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More Growth, Less Freedom? Charting Development Pathways in Lao PDR

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National Security, Statecentricity, and Governance in East Asia

Part of the book series: Security, Development and Human Rights in East Asia ((SDHRP))

Abstract

According to macro-scale measures and indicators the principal development narrative for Lao PDR is one of strong economic growth and continued socio-economic progress. However, the true complexity of socio-economic transformations to have occurred in the country are not easily captured by reductive macro-scale indices. In this chapter I problematize development success narratives surrounding Lao PDR by bringing attention to the relationship between persistent socio-economic challenges and the state’s poor track record on human rights and political freedoms. Here, I argue: (1) that privileging economic growth over political freedom is a threat to sustained poverty-alleviation; (2) the common myth that economic liberalization naturally leads to democratic reform is unlikely to materialize in Lao PDR, and; (3) attempts by foreign donors to depoliticize socio-economic inequalities have bolstered a regime that is responsible for intolerable human rights abuses.

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  1. James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

    Kearrin Sims

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  1. Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)

    Brendan Howe

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Sims, K. (2018). More Growth, Less Freedom? Charting Development Pathways in Lao PDR. In: Howe, B. (eds) National Security, Statecentricity, and Governance in East Asia. Security, Development and Human Rights in East Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58974-9_7

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