Although it is a socialist country with the smallest population in the world, it is still poor and almost uncared for after 40 years of reform.
As the world's least populous socialist country, although it has been carrying out reforms for four decades, it is still in poverty and hardship, lacking significant influence.
There are only five remaining socialist countries in the world, including China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba and Laos. Among them, the economic development of China and Vietnam has attracted global attention, while North Korea and Cuba are widely known for their long-standing confrontation with capitalist countries.
However, Laos, as the socialist country with the least sense of existence, is also the least powerful and often overlooked. As the least populous of the existing socialist countries, Laos has experienced the longest reform and opening up, but the results have been the worst.
Compared with other socialist countries, even African countries, its economic and social development level is significantly different, and it is known as the poorest socialist country and one of the least developed countries in the world.
Behind the Poverty in Laos: History, Reform and Socialist Characteristics This article will reveal the causes of poverty in Laos from three aspects: in-depth understanding of its historical background, observation of its reform and opening up process, and understanding of its unique socialist system.
Laos, the full name of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is located in the northern part of the Indochina Peninsula, bordering five countries: China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, with the capital of Vientiane.
This one has 23With an area of 680,000 square kilometers and a population of 7.06 million, it is the least populous socialist country in the world. Its long history can be traced back to the first millennium BC, when Laos was an important cultural center in South Asia, and many ancient kingdoms were born, such as Nanzhao, Dali, and Tibet.
In the 14th century, Laos ushered in its first unified kingdom, the Lanna Kingdom, which encompassed present-day Laos, northern Thailand, and eastern Myanmar.
But the prosperity of the Lanna kingdom did not last long, and it was soon encroached upon by the surrounding powerful neighbors, the most influential of which was Siam (now Thailand). Siam conquered most of the territory of the Lanna Kingdom in the early 17th century, dividing it into three feudal states, namely Luang Prabang, Champasak and Vientiane.
Under Siamese rule, the three feudal states experienced many wars and changes, and it was not until the end of the 19th century that a relatively stable political situation was formed in Laos, which was centered on Luang Prabang.
However, the situation of the Lao Kingdom was not rosy and soon fell victim to French colonialism. At the end of the 19th century, France began its invasion of Indochina, conquering Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and incorporating them into the French Indochina colony.
The French colonial rule brought great suffering to Laos, the political and economic control deprived Laos of its autonomy, plundered its resources and wealth, oppressed and exploited the people, destroyed its culture and traditions, and plunged Laos into more serious poverty and backwardness.
However, the Lao people did not give in, and they began to resist and struggle from the beginning of the 20th century, with many uprisings and riots breaking out one after another, but all of them were brutally suppressed by the French.
During World War II, Japan invaded French Indochina and Laos was occupied by Japan, but Japan did not bring real independence and freedom to Laos, but continued the French colonial policy, but changed the master.
After the end of World War II, France tried to restore colonial rule over Laos, but this was met with strong resistance from the Lao people. The Lao people, under the leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, united with the national liberation movements of Vietnam and Cambodia to fight against French colonial aggression.
After nine years of hard struggle, the Lao people officially declared the independence of the Kingdom of Laos at the Geneva Conference in 1954 with the recognition and withdrawal of France.
However, instead of bringing peace and development, Laos' independence plunged deeper into war and turmoil. The Kingdom of Laos was a pro-Western conservative regime that allied itself with the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, leading to the ** and civil war in Laos.
The Lao Civil War began in 1959 and lasted until 1975, during which time it was part of the Vietnam War with the intervention and assistance of the United States and the Soviet Union.
In order to stop the support of North Vietnam, the United States carried out a large-scale bombing of Laos, inflicting huge losses on Laos and **.