Laos continues to neglect longstanding human rights issues

Human Rights Research Center
3 days ago
2 min read

May 8, 2025

HRRC strongly condemns the lack of progress made by the government of Laos in relation to the basic human rights of its citizens. An environment in which individuals can share their opinions safely must be created, and the use of extreme deterrents such as enforced disappearance halted immediately.

A recent review published by the United Nations (UN) in relation to Laos’ human rights record highlights that there has been little to no progress made in the country over the last five years. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which displayed the results, is a unique process that the UN uses to assess human rights in all 193 member states, and from this review Laos falls considerably short of expectations.

The main area for condemnation comes in regard to the government’s treatment of political activists. Any criticism of the party-state is strictly prohibited and opponents of the current one-party establishment are not viewed favorably. The seriousness of punishments varies but the sudden disappearance of dissidents is not uncommon.

One such disappearance involves Sombath Somphone, a civil society leader and activist who vanished more than 12 years ago. Uncovered CCTV footage shows Somphone being forced into a vehicle by unknown individuals and driven away; sadly this was the last time he was ever seen. In reality this is not an unusual event and for those brave enough to speak out against the current government, it presents a real danger.

The UN Human Rights Committee continues to try to steer the Lao government into a new era, a time in which people can air their views without fear. Unfortunately, there has been little progress made by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party in relation to this and also in terms of reducing the amount of enforced disappearances.

Officials are quick to respond, saying they’ve made substantial improvement in regard to human rights, and they believe that, as the country develops economically, progress will continue. However, many experts believe that the aggressive economic policies that are currently employed are a detriment to vulnerable members of society.

The next session of the Human Rights Council will occur in September of this year, at which point Laos will have to detail how they are planning to proceed in relation to the rights of citizens in their country. It is hoped that real change will be witnessed in the near future.

Glossary

Air- express or share publicly.
CCTV- private video system used to monitor and record an area for security
Condemnation- strong disapproval, often officially or publicly stated.
Detriment- harm or damage.
Dissidents- people who disagree with and criticize the government or ruling system.
Era- a period of time marked by special events or characteristics.
One-party establishment- a political system where only one political party holds power.
Political activists- people who work to bring about political or social change.
Speak out- to openly express an opinion, especially against something wrong.
Vulnerable- easily hurt, harmed, or at risk.

Sources

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Laos continues to neglect longstanding human rights issues

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