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It’s a little landlocked strip of the South East Asian peninsula overshadowed by all its neighbours, and so often overlooked by the rest of the world.

Laos has been surrounded by turmoil ... To the south Cambodia and its legacy of horror under the Khmer Rouge. Laos was caught up and clobbered when it’s eastern neighbour Vietnam was at war.

And to its north-west the stifling authoritarianism of Burma.

There are now emerging signs of a new and desperate power struggle and a ruthless crackdown on political dissidents in this communist domain.

Ginny Stein tonight on the hardliners and their nemesis - the Hmong.

Traipsing through high grass/three men

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Stein: In a jungle clearing near the border of Thailand, a perilous journey has come to an end.

These men have spent a month walking out of Laos to bring news of a secret war.

Man: I swear to God they even killed a one month old baby. Totally barbaric. Children just this high were beheaded when they caught them.

Stein meets Moua Yia and Chai Pao Yuan

Stein: Moua Yia and Chai Pao Yuang are leaders of a resistance group in the remote hills of that closed communist state. They claim government troops and their Vietnamese allies systematically massacred more than a 1,000 civilians.

Man: They even put landmines all over the paths leading to the fields. They didn't kill only men -- even the women in the field were killed.

Map/Laotian dancing

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Stein: Laos has long been thought of as a sleepy backwater, a dependable, secure buffer state, between Thailand and Vietnam. Not much happens here to bother the outside world, and if it does, the regime does it's best to keep it secret.

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River/Vientiane

Stein: Western countries and near neighbours come to do business here, unconcerned by rumours of atrocities and torture. But Laos's image of peace and harmony is enforced by a ruthless dictatorship that allows no dissent and crushes all opponents.

Interview

Super: Demelza Stubbings Amnesty International

Stubbings: We know that torture and ill treatment are endemic in Lao police stations and prisons. We know that people are imprisoned for their peaceful political and religious beliefs. And that when they are in prison, they are held in absolutely appalling conditions and at least one of our prisoners actually died in custody a couple of years ago, denied access to medical treatment, to his family, or indeed to sufficient food and water.

Stein interviews Inkham

Super: Colonel Inkham Inthamaly

Secretary, Interior Ministry

Stein: After months of negotiation we were granted rare access to this secretive regime. And a meeting with one of its strongmen. Like many of Laos's communists, Colonel Inkham takes pride in repression.

Inkham: We have no fixed rule -- Saturday or Sunday… day time or night time. It doesn't matter what month or what year. We have no schedule. We will arrest any person who does something wrong. No matter whether they are civilians or students if they disturb the peace we'll arrest them all.

Stein: How widespread is opposition to the government?

Inkham: There is no opposition. There is only one party – one government.

Stein: But lately that complaisant façade has begun to crack.

File footage – border post

FX: Gunfire

Stein: On July 2^nd, about 70 anti-government insurgents seized a border post on Laos's southern frontier with Thailand. Six rebels were killed in the ensuring gunfight with Laos troops. Twenty-eight fled to the Thai side and were arrested. It was an act of military futility driven by desperation.

Rebel in hospital

Rebel: I think the Lao people are living in hell. We want to establish a democracy in which we will have the king, religion and a constitution.

Stein: According to the party line, this was just a bungled robbery.

Inkham: We are sure this was the act of armed bandits.

Inkham

They crossed over from Thailand to rob the duty free store at Vang Tao, Chong Mek.

Stein: In reality, it was the latest firefight in a battle that has lasted for decades.

Vietnam War era footage

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Stein: Throughout the sixties and early seventies, Laos was the secret flip side of the Vietnam War. Officially this was a neutral country, but both North Vietnam and the United States sponsored a brutal civil war.

The Viet Cong ran communist guerillas in the east. The CIA backed an anti-Marxist army in the west, led by royalists, and a rebellious ethnic group called the Hmong.

The Hmong had a reputation as the fiercest of hill tribes, but they were no match for the communist Pathet Lao.

Newsreader: The abolition of the monarchy and the official communist takeover has been received calmly, but with a few mixed feelings.

Stein: In December 1975, the communists overthrew the monarchy and claimed absolute power. Some Hmong stayed in the jungle to continue fighting.

File footage Thailand

Hundreds of thousands fled to Thailand. Many stayed in Laos and tried to blend into civilian life. But the danger of reprisal was never far away.

Kue beside Mekong River

This is as close as Kue, a Hmong refugee, can get to Laos, staring across the Mekong River from the border of Thailand.

Kue: It's a very sad situation. I don't think I can just simply cross the Mekong River. At least I will be arrested. Otherwise I would be killed.

Stein: The Hmong exiles have been the main critics of the communist regime. Kue now works in the United States, with leaders of the old CIA backed rebellion. He brought us to this secret border location to meet the two resistance fighters.

Vang

With them was another recent arrival – in disguise for fear of reprisals against his family. Vang, as he wished to be know, fled Laos two months ago, after more than seven years in chains.

Vang: We were in an underground prison. They locked my hands together with fetters – and my feet too – only a few inches away from each other. They fed us twice a day with 200 grams of rice.

Stein: Vang and his two brothers were in prison without trial in 1992, after they were recognised as former CIA soldiers. He believes his brothers have been executed.

Vang: They blindfolded them, and dragged them out… they killed them for sure.

Billboard on wall

Stein: The People's Revolutionary Party has spent the past quarter century trying to create a compliant, homogenous society. Tens of thousands of royalists were sent to re-education camps to be turned in proletariat. Rebellious hill tribes were forced down from the mountains to become compliant citizens.

Village

But what now unites people most is desperate poverty. The government's handling of the economy has made Laos the poorest country in South East Asia.

Despite half-hearted reforms, most of the country still survives on subsistence agriculture while officials grow fat from corruption.

Kue

Kue: They don't know how to develop the country. And the country is going backwards, you know, and people are getting poor. So the people get sick and tired of the government.

Propaganda billboard

Stein: To many people the promise of a glorious future seems as a fake and faded as the propaganda billboards. But the government has denied them any peaceful avenue for seeking change.

Stein to camera

Super: Ginny Stein

In the 25 years since the communists seized power, there's been just one democratic protest. On October 26^th last year, about 30 students gathered on this street and attempted to unfurl banners calling for political change. Immediately they were surrounded by police and arrested. This simple attempt at protest triggered a savage crackdown which is still being felt.

Police on motorbikes

Police blitzed the city arresting hundreds of suspected protestors. Five of the organisers have not been heard from since.

Stein and Vang

Vang's adopted son is now in prison for taking part in the demonstration. He was able to see him briefly before he fled.

Vang: He didn't know if he was going to have a trail at all, or just be locked up like this forever. He asked if we could give him some money to buy food. He said he didn't know if he was going to live or die.

Stein: The government's public response has been to deny there was any protest.

Inkham

Inkham: It's not true that the government arrested hundreds of students.

Stein: We have spoken to a man whose son is locked up now, who was involved in those protests. How can you say it's not true?

Inkham: What's his name? And his son's name?

Aung Sun Suu Kyi

Stein: The human rights record of the Laos regime is arguably even worse than Burma's, where opposition is repressed, but at least through Opposition Leader, Aung Sun Suu Kyi, allowed to speak out.

Stubbings

Stubbings: It's very clear that there have been a lot of problems in Laos for a long time. I think one of the problems that we face is this wall of silence from the Lao government means that if people want to ignore the kind of violations that are going on, they find it very easy to do so. But that doesn't mean they're not happening, they are.

File footage -- Hmongs

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Stein: The most serious allegations are over the government's treatment of Hmongs in areas where the rebels are still active. This smuggled videotape is the only recent footage of the Hmong insurgency. It is based in the most remote region of Laos, around villages without roads, telephones or power. The isolation has ensured it does not become an international issue.

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Moua Yia

Man: We ask countries like America, japan, Australia and Canada not to give the government money. If you give it, they'll use this money to buy weapons to kills us. I think these countries are helping the government kill us now.

Moua Yia and Chai Pao Yuang

Stein: Moua Yia and Chai Pao Yuang showed areas along the Vietnam border they claimed had experienced repeated air strikes.

Chai Pao Yuang??: Plane took of from Xieng Khouang and bomb Ma Chai area.

Stein: Government troops have brought insurgents here every dry season for many years. But in the lead up to the revolution's 25^th anniversary, the attacks have intensified, along with claims of civilian casualties.

Moua Yia: This year we decided to do something more -- but they are attacking us all the time and have many, many troops. We don't have enough weapons to protect ourselves. We have to wait till they're close, and fire one or two bullets.

Chai Pao Yuang??

Chai Pao Yuang??: The communist government has many troops… they blockade and attack us. Entire villages were killed. Some villages would have one or two survivors. We also have no medicine to heal the wounds – or food to eat. Many people die from illness – some from bullets.

Super:

Karina Campbell

Australian Ambassador

Ambassador: Oh, I'm not aware of atrocities and killings. I mean we do know that there's been some military activity, but I'm – I do think some of the accounts of atrocity probably have been somewhat exaggerated.

Stein: Are you able to go to those area? Are you able to verify claims that are put like that? Are you able to see for yourself what is going on in those areas?

Ambassador: The areas where there are insurgency activities are often closed to visitors. So no, we wouldn't be able to visit these areas.

Border post

Stein: This is as close as we could come to the Hmong insurgency. Laos's north-east border with Vietnam. It is a highly restricted zone, unwelcoming to journalists.

Last May, the Vietnamese Army announced it would work with Laotian troops to crush the insurgency. The close security links are already obvious. At this border checkpoint we saw Laotian soldiers waiting in no man's land to cross into Vietnam.

Road crew

Elsewhere Vietnamese crews were busily upgrading the border road. We were not permitted to travel near areas of recent fighting.

But officials continue to insist there is no major insurgency. Just isolated acts of banditry.

Inkham

Inkham: we have no problems with the Hmongs. We are united and harmonious.

Vientiane

Stein: But the insurgency is not the only challenge to the regime. There's also been a series of mysterious bombings. On March 30, a hand grenade was tossed into this popular tourist restaurant in Vientiane. Thirteen people were injured, including nine foreigners.

Stein to camera

That night, by chance, we were just metres away from this restaurant when the bomb exploded. We rushed down here to film the damage, but within minutes we were arrested by the police, and that night and for the next day, we were detained and interrogated, our videotape – the sole one in existence – was seized. The authorities had reacted the only way they know how.

Photos of bombings

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Stein: Since then there have been at least nine other bombs. The authorities have blamed Hmongs for the attacks, but mass arrests have failed to find anyone responsible. The Hmongs deny any involvement.

Moua Yia: No, it's not true… we didn't do that. The government has caused the trouble and now they blame us. That's ho much they hate us. They should admit they are responsible.

Inkham

Stein: Does he think that opposition, that people who are unhappy, is growing?

Inkham: No, they may be decreasing because they are suppressed by the public. The people will suppress them whenever they emerge. We will never give them a chance.

Buddhist temple

Monks chanting

Stein: The regime is attempting to re-brand Laos as a place of peace – safe, exotic and welcoming. It has launched a campaign to attract a million tourists. On December the 2^nd, it will celebrate 25 years of the revolution.

No matter how desperate the people become, the regime is likely to endure. Laos's crimes are out of sight and out of mind. The façade of harmony will continue in this sad and desperate land.

Credits:

Reporter: Ginny Stein

Camera: Dean Johnson

Editor: Garth Thomas

Research: Kate Gunn

Producer: Eric Campbell