And the relaxed attitude of the Lao people in general should help mitigate development greed.

FORBES: Asian Beauty

True patriots, they wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of national day, the 45th anniversary of the Lao People's revolutionary Party and of course the 80th anniversary of Kaysone Phomvihane's birthday.

BBC: Lao people

Operating in nine countries Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Zambia the programme has assisted communities in the development of culturally relevant reading materials in local and minority languages.

UNESCO: Communication and Information

There are only so many small boats that can go up the Mekong to see the Pak Ou caves, with their hundreds of Buddha figures, and so many vehicles that can drive the winding roads to the remote ethnic villages, where people who have never fully integrated into Lao society live unwired, in simple wooden houses on stilts as they have for centuries.

FORBES: Asian Beauty

The People's Forum was a chance for Lao grassroots organisations to meet and speak with activists and campaigners from around the world.

BBC: Fears grow for abducted Laos campaigner Sombath