Since Vietnamese soldiers had aided the Pathet Lao, the new ''Socialist'' Republic of Vietnam demanded that Laos closed all relations with the world. Only Vietnam was allowed to trade with the tiny nation. This isolation meant that Vietnam had a lot of power in the Laotian government. No high-ranking politician would criticize the Vietnamese and their demands, because a concentration camp was always waiting for new ''counter-revolutionaries'' to be ''re-educated''
Like all stalinist nations, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party ( LPRP ) was the only party allowed. In 1979, it created the Lao Front for National Construction, that front united all mass organisations around the LPRP. In today's Laos, all organisations must be registered with the Lao Front for National Construction. This includes all religions and their institutions!
Since Laos was a backward nation in 1975, the LPRP had little opposition. Only the Hmong people proved to be anticommunist. Those Hmong aided the criminals of the CIA during the secret war between 1954 and 1975. The new Stalinist government started to hunt down ethnic members of the Hmong. Anticommunists say that the Lao government was starting an ethnic genocide against the Hmong people!
While a change in power can led to a power-struggle in many stalinist nations. In Laos every change in leadership goes very smooth. Stalinist leaders have been raised to rule their nation from child birth. Young people are trained in the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union. Here they train their youth to be good patriots and always to obey the party. Marxism Leninism is only a propaganda ideology, used for propaganda purpose only. There is little enthusiasm for the party in today's Laos. Only those from elitist families can enjoy the fruits of the new capitalist market economy. People like Od Phongsavanh, a Lao capitalist who owns Lao Central Airlines and a private bank. Phongsavanh is one of many new capitalists who benefit from the capitalist reforms that started in 1986.
Workers however don't benefit. Capitalism has not led to more wealth. Sure some capitalists got wealthy, but almost all Laotians remain very poor. Corruption by state bureaucrats and greedy capitalists is turning Laos into a Thailand like nation. Prostitution is now more common then 10 years ago, since sex is now big money. Like in Thailand, the Lao people find out that they can make money with the female body!
Meanwhile the red flag with the yellow hammer and sickle, still flies next to the Lao national flag. Like in Vietnam you see this flag a lot. But it has little meaning, most Lao know the flag to be the party flag of the LPRP. But its historical meaning is unknown to many. They have no idea that the hammer stands for workers and the sickle for peasants. Red is the color of the workers blood that were spilled. Unfortunate there is no class struggle in Laos. That is how the elitists like it. Because if there was a genuine Communist Party of Laos, it could pose a danger to their wealth and status as rulers. Some students have already ''disappeared'' after they called for democracy!
But the LPRP has nothing to fear. The people are kept stupid and even the works of Marx and Lenin are not sold too much. Sure some Marxist books are allowed, but only those who are approved by the party. Choummaly Sayasone is the current president of Laos. He was ''elected'' president in 2006. Sayasone is one of the old guard he is born in 1936, that makes him 76 years old. Laos leadership is still very much centered around the people who were members of the party before 1975. Ex-prince Souphanouvong was the one who ruled Laos between 1975 and 1991. After Souphanouvong left the office, another old guard took over. Laos never had a leader who was born after 1975!
Unlike other dictatorships who fear their population, Laos is not that well armed. The Lao People's Army only has about 30.000 troops. Compare that to Vietnam were 400.000 soldiers are active. Its ground forces have 30 outdated T-55 battle tanks, no modern ones are in service. The People's Liberation Army Air Force of Laos has 25 old Mig-21 fighters and another 20 helicopters. But this army is so weak, it cannot defend the ruling parasites if the workers and peasants rise up. Laos has 6 million people, even 100.000 rebels could easy defeat this army!
But the people of Lao are still backward and have no understanding of class struggle. The Marxist books are censored, only to produce propaganda for the ruling party. The capitalist world is happy enough with the capitalist reforms in Laos. They don't need a democracy. So it is up to genuine revolutionary socialists/communists to take a stand against the LPRP and all anticommunists who want to turn Laos into a another capitalist hell on Earth!
Only 30.000 troops defend the dictatorship of the LPRP
