Laos
Located at the crossroads of Southeast Asia between larger neighbors, Laos — officially known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic — faces both old and new peace and security issues. The effects of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from U.S. bombing during the 1964-73 "secret war" continue to impact Laos. UXO clearance and disability assistance were priorities in the U.S.-Laos comprehensive partnership established in 2016. Yet, there is still potential to expand U.S. cooperation to new areas, such as combating transnational crime and environmental degradation. USIP addresses these challenges by convening dialogue groups with government and non-government participants, including Americans of Lao and Hmong heritage.
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How to Support People with Disabilities in War-Impacted Regions of Laos
Much of the postwar focus in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has rightly been on explosive remnants of war (ERWs). These ERWs have continued to kill or maim hundreds of people each year since the Secret War in Laos ended in 1975, disproportionately affecting children and young people.
The Latest on Southeast Asia’s Transnational Cybercrime Crisis
Increasing scrutiny and exposure of global internet scams based in Southeast Asia has sparked fast-moving developments to quash the schemes and countermoves by the organized gangs behind them. Recent months have seen crackdowns, arrests and internet cutoffs by law enforcement agencies and regional governments. Meanwhile, Cambodia and Myanmar continue to be the most egregious havens for criminal operations, while Laos seems to be demonstrating early signs of concern for the impact of organized crime on its sovereignty.
Southeast Asia Web Scams Reach U.S., Setting Off Alarms for Law Enforcement
From their base in ungoverned stretches of Southeast Asia, international criminal networks are prowling the Internet, seeking to defraud victims around the world with sophisticated and psychologically devastating scams. Gangsters operating out of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, relying on forced labor, have spread their tentacles through Asia, Africa and Latin America and increasingly within the United States, stripping gullible prey of at least $64 billion annually. Clearly, to eradicate such a global menace will require a coordinated international response. Even so, the United States is not internally powerless to confront this striking example of how conflict and corrupt governance in distant parts of the world can directly threaten Americans’ security and well-being.