The Indigenous World 2025: Laos

Written on 25 April 2025. Posted in Laos

With a population of just over 7 million,^[1] the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos) is the most ethnically diverse country in mainland Southeast Asia.^[2] The ethnic Lao, comprising around half of the population, dominate the country economically and culturally. There are, however, some provinces and districts where the number of Indigenous people exceeds that of the Lao and where their culture is prominent. There are four ethnolinguistic families in Laos and Lao-Tai language-speaking groups represent two-thirds of the population. The other third speaks languages belonging to the Mon-Khmer, Sino-Tibetan and Hmong-Ew-Hmien families and they are considered to be the Indigenous Peoples of Laos. Officially, all ethnic groups have equal status in Laos, and the concept of Indigenous Peoples is not recognized by the government, despite the fact that Laos voted in favour of adopting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The Lao government uses the term ethnic group to refer to Indigenous people.

The Lao government currently recognizes 160 ethnic sub-groups within 50 ethnic groups. Indigenous Peoples, especially those who speak Hmong-Ew-Hmien languages, are unequivocally the most vulnerable groups in Laos. They face territorial, economic, cultural and political pressures and experience various threats to their livelihoods. Their land and resources are increasingly under pressure from pro-investment government development policies and commercial natural resource exploitation. Indigenous people lagged behind the majority Lao-Tai at all economic levels. They have more limited access to healthcare, lower rates of education, and less access to clean water and sanitation. Indigenous people relying on unimproved or surface water range from between 20 to 32.5%, compared to just 8.5% of Lao-Tai and, while only 13.9% of Lao-Tai practise open defecation, that rises to between 30.3 to 46.3% among Indigenous people.^[3]

Laos has ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) (1974), the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1981) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (2009). The Lao government, however, severely restricts fundamental rights, including freedom of speech (media), association, assembly and religion, and civil society is closely controlled. Organizations openly focusing on Indigenous Peoples or using related terms in the Lao language are thus not allowed, while open discussions about Indigenous Peoples with the government can be sensitive, especially since the issue is seen as pertaining to special (human) rights.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Challenges for Indigenous youth

Despite political commitment and support from international agencies and technological innovations, many adolescents and youth from Indigenous communities in Laos remain marginalized.^[4] Indigenous youth in Laos faces a number of issues, ranging from violence and early death from accidents to suicides, alcohol and substance abuse and many more. Adolescent girls are often particularly vulnerable. Addressing early marriage, adolescent pregnancies, poor nutrition, and improved access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, including contraception, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles, emerge as priority areas.^[5]

Access to education is one of the key challenges, with many still struggling with schooling in a language that is not their mother tongue. Further, high inflation and devaluation of the national currency have caused many schools in Indigenous communities to close due to the lack of teachers; this further exacerbates the critical situation of access to education amongst Indigenous children and youth.^[6]

Early marriage is widespread in Indigenous communities and the average adolescent birth rate is one of the highest in the region, with marked differences between urban and rural areas where a lack of roads results in poor health and barriers to self-development.^[7]

In many Indigenous communities, youth migrate to neighbouring Thailand, where they can earn as much as three times what they would be paid in Laos per month.^[8]

Most of the victims of human trafficking, violence and sexual exploitation are girls and adolescents. In 2024, 46 human trafficking cases were reported, including 40 girls under the age of 18. Many of those cases involved brokers and criminal networks deceiving women into dangerous and illegal activities, often linked to cyber-scam operations run from call centres. In some instances, minors were coerced into illegal marriages with foreign nationals. The majority of trafficking cases occur in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), particularly the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), where criminal groups exploit weak regulations and law enforcement challenges.^[9]

Initiatives targeting Indigenous youth  

The Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LYU), acting as the official youth wing of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) since the 1970s, is in charge of developing policy for the country’s youth.^[10] In February 2024, LYU organized its IV Quarterly Review Meeting and presented the plan for 2024. The plan focuses, among other things, on educating young people in political ideology, with special consideration for Indigenous youth in remote areas, undertaking projects to prevent drug problems, road accidents, combat human trafficking, and other issues, as well as continuing to provide vocational training and job creation for youth.^[11] In October, Laos hosted the Third ASEAN Youth Dialogue 2024, themed “Enhancing Comprehensive and Resilient Supports for Sustainable ASEAN Youth Development”. Throughout the dialogue, supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), youth representatives reviewed the ASEAN Youth Development Index in line with Laos’ youth development strategy. ^[12]Unfortunately, Indigenous youth were not even mentioned during the event, illustrating that cultural issues and human rights issues were not on the agenda of the organizers.

Also in 2024, in partnership with the Lao National Radio and with support from the European Union, UNICEF hosted a media workshop with young people from Luang Namtha, Bokeo, and Oudomxay provinces, regions known to have a high percentage of Indigenous Peoples, to empower youth voices and explore how youth can leverage media to advocate for child rights, focusing especially on issues such s education and digital learning. Many Indigenous youth who participated in the workshop are now producing content for various media, from social media to radio,^[13] including raising awareness about the environment, not just about safeguarding nature but about securing a brighter and healthier future for generations to come.^[14]

 Visit by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights

Alexandra Xanthaki, the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, visited Laos over 10 days in 2024. She declared that “Lao PDR must not sacrifice cultural diversity and cultural rights in the name of economic development and state unity.” Although Lao PDR legislation recognizes cultural rights, Xanthaki remained concerned about policies that assimilate ethnic minorities and Indigenous Peoples into the main Lao ethnic group, as well as the colorization of culture for tourism. The expert highlighted prejudice against non-dominant cultural practices labelled as “backward”, policies promoting “good culture” aligned with the party line, Lao-only education without cultural accommodation, and village relocations threatening traditional lifestyles.

The expert acknowledged the government's efforts towards economic development and poverty reduction but noted that development was viewed narrowly through a socio-economic lens: “Proper consultation where people can express their needs and grievances, let alone the free, prior and informed consent of local communities, is not possible where civic space simply does not exist and people fear retaliation.”^[15]

Decree on the Protection Forest

The Decree on the Protection Forest was ratified by the Prime Minister in January. The decree replaces and considerably expands the decree published in 2010 (from 32 to 69 articles). Article 31 recognizes the customary use of the Protection Forest, something that local people have long practised, including timber and non-timber forest products. Such activities are allowed in the village forest only and in accordance with the Protection Forest management plan and the law. On the other hand, Article 39 encourages and promotes the livelihood development of local people residing in or adjacent to the Protection Forest so that they can have better living conditions and stop shifting cultivation, which is perceived as backward and environmentally destructive.

It is important to note that this development should be understood in the context of the State strategy to create permanent settlements, with the allocation of land and housing and permanent production areas, and to encourage and promote commercial production and various forms of economic cooperation that are environmentally friendly and based on the potential of each local area, such as growing crops, animal husbandry, etc.^[16]

Recognition of land rights inside State forests

Finally, to end on a positive note, 2024 saw the adoption of the Lao regulatory framework, which recognizes customary rights inside State forests, in which over 3,000 communities, mostly Indigenous, are located. This framework includes the Resolution of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Approval for Rights in Using Forest Land;^[17] the Prime Minister’s Order on Land Tenure Recognition in Forestland,^[18] defining the roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF); and the draft MAF Instruction on Implementation of Prime Minister’s Order.

Development partners have provided significant financial support for the recognition of tenure rights inside forestland and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) has been mainstreamed in the procedure guideline used on the ground.

The implementation of the national regulatory framework supporting the recognition of customary land rights inside State forests will directly promote Indigenous Peoples’ resilience, traditional livelihoods, food security and rights to protect their traditional land from external threats.

The final version of the MAF Instruction is under preparation and several drafts have been presented to the development partners and ministries for comments. The exact modalities and criteria for recognition are yet to be finalized. This will allow Indigenous people living in Production, Protection and Conservation Forests to obtain land titles and land-use certificates leasing individual land, and will enable Indigenous communities’ collective rights to be formalized through the Village Forest Management Protection and Conservation Contract (VFMPC).

Meanwhile, in December 2024, with the financial support of the World Bank, the Department of Agricultural Land Management initiated a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) to ensure that potential risks and impacts, including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, elite capture, lack of participation of poor and female headed households, etc., are inventoried and that mitigation measures are proposed. Formalizing rights does not necessarily lead to tenure security. The Lao government faces the double challenge of ensuring a balance between forest protection while at the same time promoting individual and community land rights inside State forests. One of the key factors of success in this exercise remains the quality of the engagement of Indigenous communities and the extent to which their inputs are taken into consideration, and that the diversity of Indigenous Peoples’ customary tenure systems are recognized.^[19]

Steeve Davia, is an anthropologist. He has been working on Indigenous Peoples’ issues in Laos for 25 years. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] UNDP, Human Development Reports – Laos http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LAO;

^[2] Open Development Laos, https://laos.opendevelopmentmekong.net/topics/ethnic-minorities-and-indigenous-people/

^[3] Statement by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, on his visit to Lao PDR, 18-28 March 2019. Lao, Vientiane, 28 March 2019. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24417&LangID=E

^[4] David Young, Kaila Thorn, Vu Thi Hai Ha. 2024. Civic Space and Meaningful Engagement with Marginalised Youth through Youth Participatory Action Research in Laos and Viet Nam. https://www.youthandpolicy.org/articles/civic-space-and-meaningful-engagement/

^[5] UNIEF. Adolescence and Youth. Adolescent and youth development and participation

^[6] Personal communications with a teacher from the National University of Laos (NUOL), October 2024.

^[7] UNICEF, Adolescent and youth development and participation, https://www.unicef.org/laos/adolescence-and-youth#:~:text=Lao%20PDR%20has%20one%20of%20the%20highest%20adolescent,and%2042%20births%20per%201%2C000%20adolescent%20girls%2C%20respectively%29.

^[8] Interview with villagers in Paksong district, Champassack province.

^[9] Ngotsyoudom, Souliyasone. “Laos Reports 46 Human Trafficking Cases in 2024, 95 Arrested.” The Laotian Times, 30 January 2025.  https://laotiantimes.com/2025/01/30/laos-reports-46-human-trafficking-cases-in-2024-95-arrested/#:~:text=Laos%20recorded%2046%20cases%20of%20human%20trafficking%20in,to%20Deputy%20Minister%20of%20Public%20Security%20Khamking%20Phouilamanivong.

^[10] Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LYU) defines youth as being between the ages of 15 and 35.

^[11] Lao News Agency. “ສຊປລ ຈະສຸມໃສ່ສຶກສາອົບຮົມງານຊາວໜຸ່ມ -ເຍົາວະຊົນ ໃຫ້ແທດເໝາະກັບແຕ່ລະກຸ່ມເປົ້າໝາຍ.” 22 April 2024. https://kpl.gov.la/EN/detail.aspx?id=81996

^[12] 3rd ASEAN Youth Dialogue Opens in Luang Prabang, Aiming to Strengthen Youth Development. https://kpl.gov.la/EN/detail.aspx?id=86350

^[13] Lao News Agency. “EU, UNICEF Empower Lao Youth in Promoting Education, Digital Learning.” 23 July 2024. https://kpl.gov.la/EN/detail.aspx?id=84461

^[14] Silichamphone, Soudalath. “Because This is Our Home”, The Inspiring Journey of Chan, UNICEF Lao PDR’s First-Ever Youth Advocate. UNICEF, 13 June 2024. https://www.unicef.org/laos/stories/because-our-home

^[15] UN Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner. “UN expert urges Lao PDR to prioritize cultural rights.” 29 November 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/un-expert-urges-lao-pdr-prioritise-cultural-rights

^[16] Government of the Lao PDR, Decree on the Protection Forest. No #01.04/01/2024.

^[17] No 57/SC, MONRE's Notification No. 4187/MONRE, 2024.

^[18] No. 20/PM.

^[19] Steeve Daviau, Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA),

Enhancing Systematic Land Registration Project (ESLR), 2024.

Tags: Land rights, Youth