Cultural policy
Recognition of the need to ensure a cultural dimension to all aspects of national development was underscored by the Lao Government's ratification in 1987 of the 1972 Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, by its adoption in 1988 of the objectives outlined by UNESCO for the
Décennie Mondiale du Développement Culturel (1988-1998) and subsequently by the passing of the following resolution at the Fifth Party Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in 1991:
'The party must pay attention to the work of promoting and providing assistance to the ethnic minorities in the maintenance of their colourful cultures so as to enable them to take their place as an integral part of the common culture of the national community, in addition to adopting the quintessence of foreign cultures and developing the common national tradition and culture'
In 1992 the Ministry of Information and Culture promulgated the following strategy in support of that resolution:
(a) taking culture as a principle for educational and moral development and as a basis on which an upright lifestyle and improved living conditions can be obtained;
(b) establishing a common set of cultural values for urban and rural communities alike to live by;
(c) conserving and restoring the country's historic monuments and protecting its movable cultural heritage, developing the country's museums and library network and educating the community about the national and local cultural heritage;
(d) promoting the cultural heritage of the country's ethnic minorities and introducing arts education and other arts services to remote and mountainous districts; and
(e) training and upgrading the quality of cultural personnel, artists and art educators.
The most recent statement of cultural policy was set out in Section 5 of the Political Report presented by President Khamtay Siphandone to the Seventh Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on 12 March 2001, entitled ‘Developing the National Culture and Creating Spiritual Advancement’. This stated:
‘The objectives of cultural development and spiritual advancement are to give people in society an outward-looking vision, the correct values in life and a good vision of life.
In pursuance to such goals, we will further implement a guideline of protecting, improving and enhancing a culture with national, popular and progressive characteristics. Thus, we will seek and explore the high-valued cultures of all ethnic groups and those of the entire national community, promote research, popularisation and rehabilitation of the high-valued national culture, and encourage the public to participate widely in cultural activities, with a view to contributing to the civilisation of mankind as a whole. We will broaden cultural exchanges with foreign countries by various means and at various levels; promote and propagate the culture of national identity and our achievements in cultural development to the world community. At the same time we will select and adopt elements of the good cultures of other countries and reject all decadent and degenerated cultures and modes of living.
We will increase activities of preserving and rehabilitating the national cultural heritage, including that inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the beauty of nature, and apply them in national socio-economic development. We will study and formulate regulations for the Lao language for its common usage. We will promote creative composition, reading, writing and the publishing of books and other printed materials so as to develop people’s knowledge in the society. We will enhance mass cultural activities such as art and cultural performance, expanding and updating materials and technical equipment and managing culture in line with the conditions of a market-oriented economy.
We will promote the role of the information, propaganda and mass media sectors in fostering a hard working spirit and common ideals for national development amongst people throughout the society. The information and mass media sector should hold to the Party Line and be a sharp ideological and political tool, a propagandist, a mass mobiliser, a collective organizer and a forum for expanding mass democracy, while also being an ever richer source of general information, education and entertainment for the public. We must develop materials and technical equipment in order to upgrade the capacity of the mass media and modernise them further.'
From time to time the Prime Minister's Office also promulgates general guidance orders on cultural issues. In 2004, for instance, a Prime Minister's Order on Culture Management was issued with the aim of maintaining order and preserving and promoting the fine traditions and good culture of the ethnic peoples of Laos, eliminating superstition and exhorting citizens to stop following the fashion of western nations.
In December of each year the Ministry of Information and Culture convenes a meeting of senior officials and directors of provincial Services of Information and Culture to review the implementation of policies during the current financial year and discuss plans for the next. Every five years this meeting draws up a new five-year plan for the development of information and culture.
The focus for the five-year period 2005-2010 discussed at the meeting of December 2004 was the improvement of mass media and the preservation of national culture.
Specific measures to improve the mass media in the period 2005-2010 will involve an expansion of radio broadcasts to cover the whole country, a national television service to reach 80 per cent of the population, and support for daily newspapers for readers in rural and remote communities.Efforts to preserve national culture in the period 2005-2010 will focus on surveying and registering archaeological sites for preservation and informing UNESCO of the importance of cultural, historical and natural sites in Laos; the establishment or preservation of provincial culture halls, libraries, museums and public parks with statues of provincial heroes; the encouragement of cultural innovation with participation from both the government and private sectors, especially in song, dance and drama, with a view to advancing the national culture; the development of district cultural clubs, libraries and public parks; and the establishment of reading rooms in villages so that the people can learn about culture, agriculture, politics, economics and health.
At the present time heritage is the only specific area of culture provided for in legislation. Drawn up largely within the context of efforts to develop a regulatory framework for the protection of Luang Prabang, the Presidential Decree on the Preservation of Cultural, Historic and Natural Heritage of 1997 outlines regulations and measures for the management, conservation, preservation and use of the national heritage, including the upgrading of movable and immovable assets with historical or cultural or natural value into national heritage. Among other things, the decree requires that a survey of national heritage should be undertaken every five years in order to establish an inventory; that maintenance, repair or modification to the features of national heritage shall require approval; and that no construction, restaurant or entertainment premises may be established within archaeological or natural sites.At the time of going to press a National Heritage Law is under preparation. Comprising seven chapters and 64 articles, it defines in detail the various measures to manage, preserve and make use of the cultural, historic and natural heritage, including the itemisation and designation of all forms of properties which have cultural, historic and natural value in order to preserve the traditions of the nation and to instill their significance into the consciousness of society. The Law will also lay down strict conditions concerning the export of cultural relics.
A Mass Media Law is also being drafted in order to provide comprehensive, overarching legislation relating to the broadcast and print media sectors in Laos. Pending the approval of this law, steps have been taken to regulate what the government deems to be specific areas requiring immediate attention.Broad guidelines are provided in the 1993 'Resolution of the Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) to Increase Party Leadership in and State Control of the Mass Media in the New Era', which was drawn up in a pre-Internet era to give guidance to the mass media. Amongst other things, this document exhorts the Lao mass media sector to: enhance the quality of the existing media so that it is more varied and interesting to the public while still firmly reflecting each aspect of the path, ideology and policies of the Party and state; to invest in, upgrade and build up equipment and materials within the sector; to strengthen the mechanism for firm Party leadership and state control of the mass media; and to build the capacity of media employees.
Specific guidance in respect of broadcast and print media is provided by Decree 36 of the Politburo (1996) on the Organisation and Activities of the Mass Media, which sets out general guidelines for mass media agencies in providing domestic and foreign news and disseminating the directions, plans and policies of the Party and state, together with detailed procedures for the establishment, licencing and operation of such mass media agencies and their responsibilities and duties, awards for those who are productive and punitive measures for those who commit offences. In practice, and in accordance with the position and policies of the Party, editors-in-chief, TV and radio station managers and heads of other mass media organisations are deemed by this decree to have full and final responsibility for all content and substance.
Use of the Internet was officially approved in 1997 by Decree 166/PM of the Prime Minister regarding the Organisation of a Network and Importation, Use and Control of the Internet System, which sets out general guidelines for the official launch of the Internet in Laos. Decree 166/PM was accompanied in the same year by three other important regulations. Provisions 2075/CTCP of the Ministry of Communications, Transport, Post and Construction regarding the Organisation of the Internet Network to Conduct the Information and Data Services Business and for the Use of the Internet System (1997), focus on the rights and duties of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and procedures for licensing them. Drawn up for the guidance of the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Special Provisions (416/IC) for Control of the Content and the Information and Data Obtained via the Internet System (1997) state that the content of material on the Internet must be 'beneficial to society'...'with no impact upon political issues, is not in conflict with the laws and regulations of the Lao PDR and is not contrary to the fine Lao national culture, customs and traditions', and go on to set out procedures for requesting approval for the content of information and data available on the Internet and for punishment of violations. Finally, Provisions 1044/STENO of the Science, Technology and Environment Agency (STEA) regarding the Control of the Information System Used in the Internet System focus on the capacity of computer hardware and require registration of such hardware with the STEA.
However, in view of the potential overlap between these three agencies, Regulation 141/PMO of 2000 on the Implementation, Service and Usage of the Internet System in the Lao PDR established the Lao National Internet Committee (LANIC) under the Prime Minister’s Office, bringing the organisation and management of Internet development in Laos under its control. Since that time Telecommunication Law 02/NA of 2001 has also been passed to define, among other things, the principles and the regulation of organisations and telecommunications activities, the management and broadcasting of radio and television frequencies, the management and use of satellite position and orbit and the country code top level domain name of Laos, and the management of telecommunication and Internet services nationally and internationally with the aim of providing universal, good quality, accurate, clear, convenient, fast, safe and fair telecommunication services to society which will contribute to national defence and development and international co-operation.
