Posted on January 20, 2019
Today large posters will remind citizens of Laos that, on this date in 1949, the independent Lao Army was created.
Having independent armed forces was a huge factor leading to Laos's independence from France...but soon after achieving independence, Laos suffered from a long civil war and eventual communist rule. Today, Laos is rated one of the most corrupt nations in the world, and one of the poorest. It's the poorest nation in Southeast Asia, and I can't help wondering if its status as a landlocked nation (no access to an ocean) is part of its trouble. The "rule of law" is not well established, and Laos's human rights record is bad.
So, bad news mounting upon bad news! What's the good news?
Like other nations, Laos has some sites of great natural beauty - especially on the Bolaven Plateau, with its many gorgeous waterfalls:
Laos's ancient culture has many aspects of wisdom and beauty:
Some of the shrines and temples are amazing:
And what can I say about Xieng Khuan, or Buddha Park, with more than 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues? Ultra-amazing!
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| Notice that there are so many statues, it's hard to get a good shot of just one! |
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| It's especially difficult to get a good photo of this reclining Buddha (above), because it's sooooooooo long (below). |
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| Here is a photo with a full-grown man sitting within one statue. That gives you a guide to the scale of the statue! |
Of course, children from everywhere are beautiful!
Also on this date:
National Heroes' Day in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
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