The Geopolitics of Laos

The ASEAN Forum was held in 2016 in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. What is the geopolitical role of this small country in Southeast Asia?

Geopolitical position

Laos, like the rest of Indochina, is a part of the South-eastern part of the Eurasian Rimland - marginal zones of the continent, and therefore an area of ​​conflict of interests between Atlanticists and Continentalist powers. Atlanticists are interested in controlling the ASEAN countries, to lock the continental powers of Eurasia, especially China. Continental powers, primarily China are also seeking to gain control of this area. Laos is a part of the area of ​​the struggle for influence.

In contrast to its neighbors: China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Laos is a landlocked country. On foreign markets, Laotian products can be accessed only through third party countries. This greatly hinders the development of country's economy. As a result, Laos seems isolated from the rest of the world, although no specific policy of isolating the country's leadership is in place.

Main partners

The main partners of Laos are Vietnam and Thailand. The geographical location of the country renders Laos as a kind of buffer zone, stretched between Thailand and Vietnam and this determines the decisive influence of the two powers in the Laoa case. 95% of the population lives in the Mekong River valley - the largest waterway of Indochina. For this river forms the border with Thailand. Vietnamese influence is due to the common destiny of the two countries in the 20th century, after the liberation from French colonial rule: the Civil War, the American intervention and the socialist state. At the same time Laos has become a de facto satellite of Vietnam, and since the 90's it is trying to pursue a more independent policy. The third important actor is China. Currently, Laos is trying to balance between the three neighbors.

Neutral relations were established with the United States in the 90's after the years of hostility. Currently, Americans are trying to increase their influence in Laos, promising to help in the aftermath of their own massive bombing during the war in Vietnam. The territory of Laos was used to transport equipment and ammunition to Viet Cong guerrillas. Then, against the background of its own civil war in Laos (where CIA acted by arming tribes of the Hmong), the United States dropped on the country of two million tons of bombs (“the Secret War”). USA's protégés were defeated, significant part of Hmong people (1/3) evacuated, but the people are still living in Laos. The US is trying to go to Laos using  financial assistance as an instrument. In particular, the elimination of their own bombs. The US President Obama has arrived in Laos and made the allocation of 90 million dollars the main point of his visit. However, as previously with Hiroshima, Obama did not apologize to the residents of the country for aggression against the sovereign state, the death of thousands of Laotians, and interference in the internal affairs of the sovereign state.

Ethnic composition

 There are seventy different tribes and nationalities. The population of Laos is divided into three groups: Lao Lum, Lao Teng and Lao Sung.

• Lao Lum live on the plains, along large rivers and in urban areas. These include the main people of Lao and Thai in the mountains.

• Lao Teng live on the edges of hills and low mountains, making up 22% of the population. They are considered an ancient population of Laos, the state has given a symbolic tribute to them for the right to occupy their territory. The major peoples are mountain Mons and mountain Khmers, whose languages ​​belong to the Mon-Khmer family.

• Lao Sung inhabit the higher areas above 1000 meters above sea level. These areas are usually far removed from cities and rivers and are less accessible. They make up 10% of the population. These include, in particular, the people of the Miao (Hmong), Yao (Mien), Lahu, Lisu, Akha.

Political ideology

In Laos there is a one-party political system. Since the second half of the 80's of the 20th century, they have carried out market-oriented reforms in the spirit of China and Vietnam. Officially, the building of socialism remains a major political priority for the country's development. At the same time the first Socialist president of Laos and the symbolic founder of the state (until 1991) was Prince Souphanouvong, family member of Viceroy feudal kingdom of Luang Prabang.

Economy

The economy of Laos is predominantly agrarian. Mines of copper, gold, and tin also exist. The power plant network enables the export of electricity to neighboring countries. The northern part of the country is part of the so-called Golden Triangle, which includes mountainous areas of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. It is second after the Afghanistan region for the mass production of opiates. The export of drugs, especially opiates, is a big part of the shadow economy. Laos is the third largest producer of raw opium in the world.

The structure of its values system

For Laos as a predominantly agrarian society, it is characterized by a traditional system of values. Superficial modernization is associated with socialist transformation, but seriously it affected only a small proportion of the urban population of the country. The power of the Socialist Party and its leaders is reinterpreted by the majority of the population in a conservative manner.

Most of the country's population is Buddhist, among the tribes it is more common to find animism.

Geostrategy

The country has no major territorial disputes with its neighbors. In Laos the field of defense is seriously dependent on Vietnam, on the close ties which guided the Laos People's Army.

The main internal threat is the drug mafia and groups of Hmong rebels that are still operating in the mountains of the country. Previously, drug production areas controlled by the CIA who created  the "Secret Army" of Hmong. And now the rebels retain the connection with the trafficking networks. The biggest Hmong community is living in the United States. The United States can use its support for the deployment of a special operation against the Laotian government should the need arise.