources. Towns along the Mekong are exposed to Western culture through Thai mass media. Theravada Buddhism entered the country in the 14th century. This religion and Hinduism have been major influences on cultural and intellectual life in Laos. The story of the Buddha and Hindu myths are the subjects of the carvings and sculptures found in all religious places. In the south, Khmer influences on the peoples of Laos are strong; in the north, Myanmar and Thai influences are readily apparent. As elsewhere in Southeast Asia, religious symbols, stories, and themes have been modified and localized. The snake, for example, representations of which adorn religious and royal buildings, symbolizes the benevolent spirit of the water and the protector of the king. The Laotians have a variety of folk arts, including weaving, basketmaking, wood and ivory carving, and silverwork and goldwork. There are a number of Laotian musical instruments, of which the khene, a bamboo wind instrument, is most widely known. Music is not written down but is played from memory. Dancing is a profession rather than a form of recreation; the professional dance troupes travel throughout the country performing for religious celebrations or on important holidays. Their main themes are drawn from the Indian epics. All professional dancers are male, the female roles being performed by young men and boys. Laotian literature is predominantly religious and linked to the Buddhist tradition. There is also a secular literary stream based on themes of the Hindu epic poems, which have been transmuted into popular language; an example of this is the Laotian epic the Sin Xay, written between the mid-16th and the late 17th century. The popular poems and songs are often satiric. Press and broadcasting The government controls all aspects of the media. The largest-circulating daily newspaper is Pasason, published in Vientiane; it is the official organ of the ruling party. Also published in Vientiane is the quarterly journal Aloun Mai. The official news agency is Khaosan Pathet Lao (KPL). The National Radio of Laos broadcasts in a number of languages, principally Lao, English, and French. There is also a government-run television station. Josef Silverstein Arthur J. Dommen