Laos is a Southeast Asian country traversed by the Mekong River and known for mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements and Buddhist monasteries.
History[]
Laos has been backwards and isolated since independence in 1953, preoccupied with infighting between various factions. During the Vietnam War, it had more bombs dropped on it per capital than the entire world during WW2, making it the most bombed country in the world to that point. After the war, it became a client of Vietnam. The laid-back communist government could even explain how Buddhism and Communism were compatible. The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) formalized private trade and started inviting foreign companies to help exploit the natural resources. The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Sathalanalat Pasathipatai Pasason Lao) was set to try and enter the 21st century.
The Khmer Rouge invasion of Unfortunately, in 2003, the Khmer Rouge invaded Laos after being ousted from Cambodia, with the hopes to continue on to invade Vietnam. They haven't been able to cross the Vietnamese border very often due to the squadrons of American mercenaries guarding it. The haven't been able to invade Myanmar either, due to the intervention of Khan Pa.
They have predictably started wiping out the Vietnamese and moved as many people as they could find down into the 1/3 of the country that is farm-able. They've also wiped out as many temples as they could find. In the hills, the hiding tribal Thai and Hmong Sayasat (folk magic) priests are being hunted by the KR. Anyone caught using English or French is also executed. The KR has taken control of the Laotian drug trade in the Golden Triangle, and trades with Myanmar, Thailand, and the Maoist Loyalist Cabal. KR and the MLC helped each other fight their mutual foes. but now that the MLC is in remission, the KR are bracing for an attack from the Chinese in the next few years, and are buying all the weapons they can.[1]
Government[]
Laos is controlled by the Khmer Rouge, with the surviving former Vietnamese-installed government having fled back hope. The KR is rumored to be led by Pol Pot still, but since this would make him about 95 years old, only the KR toadies buy it. Orders come from a central source, but nobody knows who that person is.
The Khmer Rouge are sane enough to know that Thailand is the only country who will supply them, and try to stay on good terms. Therefore, they let Khan Pa and the other KMT druglords ship down the Mekong river with no interference. What they don't know is that Khan is smuggling out Laotian citizens as well, for a hew price.[1]
Economy[]
The sole form of economy in Laos is that the Khmer Rouge sell rice to Thailand in exchange for guns.[1]
Reference[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 PASQUARETTE, C. Pacific Rim Sourcebook. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1994. (pp.89–90)