Laos: Activist shooting shows risks to government critics

Anousa "Jack" Luangsuphom was reported dead on Wednesday morning after he was shot in the face and chest at point blank range by an unidentified man in a cafe in Vientiane on Saturday, April 29. But new photo evidence shows that Luangsuphom survived the attack.

Kenneth Roth, a former Human Rights Watch (HRW) executive director, initially posted a tweet condeming the activist's "killing."

Luangsuphom is one of the few outspoken critics of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and operates the Kub Kluen Duay Keyboard (Driven By Keyboard) Facebook page that discusses local issues.

Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director, said the Lao government must bring the attackers to justice.

"This act of violence in downtown Vientiane, where someone is targeted this way, is unprecedented. It's critical for the Lao government to thoroughly and impartially investigate this attack and get to the bottom of who was responsible and hold this person accountable," he said.

Robertson underlined the shooting would make activists even more afraid of speaking against the government or its policies.

"There's absolutely no doubt that it [the shooting] will have a chilling effect on others who are speaking out about corruption, government's poor performance, or other issues that are considered to be sensitive or critical in Laos," he added.

Intimidation tactics

Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, is governed under a one-party system by the communist LPRP.

Rights groups say Lao authorities have failed to prevent or properly respond to attacks against government critics in the past.

In 2012, Sombath Somphone, a civil society activist, was taken into police custody in the capital Vientiane, but his whereabouts are still unknown.

Od Savavong, a Lao activist who had been living in Bangkok, has been missing for nearly four years. Savavong had fled to Thailand, which neighbours Laos, but hasn't been seen since August 2019.

Shalmali Guttal, executive director at Focus on the Global South, a non-profit think-tank in Bangkok, says the Lao government was unwilling to tolerate dissident voices. "Young people posting on social media are either straight up arrested or intimidated by police. The government has a good informant and digital surveillance system," she told DW.

"The fear of being arrested and thrown into jail for years, and the fear of being physically attacked, both are tangible because they've happened," she added.

In recent years, Lao authorities have also cracked down on pro-democracy activists, arresting several demonstrators from the Lao National Unity group in November 2019 after they had planned a rally in Vientiane. Rights groups said the organizers had to cancel the event because many of the activists were put under state surveillance.

In June 2021, environmental activist Houayheung "Muay" Xayabouly was imprisoned for five years after she repeatedly criticized the government over its mishandling of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam collapse, which killed dozens of people.

Economy in dire straits

Reports say that Luangsuphom recently posted comments on his Facebook page that challenged the government's narrative that farmers had caused the recent cloudy haze pollution in Laos.

Guttal says it's normal for citizens to express their opinions: "People who ask questions about governance, about the economy, who point out the haze and environmental pollution, they are rights defenders. They also think of themselves as just Lao citizens. They are not attempting to attack the government; they are asking questions and want answers," she underlined.

Laos' economy has struggled in recent years, with the effects of the COVID pandemic, rising inflation, weak exchange rate and slow domestic revenue. The communist government has set a 4.5% growth target for 2023, but international financial data agencies forecast that this goal would not be met.

"We are seeing more and more younger people getting angry about what's happening in the country. The dams, corruption, lack of public services… Young people don't see a future [in Laos], and they want a good education, proper jobs. So, they go online, go to Thailand, and they see job opportunities developing in other places where they can flourish more professionally," said Guttal.

'Shut up, don't pick a fight with us!'

Laos is labeled "not free" for political rights and civil liberties, according to the Freedom House 2022 Index.

Guttal believes there is a genuine fear in the country of being imprisoned for activism.

"In the past cases, we know that people were arrested for what they said or did. In this case [Luangsuphom shooting], we don't have the evidence. Because he has been a social media presence, the immediate assumption is that he was attacked in a bid to silence him. But it was a clear murder attempt and a message: 'Shut up, and don't pick a fight with us!'" she said.

Edited by: Shamil Shams