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ABSTRACTED FROM THE OPENING PARAGRAPHS: This article focuses not on the effects of corruption in Laos, on the Lao economy or the lives of individuals, but rather on what sustains it and makes it difficult to control, much less eradicate. In particular, it examines the political culture of corruption that has developed in the Lao PDR since its inauguration in 1975. It outlines the various forms of corruption that have arisen within the context of Lao political culture broadly conceived, discusses how and why corruption has become so deeply engrained, and examines why legal measures have been ineffective in dealing with corruption. The conclusion takes account of the internal political and international strategic contexts to suggest why pressures for reform are not more efficacious.
