Pre-reform Laos

[Rural Comrade]

Anyone got good information on Laos from the formation of the Lao People's Democratic republic until it's reforms which I believe were in the 90s. I'm looking for political, economic, and cultural information.

[Zostrianos]

I know a bit about the cultural and religious side; the Pathet Lao was more decent than other contemporary Maoist movements, and they imposed communism while preserving the local culture and religious traditions, using Buddhism as a means of disseminating Marxist ideas throughout society. It's by far my favourite Asian communist movement. They did things right in my opinion. I don't know much about the post reform era though.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/laos-txt.htm

[Rural Comrade]

Thanks for the info though it was unexpected but welcomed I would still like to know if anyone else has some political or economic information on Laos between 1975 and 1990.

Also would an admin or mod please move this to history I did not think about that when posting this.

[Flying Purple People Eater]

I know a bit about the cultural and religious side; the Pathet Lao was more decent than other contemporary Maoist movements, and they imposed communism while preserving the local culture and religious traditions, using Buddhism as a means of disseminating Marxist ideas throughout society. It's by far my favourite Asian communist movement. They did things right in my opinion. I don't know much about the post reform era though.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/laos-txt.htm

This was actually what had made it most sinister of the maoist movements. This is the same Buddhism that forced women to be subservient to men at every turn, from being condescended to not being able to pass a threshold before a man did to not being able to even hang their clothes above a males'. The same buddhism that justified existing power structures and favored complete isolation over internationalism.

And lets not forget the slaughter of non-laotians (particularly Hmong, who had groups financed by the US but were still classified by the LPDR as 'ethnic group = political group') in order to make it a 'pure' country.

The Buddhism practiced in Laos is thoroughly reactionary and exists today in bulk only because of actions taken by the LPDR and it's reactionary leadership.

[Zostrianos]

This was actually what had made it most sinister of the maoist movements.

More sinister than the Khmer Rouge?

[Flying Purple People Eater]

More sinister than the Khmer Rouge?

The Khmer rouge weren't maoists.