Lao teachers
make very little money in the educational system in Laos. But they
also have a very respected and esteemed position in society. Teacher's
are looked at with high regard.
National Teacher's
Day was created to help show appreciation towards the teacher and
the work that they do. It is typical in most Lao schools that the
students give utilitarian items and other gifts to the teacher.
For example, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. One of our contributors
here at LCW was a teacher in Laos and at the school he worked at,
he received gifts that went beyond the typically expected gifts
in regular Lao schools (in part because he worked at a foreign school).
For example he received souvenirs, clothes, towels, etc.
Prostitution
From: USA
- I read that in Laos, like its SE Asian neighbors, was a destination
for sex seekers. With the current regime in place, is this actually
the case in Laos now?
Reply:
[Editor's Note, 2005: Sex workers and prostitutes have an extremely high rate of infection for STD/STI (sexually transmitted diseases/infections) in Laos - this is in comparison to neighboring countries. For some related reading head over to Advice Column archive topic entitled "Condom Use".]
It is very sad
to say but irrespective of any governing body, prostitution has
always existed. Granted though, in Laos it is to a much lesser extent
than its neighbors such as Thailand and Vietnam.
As in any poor
country you have numerous people who are trying to survive. There
are many stories of gay or straight Laotians going across the border
voluntarily to "sell their bodies" in Thailand. You also
hear stories of Lao girls being coerced, lied to and/or kidnapped
into a pimp/slave situation and made to work in brothels in, specifically,
Thailand. In fact these stories are substantiated and well documented
by Amnesty Intl. and by commissions and studies on the specific
issue of child and sex labor in SE Asia. You also see that the prostitution
is not just among the young but among older women as well.
It was witnessed
by this writer that in Laos there are a large number of entrepreneurs
and businesses that have created night/dance clubs, kareoke bars,
etc. Many of these places are substitutes or covers for places of
prostitution. Some places are more innocent than others and are
specifically just for dancing and singing. While other places are
more specific to offering sexual services. From the outside it is
sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two but once you
step in you can usually tell what kind of place it really is. Most
of these places like these are looked down upon by most Lao people.
The more legitimate places are for young Laotians to party.
Night clubs
are visited by both Lao and foreigners. And if they're foreigners,
it's usually men. It's rare to see foreign women in places like
that.
Although hearsay stories would say that they find their "action"
elsewhere in a more discreet manner.
Whatever one's
opinion on this particular situation in Laos is, one can surmise
that it's actually growing. Prostitution aside, promiscuity also
occurs in Laos, among the older and younger generations. As its
attitudes become more liberal and it receives more images and similar
attitudes from Westerners and Thais, you hear more and more stories
of Lao boyfriends/girlfriends, husbands/wives, cheating on each
other. But I don't believe it is characteristic of the general populace.
Is it enough to just blame it on foreign influences though? Perhaps
not. Each person has their own reasons for doing what they do.
It's also important
to note the AIDS/HIV situation in Laos. While Laos has one of the
lowest rates of AIDS/HIV in the world, the numbers actually show
that it's been steadily rising since the early 90's when statistics
on AIDS/HIV patients and deaths began to be gathered and analyzed.
Considering
the above, the innocent image of Laos can be quickly lost. But the
good thing about all this is that most Laotians still hold a more
traditional view of relationships, one without promiscuity and prostitution
- one where family and your loved ones are the most important aspect
of one's life. Perhaps it is because of this that Laos still holds
a low rate of AIDS/HIV in the world. Perhaps because of this it
is that prostitution and promiscuity haven't spread as fast as it
has in Thailand and Vietnam.
