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Lao People's Democratic Republic

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

August 2024

Authorities crack down on lawless “zone of exception”

Laotian and Chinese law enforcement carried out several raids on online scammers operating in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), reportedly detaining over 2,000 people and deporting the overwhelming majority who were foreign (mostly Chinese) citizens. The GTSEZ was opened in 2008, ostensibly to attract investment and promote development in a remote corner of Laos. The Chinese organisation that operates the GTSEZ has been under US Treasury sanctions since 2018 for “drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, bribery and wildlife tracking.” On 9 August Laotian authorities had ordered all illegal businesses to vacate the GTSEZ by 25 August, but raids reportedly began several days before the deadline. The operation possibly marks the end of the GTSEZ, which sits on the borders of Myanmar and Thailand, as a legal “zone of exception” where criminal enterprises were able to find infrastructure for online scams, human trafficking, smuggling and other crimes. Many of those deported were themselves victims of human trafficking, as individuals who were lured to the GTSEZ to work in the service industry before being forced to work for criminal organizations.

Sources: The Diplomat, Radio Free Asia, NDTV, International Crisis Group, Laotian Times

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023

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Representation
147/173
Rights
152/173
Rule of Law
131/173
Participation
157/173
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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
7 529 475
System of government
Communist State
Head of government
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (since 2022)
Head of government party
Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Block Vote
Women in lower or single chamber
22.0%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2021
Head of state
President Thongloun Sisoulith
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
21/01/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.80%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
Signatory
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
No Action
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
No Action
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
No Action
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Representation
Representation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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