The constitution prohibits torture, arbitrary arrest, and detention without trial. Laos signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 2000 but has continued to delay ratification. It has not signed the Convention Against Torture. Government understanding of these conventions, let alone implementation, is deficient; in addition, Laos has not met reporting requirements.

In practice, state actors routinely abuse the civil liberties protected under these instruments.[9] Limits on length of detention, while prescribed in law, are seldom met for court hearings or judgments. Individuals have been held for as long as 18 years without trial.[10] Individuals without money or connections can spend years imprisoned without trial, and prisoners who have served out their sentence but cannot pay their prison expenses are not set free. In some cases the government has applied national security laws to routine criminal actions to justify long periods of detention without trial. Illegal and incommunicado detention by security forces and the police is common.

Torture, shackling, and other sorts of ill-treatment by police and prison officials are widespread, especially with respect to detainees accused of insurgent or antigovernment activity. Access by prisoners to food and medical care is so restricted as to be life-threatening, particularly for those without family support. Money and personal connections are the only effective means by which detainees may obtain access to legal representation, prevent long-term detention without trial, and secure release. Important safeguards, such as judicial oversight, independent monitoring, and a functioning court system are virtually nonexistent.

Laos has taken few steps to address international concerns about its nine known political prisoners,[11] including the uncertain fate of five student prisoners of conscience arrested in 1999.[12] Because the government refuses to admit any human rights abuses, it has not set up procedures for redress of such complaints.

With most political opposition stymied, the main threat to government authority comes from the long-running Hmong insurgency in the highlands. A crackdown on rebel groups by Laotian security forces during 2003 caused several hundred civilian casualties.[13] In turn, insurgent groups perpetrated fatal attacks on public transportation and in markets during 2003. In early 2004 the government launched a fresh offensive to eradicate these groups, renewing concerns about the impact on civilians in affected areas. At the same time, however, the government has made some effort to defuse the issue. Some Hmong appear to have been offered unofficial amnesties, while progress was made toward an agreement with the U.S. to resettle some 15,000 Hmong refugees sheltering in border camps in Thailand.

Within its limited capacity, the state acknowledges some issues affecting women, people with disabilities, and other distinct minority and interest groups, to the extent that these do not confront party interests. The state's ability and motivation to address these issues is limited by resource constraints, as well as by the issues' low profile in the absence of political opposition or civic groups able to pressure the government to take action. The government's efforts to address these issues have often been confined to facilitating the work of international NGOs. In the case of ethnic or religious minority groups, the government's motivation is further limited by a desire to ensure that these groups remain marginalized from the country's political life. Although 3 cabinet ministers and 28 National Assembly members belong to minorities, minority groups generally have little input into political affairs, which are dominated by the ethnic Lao.

The constitution protects equity for women and minorities, and the family code prohibits legal discrimination in marriage and inheritance. Laos has ratified the relevant international conventions,[14] although again it struggles with implementation. Gender discrimination is not generalized, but societal discrimination persists. Many urban women hold responsible positions in the civil service and private sector, drawing incomes commensurate with those of men. In contrast, women are significantly underrepresented in the party and government. Only 3 of 53 LPRP central committee members are women, with no female representation in the politburo or council of ministers. In the 2002 National Assembly elections, female representation increased from 20 to 22 of 109 members.

Domestic violence is illegal and not known to be widespread. Rape cases tried in court usually lead to convictions, although spousal rape is not illegal. The government has actively supported the Lao Women's Union and National Commission for Mothers and Children, as well as development assistance programs targeting women. Trafficking in women and children is a major problem, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 persons trafficked annually, mostly for prostitution. Although official involvement does not appear widespread, some local officials have been complicit in or profited from trafficking. Laos has made efforts to support international anti-trafficking endeavors, including through providing judicial and police training and in-kind support for NGOs such as office space and airtime. A draft anti-trafficking law is in progress.

The government is less proactive in promoting the rights of ethnic minorities. Ethnic Lao constitute approximately 40 percent of the population, with upland hill tribes, Vietnamese, Chinese, and south Asian groups comprising the remainder. Minorities experience some discrimination in mainstream society but tend not to suffer widespread government discrimination, with the exception of the Hmong. In this respect, the alleged torture and murder of five ethnic Hmong children by Lao soldiers in May 2004 is of concern.[15]

The 6.8 percent of the population with disabilities are seriously affected by limited education and training opportunities.[16] Government and donor support has focused on physical or medical rehabilitation, with little emphasis on employment or training. Homosexuality is illegal for men (and not mentioned in law for women), and although a more relaxed atmosphere has developed in recent years, police raids and arrests occasionally occur.

Approximately half the population practice Theravada Buddhism, and government support has given this religion an elevated status that brings with it relative freedom of existence. On the other hand, the government has incorporated Buddhist communities into the government structure and exerts a high degree of direction over the Buddhist clergy. Party requirements to integrate communist ideology into Buddhist teaching and for monks to attend party meetings appear, however, to be on the wane.

Article 9 of the constitution discourages acts that create divisions among religions and persons, and narrow interpretations of this article by the LPRP have emphasized the potential for religion to divide and destabilize. Accordingly, the freedom of minority religions is more restricted, particularly in the provinces. Animism is common among the hill tribes, and there are small numbers of Muslims, Christians, and Baha'is. Several Laotians have been imprisoned for proselytizing and other religious activities. Christians in particular attract government suspicion, partly due to their foreign connections. During 2003 at least 20 Christians were arrested, and although the number of detentions appears to be falling, official coercion of Christians to renounce their faith continues. In August 2004 a further four Christians were arrested.[17] Others were reportedly barred from worshipping or forced to renounce their beliefs, while some churches were closed.

In July 2002, the government promulgated a decree on religious practice[18] that expanded the range of activities permitted to all religious practitioners, including for minority religions to proselytize and print religious material. Its requirement that groups obtain advance permission for such activities proved restrictive in practice. In 2003, all such applications were rejected. However, freedom of religion appears to have improved slightly in 2003 - 04, with the reopening of some churches and release of some religious property.

Freedom of assembly and speech are guaranteed in the constitution but not upheld in practice. The penal code prohibits participation in an organization for the purposes of demonstrations or other acts that cause "turmoil or social instability." Such crimes are punishable by sentences of up to 20 years, or in some cases, execution. Party membership is not compulsory but confers obvious political, economic, and social benefits.

Civil society is tightly controlled. Although a number of international NGOs operate in the country, Laos has very few indigenous civil society organizations. The government perceives them as threatening to its monopoly on power and discourages their establishment. There is no legal framework enabling the registration of civil society organizations, which in practice remains virtually impossible. Some professional and socially oriented NGOs are permitted, but all political associations and parties (except the LPRP) are banned, as is any organization that criticizes the government.

Informal nonpolitical groups meet relatively freely, but like much daily activity their meetings are subject to state surveillance. Although this appears to be diminishing, the security service continues to monitor the movements of vast numbers of Laotians, aided by networks of village militia and neighborhood/workplace committees.

Trade unions are permitted within the framework of the officially sanctioned Federation of Lao Trade Unions, which is controlled by the LPRP. The level of unionization is low, given that some 85 percent of workers are subsistence farmers. Trade unions have little voice and are largely restricted to the public sector. Workers do not have the right to bargain collectively. According to the labor code, disputes are to be resolved through workplace committees, with final authority resting with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Strikes are rare; while they are not prohibited by law, a ban on subversive activities and destabilizing demonstrations under the penal code acts as a disincentive.

Private enterprises now constitute about 80 percent of business activity in Laos, and business associations, while embryonic, have begun to develop. They are not independent, however: the 20 or so existing associations are formally linked to line ministries, and the party guides the fledgling Chamber of Commerce.[19]

Due to tight government control, demonstrations are extremely rare and have drawn excessive force. In October 1999 the first antigovernment demonstration since 1975 was quickly suppressed.