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Headlines:
Bomb Clearing Effort Fights Deadly Legacy
Prepping to Move Beyond LDC Status
Luang Prabang Tourism Blows Past Goals
Military Personnel Filling Rural Teacher Gap
US Slashes Aid To, Restricts Travel From Laos
New Currency Platform Aims to Stabilize Lao Kip
Foreign Investment Floods into Forestry
Laos-Thailand Beef Up Border Security
Vietnam-Laos Toast Half Century of Partnership
UK Pushes For Human Rights
Bomb Clearing Effort Fights Deadly Legacy
New Zealand, the UK, and the US have each contributed resources and expertise to reduce the threat of unexploded ordnance (UXO) littering Laos since the Vietnam War. New Zealand has helped clear nearly 5,000 hectares, providing training and quality control, and recently pledged another $5 million for expanded work and education. The UK backed efforts by supporting the removal of more than 5,700 explosive devices and invested $27 million since 2016. US cuts in aid now threaten ongoing UXO clearance, after a $390 million long-term contribution. UXO accidents have dropped sharply, yet more than 80 million unexploded bombs remain, with children accounting for 40% of victims.
Read more: Stuff.co.nz (NZ commitment), The Star (UK and tech), Fulcrum (US aid cuts)
Prepping to Move Beyond LDC Status
Laos is moving forward with preparations to shed its Least Developed Country (LDC) label by 2026. Officials are orchestrating a strategy based on UN and Doha Programme of Action guidelines, and development goals to make sure the transition is smooth. Committees have started readiness assessments, prepared on policy reforms and coordination for post-LDC management. The upgrade is expected to reform access to international support, lending, and trade.
Read more: The Star
Luang Prabang Tourism Blows Past Goals
Tourism in Luang Prabang is rebounding fast, with visitor numbers in Q1 2025 reaching 1.17 million - far outpacing last year and smashing targets. Earnings hit USD 584.7 million, with both domestic and international travelers participating in the bonanza. The province is celebrating "poverty-free" status with tourism expansion and by making investments in education and infrastructure as well as increasing work to fill gaps in teaching talent in rural schools. Regional tourism events are expected to continue supporting growth, particularly the 2025 Mekong Tourism Forum.
Read more: Laotian Times (Tourism stats), Travel Daily News Asia (Tourism Forum)
Military Personnel Filling Rural Teacher Gap
A grave shortage of teachers in remote provinces is being filled with the expansion of a program that is training military personnel to become teachers. These educators, after specialized training and a 70% salary bonus, are being sent to rural schools in Phongsaly and Luang Prabang. The program relies on data collection to match teachers with the most underserved areas and will go some way to fill longstanding education quality gaps made worse by infrastructure limits and high dropout rates.
Read more: Laotian Times
US Slashes Aid To, Restricts Travel From Laos
The US is cutting 72% of its development aid to Laos, bringing a stop to support for disability services, anti-trafficking, energy, and private sector programs, with only health and nutrition to continue. Laos must now find other sources of funding and may need to revise its development plans for 2026-2030 as a result. The US has also placed Laos on its "orange list" for travel thanks to high visa overstay rates by Lao citizens, which is likely to result in visa restrictions.
Read more: Fulcrum
New Currency Platform to Stabilize Lao Kip
The Bank of the Lao PDR is pulling in the reins on foreign currency management to support the national currency and bring some much needed stability to exchange rates. The Lao Foreign Exchange (LFX) platform centralizes transactions, mandatory conversion rules are now in force for exporters, and transfer documentation is required for sums above $10,000. A 0.3% transfer fee is also being enforced as part of series of reforms signed into law between 2022 and 2024.
Read more: VDB Loi
Foreign Investment Floods into Forestry
New Forests has acquired a majority in Burapha Agro-Forestry, which holds 6,000 hectares of planted forests and conservation areas alongside a plywood mill and carbon offset projects. The deal brings New Forests' portfolio in Laos to 85,000 hectares and introduces voluntary carbon projects for afforestation. Lao land and growth conditions are expected to continue bringing in foreign investment in forestry and climate projects.
Read more: IPE Real Assets
Laos-Thailand Beef Up Border Security
Laos and Thailand have mapped out new ways to protect their shared border. Joint protocols are targeting smuggling, illegal migration, human trafficking, and drug movement via better information sharing and law enforcement. The two governments are saying that better border controls are central to peace and increased cross-border commerce.
Read more: The Star
Vietnam-Laos Toast Half Century of Partnership
Top state officials from Vietnam and Laos celebrated their bilateral relationships during a series of high-level meetings and a state visit, to mark 50 years of National Assembly cooperation. The usual notes were broadcast, with both teams saying they would world to support existing partnership agreements, create a new commemorative book, and expand cooperation on political, security, and regional stability issues.
Read more: VietnamPlus (Collaboration), VOV (State visit), VOV (Partnerships)
UK Pushes For Human Rights
The UK is calling on Laos to open civic spaces, do a better job of protecting community land rights, and solve the human trafficking problem during Laos' Universal Periodic Review in Geneva. While praising steps on women's rights and engagement with UN mechanisms, the UK also said there was a need for deeper reforms.
Read more: Mirage News
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading.
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