Political Situation of Laos

Political Situation of Laos

Introduction

Laos is a landlocked state surrounded by Burma, China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. This small country is one of the world's few communist states. Rich in culture, heritage and natural beauty, this state comprises of hospitable people. Laos trace their history to the 14th century when under the Lan Xang kingdom, the state was founded. Since then various political changes have occurred in the state and it has seen many ups and downs in its long history. Interference from neighbors and various political happenings in the world also affected the progress of the country and, therefore, the country is considered as one of the poor countries of the world.

Discussion

Conditions of Laos

Laos is one of the poorest countries of the world. It has a small number of industries and largely relies on agriculture and hydro electric power which it exports to Thailand. Agricultural methods employed are mainly old that require more manual work and, therefore, there is little economic progress in the country. Many people live without the availability of even basic facilities. Little educational facilities are available and the illiteracy rate is too high. The country largely depends upon foreign aid.

Political History of Laos

In the 14th century a unified state emerged under the kingdom of Lan Xang, which then came under the rule of King Fa Ngum comprising of the areas of Thailand too. In the 16th century then it came under the rule of King Setthathirat who established Buddhism as the dominant religion of the state. It was in the 17th century the kingdom saw an era of conflict with neighbors and dynastic struggles which ultimately resulted in the division of the state into three different kingdoms. In the 18th century the three kingdoms came under Siamese rule. The colonization of Vietnam saw the replacement of the rulers of the state from the Siamese to French. During World War II, a strong nationalist movement started but it could not live for long and France continued to rule. In 1949, it granted semi autonomy by conducting elections for a constituent assembly. The Vietnam revolt and the subsequent defeat of the French by the Vietnamese then ended the long rule of French on the land. This led to the full independence of Laos in the year 1953. In 1955 then elections were held and it was in the year 1957 that the first coalition government emerged. The newly independent government had just started to build the state when the Vietnam War influenced the country to a considerable extent. North-Vietnamese troops and bombarding of US created great havoc in the region. The pressure that the newly born government had to face was too much for it to continue and it therefore, finally collapsed (www.infoplease.com).

The second Geneva conference, although provided a basis for peace in the country but the two neighbors continued to accuse each other for violating the terms of the agreement. For as long as a decade the state was under the attack of ...