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LAOS COSTUMES

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Womens Costume

Sinh ( Silk dress )

A long traditional skirt,usually made of silkand

features a wide and often

elaborately woven section

at the foot.

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houa sinh (waistband)

pheun sinh (body )

tdin sinh (hem)

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Sam Nuea Style Silk

Sinhs

These are woven in the Sam Neua

area, with a thicker silk yarn and

have an especially lustrous qualitywith the use of the gold-colored silk.

The weaving is complex with the use

of discontinuous supplementary

weft and ikat weft and some of thesinhs are woven in the muk style,

with supplementary warp. The tdin

sinh pattern is woven into these

sinhs.

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Ikat Silk Sinhs

Ikat (mut mii in Laos) is the

technique of resist-tying and

dyeing a pattern in the warpor weft yarns prior to weaving.

Multiple colors can be

achieved by dyeing different

sections in sequence, from the

lightest to the darkest tones

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Nok Hong Kham Heritage

Silk Sinhs

A clean, classic design with the

design only in the hem

dok khom - a stylizedflower.

Dok Khuam gab Dok

Gnai.- two flowers, one

flower facing up back-to-back to

a flower facing down.

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Hairstyle

Attending significant

events, Lao women wearthe sinh, scarves and coiled

hair styles .

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Mens Costumes

pha nung()

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Mens

Costumes

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Mens Costumes

Phaa Biang

A long band or scarf wornover one shoulder, usually

on special occasions (

wedding, funeral, etc)

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Hmong Costumes

Men : - long black pants held at the waist by a red

band,

-black shirt .

For special occasions, white shirt ,embroideredvest .

Women : headband, black/ multicolored shirt,

arm bands on the sleeves, long pants, a striped

plaited skirt (for the Mong Leng) or a plain plaited

white skirt (for the Hmong Der). The pants andskirts are held up by a red cloth band tied around

the waist. If a skirt is used, an apron-like square of

cloth that hangs down to the feet is worn in the

front. On special occasions, the embroidered

cloth bands decorated with silver coins

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Hmong Spirit People

Cloths

These intricate and creative

designs have evolved from the

Hmong's traditional use of a singlefigure that would be sewn on the

back of a jacket of a child or sick

adult to frighten off bad spirits.

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Some ethnic costumes

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LAOS CUSTOM

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Nop is perform by placing palms together in a position ofpraying at chest level, but NOT touching the body. The higher

the hands, the greater the sign of respect to persons of higherstatus and age. It is also used as and expression of thanks,regret or saying good-bye. But with western people it isacceptable to shake hands.

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When entering a Wat or a private home it is customary to remove one'sshoes. In Lao homes raised off the ground, the shoes are left at the stairsand one sits on low seats or cushions on the floor. Men usually sit withtheir legs crossed or folded to one side, women prefer solely the latter.Upon entering guests may be served fruit or tea. These gestures ofhospitality should not be refused.

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Lao people traditionally drink from a

shared glass. There is a 'ritual' where

a 'pourer' chooses how to much to

fill the glass and must drink first by

saying 'sanur deur!' (me first), then

emptying it. Then he or she refillsthe glass to the same level and

hands it to the next person, followed

by each one of the group.

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RELATIONS WITH OTHERCOUNTRIES

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Starting in 1893, Laotian kingdoms were subjected to the "protection" of France,

which reasserted Vietnamese claims against Siam to all Laotian territories east of

the Mekong River and in Xaignabouri and Champasak. This period of subordination

was followed by the intervention of the United States and Thailand after 1954,

succeeded by Vietnamese communists after 1975. More recently, since 1989,

foreign policy has veered back toward more independence, in relinquishing bothMarxist-Leninist ideology and the special influence of Vietnam.

BasicGoals

The basic goals of foreign policy have not differed from one regime to another.

National security or survival are fundamental concerns

Officially, the government has dedicated itself to a foreign policy ofpeace,

"independence, friendship and non-alignment,"

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After the takeover by the Pathet Lao :

+hostile posture toward the West

+ aligned with the Soviet bloc, maintaining close ties with the SovietUnion and depending heavily on the Soviets

+maintained a "special relationship" with Vietnam and formalized a 1977

treaty of friendship and cooperation that created tensions with China. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and Vietnam's decreased ability to

provide assistance, Laos has sought to improve relations with its regionalneighbors.

Laos' emergence from international isolation has been marked throughimproved and expanded relations with other nations such as America,

Australia, France, Japan, Sweden, and India. Laos was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) in July 1997 and applied to join the World Trade Organization in1998. In 2005 it attended the inaugural East Asia Summit.

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Organizations

Laos is a member of the following international organizations: Agency for Culturaland Technical Cooperation (ACCT), Association of Southeast Asian NationsASEAN,ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Regional Forum, Asian Development Bank,Colombo Plan, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO), Group of 77G-77, International Bank forReconstruction and Development (World Bank), International Civil Aviation

Organization (ICAO), International Development Association (IDA), InternationalFund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC),International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, InternationalLabour Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Intelsat(nonsignatory user), Interpol, International Olympic Commission (IOC),International Telecommunication UnionITU, Mekong Group, Non-AlignedMovement (NAM), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), United Nations, UnitedNations Convention on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United NationsIndustrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU),World Federation of Trade Unions, World Health Organization (WHO), WorldIntellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological Organization(WMO), World Tourism Organization, World Trade Organization (observer).

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Relations with Vietnam

The Pathet Lao, was formed in North Vietnam. In 1953, Pathet Lao

guerrillas accompanied a Viet Minh invasion of Laos from Vietnam and

established a government at Samneua in N Laos.

Open warfare resumed in 1963 : the Pathet Lao, bolstered by supplies andtroops from North Vietnam, solidified control over most of N and E

Laos. After Communist victories in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Pathet Lao

took control of the country in 1975, made Laos a republic. Laos became

increasingly dependent on Vietnam for military and economic assistance,

and the two countries signed a 25-year treaty of friendship in 1977.

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Pathet Lao's government also signed agreements giving Vietnam the right

to station armed forces and to appoint advisers to assist in overseeing

the country. Laos was requestedin the late 1970s by Vietnam to end

relations with the People's Republic of China, leading to isolation in trade

by China, the United States, and other countries. The act of socialization

has slowly been replaced by the relaxation of economic restrictions in the

1980s and admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Laos is gradually becoming less dependent on Vietnam.

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Relation with China

Relations with China have traditionally consisted of trade and aid, largely

in road construction in the northern provinces of Laos, without directly

challenging the interests of Thailand or Vietnam in the central and

southern regions.

However, Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1978 to unseat then primeminister Pol Pot, provoked China .

Laos was caught in a dangerous bind, not wanting to further provoke

China, but not able to oppose its special partner, Vietnam.

The Laotian leadership survived the dilemma by making slightly delayed

pronouncements in support of Vietnam and by sharply reducingdiplomatic relations with China.

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At that time, Laos was requested by Vietnam to end relations with

the People's Republic of China the relation between Laos and China

almost came to a full break .

However, this hostile relationship gradually softened . Trade expanded

from the local sale of consumer goods to the granting of eleveninvestment licenses.

Laotian-Chinese Joint Border Committee was established in 1991, then

Laos and China agreed to delineate their common border. In recent years

China has started spending some of its enormous surplus in Laos .

Unlike its other neighbors, China has not historically dominated theLaotians.

China represents the most powerful remaining communist state to

which Laos might turn for support against Thai or Vietnamese hegemony.

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Relation with Thailand

Thailand is Laos' principal means of access to the sea and its primary

trading partner. Despite strong economic and cultural ties with Thailand,

parts of the border shared by the two countries are indefinite.

In 1987, conflicts originated in rival claims to forest resources based on

maps from the early days of the French protectorate. In 1988, Thai prime minister signed to open up the Indochina market

turned a deadly conflict into a wave of goodwill gestures and business

ventures. Thai and Laos leaders signed a communiqu, signaling their

intention to improve relations.

Since then, they have made slow but steady progress, notably theconstruction and opening of the Friendship Bridge between the two

countries.

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