Exceptions include funerals and other related processions but these must strictly adhere to standards set by the special task force: temperature screenings, 2-meter physical self-distancing, wearing of masks, and washing of hands with soap. In 2017, the country sent a team for the first time to the team events at the This article is about the country in Southeast Asia. "In March 2019 the government of Laos announced an interest in permitting cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes. Laos has no railways, except a short link to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the There is limited external and internal telecommunication, but mobile phones have become widespread in urban centres. The attack resulted in the army largely demobilising, leaving the conflict to irregular ethnic Massive aerial bombardment against the Pathet Lao and invading On 2 December 1975, after taking control of the country, the Pathet Lao government under On 2 December 2015, Laos celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the republic.Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and it lies mostly between latitudes There is a distinct rainy season from May to November, followed by a dry season from December to April. Very few of the Lao refugees, however, were willing to return voluntarily.In 1993, Vue Mai, a former Hmong soldier and leader of the largest Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, who had been recruited by the US Embassy in Following the Vue Mai incident, debate over the Hmong's planned repatriation to Laos intensified greatly, especially in the United States, where it drew strong opposition from many In their opposition of the repatriation plans, Democratic and Republican Members of Congress challenged the Clinton administration's position that the government of Laos was not systematically violating Hmong Although some accusations of forced repatriation were denied,Following threats of forcible removal by the Thai government, the United States, in a significant victory for the Hmong, agreed to accept 15,000 of the refugees in 2003.In 2004 and 2005, thousands of Hmong fled from the jungles of Laos to a temporary refugee camp in the Thai province of Lending further support to earlier claims that the government of Laos was persecuting the Hmong, filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her documentary, For the time being, countries willing to resettle the refugees are hindered in their immigration and settlement procedures because the Thai administration does not grant them access to the refugees.Human rights violations remain a significant concern in Laos.However, the government of Laos frequently breaches its own constitution and the rule of law, since the Amnesty International raised concerns about the ratification record of the Lao government on human rights standards, and its lack of co-operation with the UN human rights mechanisms and legislative measures—both impact negatively upon human rights.In October 1999, 30 young people were arrested for attempting to display posters calling for peaceful economic, political and social change in Laos. One has since died due to his treatment by prison guards, while one has been released.Laos and Vietnamese (SRV) troops were reported to have raped and killed four Christian Hmong women in Laos is mainly an origin country for sexually trafficked persons.The foreign relations of Laos after the takeover by the The Lao economy depends heavily on investment and trade with its neighbors, Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China. Laos-China Enhance Cooperation On Media 29/03/2019 (KPL) The Lao Press in Foreign Languages ( Vientiane Times ) and Lao China Economic and Trade Promotion Association have signed a memorandum of understanding on news in Chinese online service. Karen J, "House Panel Hears Concerns About Hmong", States News Service, 26 April 1994.Gunderson, Steve (18 May 1996) "State Department Outlines Resettlement Guidelines for Hmong Refugees", "Laos refuses to take back Thai-based Hmong refugees", Smith, Philip, Washington, D.C. (12 December 2014) Kyophilavong, Phouphet, et al. Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos, nearly equal to the 2.1 million tons of bombs the U.S. dropped on Europe and Asia during all of World War II, making Laos the most heavily bombed country in history relative to the size of its population; The New York Times noted this was "nearly a ton for every person in Laos". Chiang Rai Times l CTN News is a free news portal delivers latest breaking news and top stories updates in Thailand, Asia Pacific and across the World.