Major General Soutchay Thammasith became the minister of security of Laos in 2002, replacing Asang Laoly. Before becoming the security minister, he was the vice minister of the interior.[ citation needed ] He retired on February 17, 2005, citing health reasons. [1]
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country and one of the two Marxist-Leninist states in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.
The politics of the Lao People's Democratic Republic takes place in the framework of a one-party parliamentary socialist republic. The only legal political party is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The head of state is President Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also the LPRP general secretary, making him the supreme leader of Laos. The head of government is Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
The Lao People's Armed Forces or the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, who are charged with protecting the country.
The Kingdom of Laos was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975. Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. The country was governed as a constitutional monarchy beginning with its independence on 22 October 1953. It survived until December 1975, when its last king, Sisavang Vatthana, surrendered the throne to the Pathet Lao during the civil war in Laos, who abolished the monarchy in favour of a Marxist–Leninist state called the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which has controlled Laos ever since.
The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. The Kingdom of Laos was a covert theater during the Vietnam War with both sides receiving heavy external support in a proxy war between the global Cold War superpowers. The fighting also involved the North Vietnamese, South Vietnamese, American and Thai armies, both directly and through irregular proxies. The war is known as the Secret War among the American CIA Special Activities Center, and Hmong and Mien veterans of the conflict.
Charles Woodruff Yost was a career U.S. Ambassador who was assigned as his country's representative to the United Nations from 1969 to 1971.
William Healy Sullivan was an American Foreign Service career officer who served as ambassador to Laos from 1964 to 1969, the Philippines from 1973 to 1977, and Iran from 1977 to 1979.
The president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of state of Laos. The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith, since 22 March 2021. He was previously elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Laos' most powerful position in January 2021, ranking him first in the Politburo.
The Ministry of Public Security is the ministry of the interior of Laos.
The Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, formerly the chairman of the Council of Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the head of government of Laos. The highest position in the government, they direct the country's executive branch. The prime minister is accountable to the president, the National Assembly and the country's only legal party: the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The current prime minister is Sonexay Siphandone, who was elected in 2022.
Thongloun Sisoulith is a Lao historian and politician serving as General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party since 15 January 2021 and President of Laos since 22 March 2021.
The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was established on November 10, 2000, at Vientiane, Laos at the First MGC Ministerial Meeting. It comprises six member countries, namely India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The four areas of cooperation are tourism, culture, education, and transportation. The organization takes its name from the Ganga and the Mekong, two large rivers in the region.
Asang Laoly is a retired Lao politician, Major General, and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). While he was the Deputy Prime Minister of Laos from 2002 to 2016, he also held a number of leadership positions in both the government and in LPRP.
Thongbanh Sengaphone was a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). He served as Minister of Public Security and held seats in the LPRP's Central Committee and the Secretariat.
Phankham Viphavanh is a Laotian politician, a member of the Politburo and the Executive Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He became the Prime Minister of Laos, who was elected by the National Assembly of Laos in March 2021. He retired in December 2022.
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party is the office of the highest-ranking member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). Since the party's takeover in 1975, its leader has been the supreme leader of Laos. The General Secretary is also the Chairman of the Defense and Public Security Commission, the commander-in-chief of the Lao People's Armed Forces. From 1991 to 2006, the office was titled Chairman of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The Party's Central Committee elects the General Secretary. The General Secretary usually also becomes President of Laos eventually, though from 1975 to 1991 and from 1992 to 1998 he was usually Prime Minister.
Sombath Somphone is an internationally acclaimed community development worker and prominent member of Lao civil society. Sombath was abducted from a Vientiane street in 2012 and has not been seen since.
Visitors to Laos must obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
On 17 May 2014, an Antonov An-74 transport aircraft of the Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force crashed while en route to Xiangkhouang Province, northern Laos, killing all but one of the 17 people on board. Among the victims were several Laotian politicians travelling to attend a ceremony celebrating the 55th anniversary of the second division of the Lao People's Army.
India–Laos relations, also referred to as Indian-Lao relations or Indo-Lao relations, are bilateral relations between India and Laos. Relations between two nations were established in February 1956. First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru visited Laos in 1954 while first President of India Rajendra Prasad visited Laos in 1956. India considers Laos as strategically important in accordance with China's growing land-reclamation activities in the South China Sea. Laos has been supportive to India's efforts to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.