Xaisomboun (also Saysomboun, ) was a special zone () of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, located in the north of the country, near the capital

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

. The special zone was created 1994 by the military, with area split off from the provinces

and Xiangkhoang, in order to control and suppress the postwar Hmong resistance. It was officially dissolved on January 13, 2006, although the term continues to be used.

Geography

The special zone of Xaisomboun is in a mountainous region south of the

Plain of Jars The Plain of Jars ( Lao: ທົ່ງໄຫຫີນ ''Thong Hai Hin'', ) is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of ...

. It contains the tallest mountain in Laos,

Phou Bia Phou Bia (, ) is the highest mountain in Laos. It is in the Annamite Range, at the southern limit of the Xiangkhoang Plateau in Xaisomboun Province. Owing to its elevation—2,830 m (9,280 ft), the highest terrestrial point in Laos, the ...

, and the protected area Phou Khao Khouay.

Military control

The area of the special zone of Xaisomboun was once controlled by the Hmong "Secret Army" and included the military bases

Long Tieng Long Tieng (also spelled Long Chieng, Long Cheng, or Long Chen) is a Laotian military base in Xaisomboun Province. During the Laotian Civil War, it served as a town and airbase operated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. ...

and Sam Thong; today it is controlled by the

Lao People's Army The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; ) or the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, who are charged with protecting the country. Activ ...

(LPA), which have put pressure on Hmong insurgents. Into 2016, the Laotian government continued to deny access to officials from the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

, despite reports of killings by the military, including killings using

chemical weapon A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as ...

s. In 2017, Barbara Lochbihler MEP submitted a parliamentary question to the

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the European Un ...

, addressing the humanitarian challenges faced by the Hmong in Xaisomboun. She highlighted issues such as restricted access for international officials, reports of violence, and the lack of European Union development assistance reaching the area, seeking clarity on the European Union's actions to address the crisis and engage with the community directly. In 2021, the

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international organization established to facilitate the voices of unrepresented and marginalized nations and peoples worldwide. It was formed on 11 February 1991 at the Peace Pal ...

(UNPO) condemned the treatment and military violence against the ChoaFa people living in the special zone of Xaisomboun, as well as "intimidation, harassment and persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, and members of minority communities through arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances".

Administrative divisions

The province was originally made up of the following districts: # Hom (18-03) # Longsane (18-04) # Phun (18-05) # Thathom (18-02) # Anouvong (18-01)

History

* 23 September 2004 – The districts Hom and Longsane were merged. The new district, still named Hom, was reassigned to Vientiane Province. * 27 June 2005 – The districts Phun and Xaisomboun were merged, with the new district still named Xaisomboun. * 13 January 2006 – Xaisomboun District was reassigned to Vientiane Province, while Thathome District went to Xiangkhoang Province. Therefore, the special area of Xaisomboun was dissolved.

References

{{coord, 18, 49, 01, N, 103, 05, 10, E, type:adm1st_source:kolossus-itwiki, display=title Subdivisions of Laos

Geography

Military control

Administrative divisions

History

See also

References