Conventional Long Form Name of Country: Laos Peoples Democratic Republic
Capital City: Vientiane
Type of Government: Communist state
Date of Independence: July 19 1949(from France)
National Holidays: Republic Day- December 2, 1975
Chief of State: President BOUNNYANG Vorachit
Head of Government: Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisoulit
Description of Executive Branch/Powers: Cabinet is Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly. president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term with no term limit.
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:unicameral National Assembly or Sapha Heng Xat (132 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote from candidate lists provided by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: People's Supreme Court, appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts. president of People's Supreme Court appointed by National Assembly on recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal.
Name of THEIR Ambassador to the U.S.: Ambassador MAI Xaignavong
Location of THEIR embassy in the U.S.: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Locations of THEIR consulates in the U.S.:New York
Name of U.S. Ambassador to THEM: Rena Bitter
Location of U.S. embassy THERE: Thadeua Road, Kilometer 9, Ban Somvang Tai, Hatsayfong District, Vientiane
Locations of U.S. consulates THERE: Hatsayfong District, Vientiane.
Name of THEIR representative to UN: Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisovlith.
Description of the Symbolism of flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band; the red bands recall the blood shed for liberation; the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River, but also signifies the unity of the people under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, as well as the country's bright future
National Symbols:elephant; national colors: red, white, blue
Descriptions of International Disputes: southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong River Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries will affect water levels; Cambodia and Vietnam are concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction
Quantity of refugees inside country AND countries of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: current situation: Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos; other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims; although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking; modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2009)
Capital City: Vientiane
Type of Government: Communist state
Date of Independence: July 19 1949(from France)
National Holidays: Republic Day- December 2, 1975
Chief of State: President BOUNNYANG Vorachit
Head of Government: Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisoulit
Description of Executive Branch/Powers: Cabinet is Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly. president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term with no term limit.
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:unicameral National Assembly or Sapha Heng Xat (132 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote from candidate lists provided by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: People's Supreme Court, appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts. president of People's Supreme Court appointed by National Assembly on recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal.
Name of THEIR Ambassador to the U.S.: Ambassador MAI Xaignavong
Location of THEIR embassy in the U.S.: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Locations of THEIR consulates in the U.S.:New York
Name of U.S. Ambassador to THEM: Rena Bitter
Location of U.S. embassy THERE: Thadeua Road, Kilometer 9, Ban Somvang Tai, Hatsayfong District, Vientiane
Locations of U.S. consulates THERE: Hatsayfong District, Vientiane.
Name of THEIR representative to UN: Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisovlith.
Description of the Symbolism of flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band; the red bands recall the blood shed for liberation; the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River, but also signifies the unity of the people under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, as well as the country's bright future
National Symbols:elephant; national colors: red, white, blue
Descriptions of International Disputes: southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong River Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries will affect water levels; Cambodia and Vietnam are concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction
Quantity of refugees inside country AND countries of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: current situation: Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos; other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims; although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking; modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2009)
President Bounnyang Vorachit
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Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisoulit
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Lao National Anthem