...Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Capital: Vientiane Currency: Lao kip Population: 6.77 million (2013) Government: Communist state, Socialist state Official language: Lao ------------------------------------------------- Etymology ------------------------------------------------- In the Lao language, the country's name is "Muang Lao" or "Pathet Lao" both literally mean "Lao Country".[17]The French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893, named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group (in French, the final "s" at the end of a word is usually silent, thus it would be pronounced "Lao"). ------------------------------------------------- Early history ------------------------------------------------- In 2009 an ancient human skull was recovered from the Tam Pa Ling cave in the Annamite Mountains in northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old, making it the oldest modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia.[19] Archaeological evidence suggests agriculturist society developed during the 4th millennium BC. Burial jars and other kinds of sepulchers suggest a complex society in which bronze objects appeared around 1500 BC, and iron tools were known from 700 BC. The proto-historic period is...
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...Comparative Cultures: Laos Personal & Professional Development Aug 12, 2015 Comparative Cultures: Laos Concrete Experience I grew up in a small Illinois town never really leaving that area, so that is all I knew, but one phone call changed my life for the better. That phone call was a U.S. Navy recruiter in Central Illinois asking me what I was going to do after high school. I had no clue what I was going to do, but I did know that I did not what to be a farmer like my dad and grandpa. After talking with Petty Officer Blount I decided to join the United States Navy. I remember my friends asking me why I wanted to join the Navy, I replied with I want to see and experience the world. After basic training and “A” School I was sent to my first ship USS Guam (LPH-9), stationed in Norfolk, VA. I was on board the ship two days before I embarked on a six month deployment to the Mediterranean. While on my deployment we would stop in different ports for a few days at a time, but it wasn’t until I did a Joint Pow/Account Command Mission (JPAC) that I really got to interact with the people and start to understand that the world is a small...
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... | |Chairman of the Committee for Investment and Cooperation | | | |Foreword | |For the last two decades, since the �open door policy� of the Lao Government has been implemented, both domestic and foreign investment has...
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...Article Summary In the article “In Trafficking of Wildlife, Out of Reach of the Law”, written by The New York Times writer Thomas Fuller, Laotian officials have their hands full with wildlife trafficking. In Hong Tong, Laos there lies a large compound which is owned by Vixay Keosavang, a “suspected” wildlife trafficker, a kingpin no less. This compound is where Keosavang controls his operation under the occupation of a breeder. Freeland which is a non-profit organization that is involved in anti-trafficking has been investigating Keosavang for several years, collecting evidence and building a case against him. Despite enormous efforts by Freeland the man remains free and safe from the law. Little was even known until recently when one of his subordinates, who according to him was his right-hand man. After gaining insight into the organization through questioning Keosavang’s associate many were hopeful, but this was fairly short-lived. Official Laotian documents show that Keosavang’s business, Xaysavang Trading, was allowed to sell and breed rare animals inside Laos and outside the boarders. This put a hole into investigators plans because, now legally Keosavang’s operations were safe as long as he did his trading from within Laos. This was troubling to many because now all of the evidence built up against him was now useless due to the fact that as far as the Laotian government was concerned his operations were legal. Many have urged the Laotian government to further investigate...
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...ASEAN COMMUNITY IN FIGURES Vision One Vision One Identity One Community ASEAN COMMUNITY IN FIGURES The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. For inquiries, contact: The ASEAN Secretariat Public Outreach and Civil Society Division 70A Jalan Sisingamangaraja Jakarta 12110 Indonesia Phone : (62 21) 724-3372, 726-2991 Fax : (62 21) 739-8234, 724-3504 E-mail : public.div@asean.org General information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org Catalogue-in-Publication Data ASEAN Community in Figures 2011 (ACIF 2011) Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, April 2012 315.95 1. Statistics – ASEAN 2. Economics - Social - Environment ISBN 978-602-8411-81-3 The text of this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted with proper acknowledgement. Copyright Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2011 All rights reserved FOREWORD ASEAN Community in Figures (ACIF) 2011 is the fourth in a series of annual publications by the ASEAN Secretariat focusing on key economic and social developments in individual ASEAN Member States and in the ASEAN Community as a whole. The pocket-sized ACIF is intended as a handy reference on selected and most recent economic and social indicators. It contains more than 50 tables and...
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...What is the main future growth engine of Asia? Developments in Asean, China and India Vientiane, Lao PDR Sunday, 3 April 2016 Inaugural BOL-OMFIF Conference MEETING BACKGROUND Following the success of the inaugural KL Debate, held under the auspices of Bank Negara Malaysia during the annual Asean finance ministers meetings in 2015, Bank of the Lao PDR and OMFIF are pleased to jointly host the Inaugural BOL-OMFIF Conference in Vientiane in April 2016. With India set to overtake China as the world’s fastest growing large economy in 2015, according to IMF estimates, the interplay between the two countries and Asean has never been so important. If Asean were a country, it would rank 7th in the world in GDP terms, ahead of Brazil, Russia and India. India and Asean share the commonalities of a young population and progress on structural reforms. China is the third largest trading partner of Asean and the rise of the renminbi plays an important role in inter-regional dialogue. As Asia continues to grapple with the challenges of a global economic recovery, the quest for sustainable economic growth and greater regional integration in Asean, and connectivity with the rest of the world, remains a source of concern for investors and policy makers alike. Challenges surrounding development and in particular infrastructure investment abound. With this in mind, Bank of the Lao PDR and OMFIF have assembled a panel of extremely well-qualified industry practitioners for this year’s Asean...
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...Hmong Population The Hmong people are considered one of the largest hill tribes. They originate from Laos however; they have migrated to areas of Southeast Asia including Vietnam and Thailand (Cultural Survival, n.d.). During the mid 1980’s the Hmong have began immigrating to the United States (n.d.). According to the 2010 census, there were approximately 260,076 Hmong citizens in the United States (Hmong American Partnership, 2010). States with the highest population of Hmong individuals were California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (2010). In Oklahoma, as of 2010, there are 3,369 Hmong individuals within our state (2010). Health issues Within the Hmong community, there are certain ailments that are common within individuals who have resettled...
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...A discussion of the positive and negative effects on the lignite power plant Hongsa distinct, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. By: Tossapon Booranapornchai (Jai) Registration Number: 13038682 Class: IPE 2 Tutor’s Name: Mr. Hugh Whitby Submitted on: ‘A discussion of the positive and negative effects on the lignite power plant (Hongsa, Sayaboury Province, Lao PDR) Over the last decade, Thailand has been a continual increasing, about four percent per year, of electricity usage (Oxford Business Group, 2014). In contrast, the country’s supply would not meet with consumer’s demand purely due to lack of internal sources and therefore has had to seek other supplies from neighboring country such as Laos. The Hongsa district, Laos, has sufficient reserves of lignite to generate enough electricity for both countries and thus, since 2010, has attracted investor from both Thai private sector and the Laotian government. Hence, this is the beginning of Hongsa power plant project. Although the plant would generate many economic advantages to the people of Laos, this does not occur without criticism. Some pointed out that the large amount of coal’s burning will cause a serious detrimental effect on the local and global environment as well as creating long-term health problems for local. Therefore, there have been some suggestions, from environmental groups who concerned with the launch of this project in 2015 that should consider consequences of the action...
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...getting one. Women traditionally only were allowed to be tattooed on their lips, around the chin, and sometimes the nostrils. The "epitome of Maori female beauty" was seen as a woman with full blue lips. Those who went without tattoos were seen as persons of “no social status.” Woman’s chin Moko: Ready to marry and bear children Now has speaking rights within extended family or tribe Full leg:Demonstrates movement Arm:Messages related to occupation Warriors and chiefs wore it for battles as a form of intimidation for their enemies.Maori dancers perform rhythmically complex dances with stick instruments Hmong Population (World): Asia China – 4,500,000 (estimate) Vietnam – 558,000 Laos – 316,000 Thailand – 124,000 Burma – 2,656 Western Countries United States – 260,000 France – 15,000 Australia – 1,860 Canada – 640 French Guyana – 1,800 Argentina – 250 New Zealand - 150 Germany – 70 *...
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...Laos Laos is a landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam, that covers 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula, is surrounded by Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its location has often made it a buffer between more powerful neighboring states, as well as a crossroads for trade and communication. Migration and international conflict have contributed to the present ethnic composition of the country and to the geographic distribution of its ethnic groups Like its neighbours in Indochina, Laos is a country with a strong Buddhist tradition which has shaped its customs and etiquette. Besides their religion, the family is central to the Lao people's lives. Every Lao man is expected to become a monk for at least a short period and by doing so he brings merit to his whole family. Buddhists also gain merit by offering alms to feed the monks. In Luang Prabang, very early in the morning, lines of monks walk silently collecting offerings from the local people. When visiting temples, it is important to dress conservatively (no shorts or short sleeved t-shirts). Shoes are removed before entering temples. Women must never touch monks and should not even hand anything to a monk, but instead place their offering where the monk can reach for himself. Monks are forbidden to touch women or even speak to them outside the safety of the temple or 'wat'. On buses, women will often...
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...[pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |MALASIYA |SINGAPORE |THAILAND | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |INDONESIA |LAOS |PHILIPINES | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |BURMA |VIETNAM |BRUNEI | | [pic] | |CAMBODIA | MALAYSIA Facts and Statistics Ethnic Make-up: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% ...
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...The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS)—comprising Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southwestern province of Yunnan in China—has seen rapid social and economic changes over the past two decades, especially in trade liberalization through closer economic cooperation. In 2004, as members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the GMS5 countries (GMS countries minus Yunnan province in China) and China entered into the ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). Under the ACFTA, each country is obligated to implement gradual tariff reductions for the exports of ACFTA partners. As a result of the commitments made in the ACFTA, tariff rates of Chinese exports to GMS5 countries have been lowered, as have been the tariff rates for exports from GMS5 countries to China. An analysis of trade flows before and after the ACFTA has shown that trade between China and the GMS5 countries has increased significantly since the signing of the ACFTA, in particular for goods whose tariff rates were reduced under the ACFTA. A similar trend can be observed in the trade relationship between China and Cambodia, although some Cambodian exports eligible for lower tariffs have seen relatively slow growth due to difficulties faced by exporters in meeting China’s import standards for agricultural products such as cassava, live animals and fish. These findings suggest that the ACFTA has been a significant driver of the rapid expansion of trade...
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...WHAT IS ASEAN INTEGRATION? ASEAN Integration is an agreement centered on the integration of ASEAN economies in Southeast Asia composed of the ten countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam. The ASEAN Integration specifically aims to integrate the “transitional economies” of the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) countries which are just recently being assimilated into the global capitalist economy led by the early members of ASEAN in the region. It also aims to develop an ASEAN Economic Community, patterned after the European Economic Community, which later evolved into the European Union. The aim is to establish a single market and probably a single trading currency in the region by 2020. The integration is focused on seven components that ensures ‘free trade’ and the promotion of a single market and production base. It consists of the following: free flow of goods, services, investment, capital, and skilled labor; development of priority integration sectors; and competitiveness of food, agriculture, and forestry sectors. http://www.masa.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=286:the-asean-integration-and-its-impact-on-labor WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE ASEAN INTEGRATION IN THE PHILIPPINES? The ASEAN integration would have direct impact on our lives and the Philippines has been aware of the integration since years ago. A lot of changes happen in the country among which is the adaptation...
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...Hmong culture is a combination of Chinese, Vietnamese, Laos, and Thai, making them very unique in the basics of culture, where they live, and their global landscape. Hmong people are very unique in a few ways and are not well-known as an Asian culture if you were to ask someone. Although they are not a country, Hmong people have lots of pride in their culture and ancestors. From the fancy traditional clothes to living in the mountains between countries and being separated from China and Vietnam, Hmong people are very independent and are influenced by many countries. Hmong is a very independent Asian culture and community and has very unique and colorful traditional clothes. Traditional women clothes contain long black pants or skirts, hand...
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...The speaker for the lecture was cultural anthropologist Ian Baird who specialized his research about the Hmong People in Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. He lived in Thailand last year where he was able to interview the Hmong people about their opinions of the communist party. Dr. Baird plans to write a book about the effects of the transforming effects the Communist Party of Thailand had on the Hmong people. The speaker is currently an associate professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Summary During the 1950`s, the Hmong people of North Thailand were relatively isolated due to their location in the uplands. As a result, they had little contact with government officials of the lowlands. The only interactions between the two groups were when the Hmong people went to the lowlands once a year to buy salt and pay their taxes in opium. Due to this isolation, the Hmong people spoke little Thai and were even more isolated than the Hmong people is Laos and Vietnam. Moreover, since the Hmong in Thailand immigrated from Laos to escape from French imperialism, these Hmong were the most independent....
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