ACSC/APF forums held each year are vibrant examples of diverse ASEAN civil society groups and individuals bringing their voice and concerns to the region’s leaders and lawmakers.
In 2014, the gathering was held in Yangon, Myanmar, with some 3000 participants. Three plenaries and 35 panels included nearly 200 speakers.
Only one of these was from the Lao PDR.
The 2015 forum took place April 20-24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With over 1,400 participants, this event involved 69 workshops with some 250 panellists sharing their thoughts and analysis.
Again, just one of these was a Lao citizen.
Yet many believe the Lao PDR is suitable to host the next event in 2016.