Happy 30th Lao PDR

Since C has already started writing about the trip I thought I'd take the opportunity to let you know that today is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. I'm in two minds about whether or not to celebrate this.

On the one hand I kind secretly like the fact the the mighty US military, the most highly funded militia in the world, got kicked out of Indochina by a bunch of farmers. On the other hand the repression that this regime and it's cousin in Vietnam (let's not even go near the mess that happened in Cambodia) have instituted and continue to carry out despite much vaulted reforms makes this victory problematic.

At the paper we're printing a whole bunch of accolades and not a whole lot anything else.

International organisations and governments are sending in their congratulations (including, ironically, the US) and everyone is pretending like all is well in Laos.

Things aren't so well. Travelling in the north of the country was a very sobering experience. The extreme poverty is in-your-face evident as soon as you step out of touristed areas and get into the mountains. Young children with distended stomachs and hair streaked light by malnourishment are the norm, not the exception.

So while the top brass in the party congratulate themselves on their "historic victory" I sit here and wonder how many of them would give up their Mercedes to put food in the stomachs of "the proud and patriotic multi-ethnic peoples of Laos".

Sadly, the only answer I can come up with is zero.

Happy birthday Laos, hopefully one day you will actually grow up a little.