By Beatrice Siviero/AFP – The Lao capital Vientiane has an uncharacteristic buzz lately, bedecked with flags and T-shirt vendors ahead of commemorations of 50 years of Laos on 2 December, but for many young people, history carries little weight.
Pathet Lao established the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) on 2 December 1975, following a decades-long civil war.
Laos became a one-party state, King Savang Vatthana died in captivity, and centralized planning was imposed on the economy as landlocked Laos, always remote, became increasingly isolated.
It later opened up and embraced market reforms, but remains among Asia’s least developed countries.
Thousands of troops and state personnel will take part in a military parade on Tuesday to mark the anniversary, in keeping with other key dates in September in ideologically aligned neighbors China and Vietnam.
But the past does not resonate with many young Laotians.
“Of course, we do learn history in school, but we don’t talk about it much,” said Thiradeth Khamhoung, 19, an economics student in Thailand who co-founded PrepPath, a platform helping Lao high school students explore careers and plan their futures.
“We don’t let political circumstances get in our way when we’re building something,” he told AFP.
“My suggestion for many youth would be just start it, don’t let politics, which we can’t control, hold you back.”
People joke that the abbreviation Lao PDR means “Lao Please Don’t Rush”.
But Bart insists: “Please don’t rush, it doesn’t mean we can’t develop. It’s about finding our strengths, working on what we’re good at, and building from there.
“Laos will change in the next 50 years just as it has since its independence: slowly, but steadily.”
TikTok Window
Social media is one of the drivers of change, he added, even affecting language.
“Some of the words my grandpa used were in French, and I didn’t even know what he was talking about,” he said.
“Now, a lot of those French words are being replaced by Thai words. Media and social media are a big reason for that.”
Tony, a 21-year-old university student in Vientiane, said many young people get their fashion trends, ideas, and global outlook from TikTok.
“It’s like a window to the world,” he said.
Migration to Thailand for work is commonplace, and thousands of Lao students head overseas each year, drawn by international education and better job prospects.
“Compared to my grandparents, it’s easy for us now,” said one Lao master’s student in Australia. “You just go on Google, and you can learn what you want.
“In the next 10 or 20 years, people will be speaking up more and have more freedoms.”
Trump Tariffs
China is Laos’ dominant economic partner through infrastructure investments, including a railway linking Vientiane and Kunming, in Yunnan province, and a wider economic corridor.
In recent years, hydropower exports have been a key economic driver, while garment factories, electronics assemblers, and other light-manufacturing firms have relied on the American market.
But expansion is slowing, and inflation is rising while GDP per capita remains around USD 2,100 according to the World Bank’s most recent figures, and it now faces Trump tariffs of 40 percent, one of the highest rates in the world.
Those pressures mean the mindset of the younger generation is changing, “especially when comparing my grandparents’ political and economic views to my own”, said communications officer Namfon Sirithirath, 30.
“It’s good that youth engagement is currently being promoted,” she said.
“It would be much better if it were promoted more, and if policymakers listened more to their concerns or issues, so that in the future, policies could be put in place that are more appropriate for the current era.”
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/12/01/young-lao-push-for-change-50-years-after-party-victory/
