Lao People's Armed Forces

The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) (Lao: ກອງທັບປະຊາຊົນລາວ, romanised: Kongthap Paxaxon Lao, Vietnamese transliteration: Koong-thắp Pa-xa-xôn Lào) is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the military institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

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

Tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks

Artillery

Air defence

Weapons

=== Mortars === 81mm 82mm 120mm Soviet Union M1938 mortar Soviet Union 120mm: M-43 United States M2 4.2 inch mortar

== See also == Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force Military ranks of the Lao People's Armed Forces

References