Laos

Accompanied by the Apostolic Vicar of Vientiane, Bishop Adoun Hongsaphong, a Buddhist delegation met with Pope Leo XIV yesterday following the general audience, before proceeding to visit the Community of Sant'Egidio. The last such visit took place in 1973, when Laos’s supreme patriarch met with Pope Paul VI.

Khieo Lapchanh, 26, was due to meet with the UN refugee agency the day after he disappeared. He had received threats after posting videos critical of the Laotian government. The case once again draws attention to the plight of Laotian dissidents abroad and the protection provided by Thailand.

New data released by Thailand shows that in some tributaries, arsenic concentrations caused by active mining operations exceed the limits set by guidelines. Civil society initiatives are calling for greater cooperation among the countries in the basin, as well as more concrete measures to halt the pollution.

More than 4.7 million people were eligible to vote in yesterday’s election to the Lao National Assembly, dominated by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to. On the same day, the death of activist Bao Mo Khaen, known for his outspoken denunciations of corruption and restrictions on freedom of expression, was confirmed. Before the vote, one of the few non-party lawmakers dropped out.

Speaking at the regional summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on Asian countries to “close ranks” in the face of global challenges, primarily that of trade with the United States. Southeast Asia must maintain open markets while avoiding becoming embroiled in a trade duel between superpowers. The summit saw the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement upgraded. The Philippines will take over the association’s rotating presidency next year.

Yesterday, Dili officially became the 11th nation in the Southeast Asian bloc. The end of a 14-year journey was marked by a highly symbolic ceremony attended by all regional leaders. Prime Minister Rala Xanana Gusmao was the last to add his signature. Challenges and responsibilities related to inclusion remain.

The canonisation of the young man who lived between 1991 and 2006 and used the internet to spread the faith will take place tomorrow in St Peter's, together with Piergiorgio Frassati. Some of his relics are also travelling to Asian countries, where his peers are getting to know him. A ‘great message of hope’ for young Koreans preparing for the next World Youth Day. In Bangkok, young people say: ‘He is one of us.’ A new seminary named after him in Laos.

Laos plans to merge four ministries and cut public spending in what analysts are calling the largest government shake-up in decades. Foreign debt has reached 94 per cent of GDP, half with China alone, incurred to finance projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Like Vietnam’s provincial reform, the move in Laos is aimed at cutting costs and boosting the control by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, but it raises questions about its actual impact.

Recently, a Laotian political refugee was seriously injured in Pau, France, where he has been living for three years after receiving threats for exposing corruption and the government’s role in the tragedy of the collapse of a dam. His is not an isolated case, some NGOs report. For their part, French authorities believe the attack was most likely politically motivated.

Thailand has downplayed the incident, while Cambodia has not yet issued a statement. No one was killed or wounded during the 10-minute exchange. Quick action by the military of the two countries avoided escalation. The incident stems from unresolved border disputes, which also concern Laos.

The National Assembly of Laos has completed its examination of the new draft constitution, which aims to strengthen local administrations, promote a self-sufficient economy, and strengthen the role of the People’s Prosecution Office in legal proceedings. Among the novelties, there is also the explicit recognition of the Laotian diaspora as an integral part of the nation.

Southeast Asia expert Bridget Welsh analyses Kuala Lumpur's first steps at the helm of the bloc: the leadership will be successful if it puts ‘the interests of those who live in the region above those of its leaders’. ‘Calling for “inclusive elections” in Myanmar contradicts the real situation on the ground’.