History
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic was established in December 1975, succeeding the Kingdom of Laos. This followed decades of civil war between the Royal Lao Government and the communist Pathet Lao, as well as involvement in the 2nd Indochina conflict. With the defeat of the royalists, the monarchy was abolished and the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) instituted a one-party State. The Constitution of Lao PDR was adopted in 1991.
Politically the country has considerably opened up in recent years, ratifying six out of the nine core human rights treaties, creating a more conducive legal environment for civil society, and actively pursuing regional and global integration. Lao PDR joined the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997, the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2013 and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.