Laos is still facing danger from unexploded bombs dropped during the Second Indochina War from 1964 to 1973. During that time, over 580,000 flights dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs, including about 270 million cluster munitions. About 30 percent of these bombs, around 80 million devices, remain on the ground, causing injuries, deaths, [...]
Australia has taken strong action after two Melbourne teenagers, Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones, died from methanol poisoning in Laos in November 2024. The 19-year-olds became sick after drinking tainted alcohol at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng. Four other foreign tourists, including visitors from Britain, the United States, and Denmark, also died. In January, [...]
China’s presence in Laos has grown rapidly in recent years, with large investments, Chinese tourists, and new infrastructure projects changing life in the country. One of the biggest projects is the China‑Laos high‑speed railway linking Yunnan in China to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This railway has brought more tourists and boosted some businesses, but [...]
Child prostitution in Laos is a serious crime and a violation of human rights. A recent case in Japan shows how this problem can cross borders. Japanese police arrested a man who is suspected of using false information to rent a server and run a blog linked to child prostitution in Laos. The blog reportedly [...]
Laos is investing in education and health through two major projects. The Ministry of Education and Sports, with the Education Development Fund, will spend US$1.3 million to improve schools in four southern provinces: Khammuan, Savannakhet, Xekong, and Salavan. The project focuses on secondary education, upgrading classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and digital learning facilities, and supporting students [...]
Child marriage is still common in Laos and is increasing among younger girls. About 30.5 percent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before age 18, and 17.4 percent gave birth before age 18. The findings provide a clear national picture of how child marriage affects girls, their children, and the country. The results [...]
Cyber slavery linked to scam centers in Laos and nearby countries has become a serious human rights crisis. Independent experts say these scam centers are run by organized criminal networks that recruit people from many countries with fake job offers and force them to work in online fraud and digital crime operations. These operations are [...]
The government of Laos has begun urgent economic reforms to help the country recover from a growing crisis. Inflation has soared, and the national currency, the kip, has lost much of its value, making daily life hard for many people. To fight this, officials aim to stabilize prices and support the currency through better monetary [...]
In Laos, many children and teenagers are forced into sex work by some Korean men. Older men, often over 50, stay for weeks or months in bars, clubs, and brothels looking for young girls. They share photos, videos, and messages online to organize this exploitation. Some men even seek girls as young as seven. Drugs [...]
Human trafficking in Laos has become a serious problem, with the country now ranked in the lowest tier of the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report. It says corruption, weak law enforcement, and official involvement have allowed traffickers to act freely. Many victims are exploited in Special Economic Zones, where online scam operations and forced labor [...]