Bomb fears at Laos anniversary

A memorial to the Vietnam War dead is prepared

By Owen Bennett-Jones in Hanoi

Security is tight as Laos celebrates 25 years of communism in the country on Saturday.

Over the last eight months there have been a series of bomb explosions in the capital Vientiane.

And the number of police deployed on the streets suggests they fear further attempts to disrupt proceedings.

It is not clear who is responsible for the latest attacks, but some diplomats in Laos think they could be linked to ethnic unrest in Laos's northern mountains.

Others believe the attacks reflect divisions within the communist party leadership.

Earlier this year, one prominent government minister sought asylum in New Zealand.

Heavily bombed

When the Laos Peoples Revolutionary Party came to power, a quarter of a century ago, the country was recovering from the Vietnam War.

The fighting had spilled over the border, and Laos had become one of the most heavily bombed countries on earth. It was also one of the poorest.

The last 25 years have brought little change. Agriculture, mostly subsistence rice farming, still employs most of the population.

The collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of funds from Moscow. That forced the ageing politburo to open up the economy, but so far it has failed to attract much foreign investment.

Laos's exiled royal family has tried to capitalise on the difficulties faced by the communist leadership, and has called for a vote on the possible restoration of a constitutional monarchy.

But for all the challenges they face Lao's communists show no sign of giving up their grip on power.