Land , State , and Society in Laos : Ethnographies of Land Policies
The next step was the payment of compensation to villagers . This had to be carried out properly , for the villagers already possessed land use certificates . Each village chief collected information from the villagers affected by the project . Then , agents from the company came to carry out payment ; villagers signed the documents quickly and took their money , fearing that if they did not , they would lose everything .
It turns out that even when basic procedures for dispersing information and engaging with the public have not been completed by the state as it should , the latter remains the legitimizing authority . This was evidenced by the meeting in the district chef ’ s office , in the letter from the governor requiring village chiefs to comply with the project , and in the payment of compensation based on land-use certificates . The language of stateness is certainly visible in these late information and mitigation procedures .
Most plantations in Attapeu Province belong to the HAGL ( Hoang Anh Gia Lai ) Company , which acquired extensive land rights as compensation for building infrastructure when Laos hosted the Southeast Asian ( SEA ) Games in 2009 . HAGL has since built a sumptuous six-floor hotel in the small city of Attapeu . The presence of this building , much higher than any other in the city , is a clear public reminder that the company benefits from a special status . The large and usually deserted lobby of the hotel contains large framed pictures above the lift doors depicting Doan Nguyen Duc , the president of HAGL group , in the company of Laotian high officials during ground-breaking ceremonies or official openings . One picture shows him smiling and receiving a giant golden key — a symbol of his “ access ”, perhaps ( Fig . 7 ). Another picture shows him standing with Choummaly Sayasone , the former president of Laos ( 2006 – 2016 ) who was born in Attapeu , with the flags of Vietnam and Laos flying behind them ( Fig . 8 )— a reminder of the “ special relationship ” linking Vietnam to Laos since 1975 . HAGL is clearly welcome in the Lao PDR .
In short , the case studies discussed above show that people – land relations cannot be grasped without reference to the state . National land policies and land-lease agreements between the state and private companies have drastically transformed the relationship people have with their living space . Ironically , land policies implemented with the support of international aid agencies aiming to empower local communities have instead involved the state in formerly micro-local land relations . This eventually empowered state administration more than villagers .
Taking Over the Language of Stateness
Does the winner — the State and allied companies — take all ? For sure , the new language of stateness related to land has come into general use and has transformed the state administration into a compelling intermediary for anything to do with land use . This has not deprived locals
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