Lao People's Armed Forces

History

According to some journalists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), humanitarian and human rights organisations, the Lao People's Army has repeatedly engaged in egregious human rights violations and the practice of corruption in Laos.

The LPAF and its military intelligence play a role in the arrest, imprisonment and torture of foreign prisoners in Vientiane's Phonthong Prison and the communist Lao gulag system where Australians Kerry and Kay Danes were imprisoned and where civic activist Sombath Somphone may be imprisoned following his arrest in December 2012.

On 17 May 2014, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Douangchay Phichit was killed in a plane crash, along with other officials. The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces. Their Russian-built Antonov AN 74-300 with 20 people on board crashed in Xiangkhouang Province.

Organisation

The LPRP statute states that its political leadership over the military emanates from the LPRP Central Committee's Central Committee for National Defense and Security and is the highest decision-making institution regarding military and security affairs. The committee is chaired by the LPRP General Secretary, making the officeholder the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

Branches

The LPAF has three known service branches:

Lao People's Army (includes Riverine Force)

Lao People's Air Force

Self-Defense Militia Forces

Regional structure

LPA Headquarters (Vientiane)

Military Region 1

Military Region 2

Military Region 3

Military Region 4

Vientiane Capital Military Command

Education

Kaysone Phomvihane National Defence Academy

Viengxay Military Training School

Equipment

Mortars

81mm

82mm

120mm

Soviet Union M1938 mortar

Soviet Union 120mm: M-43

United States M2 4.2 inch mortar