The government has approved the findings of an ethnicity research project carried out by the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) over the past 26 years that Laos has 49 ethnic groups, rather than the previously accepted 47 groups.
However, the government has advised the LFNC to explain in more detail how these groups have been classified, and the reasons for the official labelling of all Lao groups as ‘Lao', rather than identifying people by their ethnicity.
Over the past five years, there has been some controversy between the Institute for Cultural Research, which previously maintained that Laos had 47 ethnic groups, and the LFNC, which has always said that there are 49 groups.
The Deputy Head of the newly established Institute for Ethnic Group Research, Mr Khampheng Thipmountry, said yesterday that the evidence to support the figure of 47 groups had been considered insufficient since 1989, but had been considered the official number in the absence of any other research.
He confirmed that the official count would now be 49 groups, based on the LFNC's research.
The institute was formed in July last year as a separate body from the Institute for Cultural Research, to maintain a focus on ethnic group research.
“All government members have agreed with the findings of our research,” the Deputy Director General of the LFNC's Ethnic Affairs Department, Mr Sorsonephith Phan ouvong, said yesterday.
“But Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh has advised us to add more content to the report based on the comments raised at October's government meeting, which ended on Saturday.”
The research report will be sent to the National Assembly for approval in June next year.
Deputy Head of the assembly's Ethnic Affairs Commission, Mr Khamlek Keosomphan, said that, in fact, the results of the ethnicity research should be raised for debate at the next National Assembly session in December.
However, there will be a number of other pressing issues being discussed at that session, so the debate on this report has been postponed until next year.
According to the research, ethnicity in Laos is classified based on three main criteria - language similarity, historical background, and traditional customs, including festivals and religious beliefs.
The LFNC began carrying out its research to re-determine ethnic groups in Laos in 1981, and began compiling its report in 1992.
The research team travelled to all provinces to observe and collect information on different ethnic groups.
“Most people are aware of at least 68 ethnic groups in Laos , so our assertion that Laos has 49 ethnic groups has caused some confusion,” Mr Sorsonephith said.
He explained that the 68 ethnic groups determined by the defunct Lao Social Research Committee in the 1970s had been determined using different criteria.
For example, different types of Akha, including Kor Phou Ly, Chi Chor, Lou Kui, Mou Chi and Mou Tin, were previously grouped differently, but are now classified as belonging to the same group.
The Tai Dam and Tai Deng people have also become one group, as have the Hmong Lai, Hmong Khao and Hmong Dam.
Mr Sorsonephith explained that Lao people would no longer be identified as belonging to one of the three main groups - Lao Loum, Lao Soung and Lao Theung – as everyo ne was considered equal.
