Lao government muted representatives to ASEAN people’s forum
Laos’ representatives attending a meeting of civil society organizations that is held each year during the ASEAN summit said little about human rights issues inside their own authoritarian country because they were selected by the government in Vientiane, sources tell RFA. “Most Lao representatives are selected by the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs to participate the 2016 APF in East Timor,” a civil society official told RFA’s Lao Service, on condition of anonymity. “They are fully registered and verified Lao civil society organization members, but those with temporary registrations were not selected.”
