“Laos Refuses to Host Meeting of ASEAN Civil Society Groups”, 12 Oct 2015

Laos will not host a meeting of civil society organizations (CSO) in Southeast Asia on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit next year…citing potential criticism by participants against governments in the region and inadequate resources as among reasons for the decision…[T]he authoritarian Lao government has been cautious over hosting the regional meeting, fearing civil society groups will criticize it for curtailing freedom and human rights in the country…[An official] also said that Laos could not guarantee the safety of “extremist” activists who planned to attend the meeting…Phil Robertson, Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said he believed the meeting was canceled because the Lao authorities are unwilling to provide space for the open discussion of politically sensitive subjects. Topics especially worrying Lao officials include land seizures in Laos, the impact of dams on the environment and local populations, ethnic minority and LGBT issues, and the forced disappearance more than two years ago of Lao development specialist Sombath Somphone, Robertson said….