The landlocked and multiethnic Lao People’s Democratic Republic, with a population of approximately 6.8 million, is one of the least-developed countries in the world. Located in the northern part of the Indochinese peninsula in mainland southeast Asia, the country borders the Peoples’ Republic of China in the north, Myanmar (Burma) in the northwest, Thailand to the south and west, Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia to south. The country has maintained its unity, in spite of foreign invasions and external interference. After the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on December 2, 1975, the country faced many problems. The new regime faced a shortage of personnel, poor infrastructural development, threats from dissidents, and border clashes with Thailand. The economic situation was deteriorating, and development ...