The war in Indochina didn't end with the North Vietnam troops marching down the streets of Saigon. For Vietnam this was the end of the fighting, for its western neighbors the bitter was still to come. The next 4 years will witness the biggest genocide the world has seen since WWII. The arms will finally rest some 20 years later. Today Cambodia and Laos are forgotten countries. With no strategic importance and no big population demanding foreign goods and services, they both are stacked into their agrarian past. It seems that only a major regional upheaval may turn again the world's attention toward these two nations.

Exactly 30 years ago the Vietnam War ended making headlines in the world media. 5 years earlier with no headlines the Vietnam neighbors Cambodia and Laos were involved in the war. Both countries were divided between warring factions, some supported by the U.S., South Vietnam and Thailand, and some supported by North Vietnam, China and the USSR.

The fall of Saigon in 1975 marked dramatic change in the regional security map. At the same time the Cambodian communists known as Khmer Rouge took the power. They ordered the whole urban population to go living in the small villages. Almost all who had some educational background or who could express some independent thoughts, no less than 1.5 million, were massacred. In 1979 Cambodia was occupied by Vietnam. A civil war followed. It wasn't until the early 1990s that the war ended, but some minor skirmishes kept going until 1997-1999.

Laos seemed the "luckiest" among all three Indochina countries. With no major military operations on its soil and no huge bloodletting it nevertheless has been put under communist rule that still continues unabated. Being landlocked and traditionally with no commercial relations with the main trading powers, Laos is completely dependent on its neighbors for development incentives. With Vietnam being the major foreign investor it's clear that Laos can't go too far until Vietnam reaches some average economic indicators.

The "good" economic indicators for Cambodia and Laos shouldn't fool us. First, the basis these countries come from is extremely low. For them 5% economic growth equals 0.5% for most developed countries. Second, Laos is still a communist country meaning its statistics shouldn't be trusted completely. Third, there are many "secondary" factors that make the life in these countries risky and unpleasant that should be kept in mind in case someone decides to relocate even for a short period. These include the ubiquitous mine fields, especially in Cambodia. Also in Cambodia the infectious diseases represent a major hazard. The rural banditry is also an important deterrent factor for newcomers. The lack of some principle commodities outside the major urban centers may also be a serious problem. But above all, the lack of interest from the world will poison the regional development. Among the countries that once formed French Indochina all factors suggest that the relative economic advantages go to Vietnam.

Cambodia and Laos profiles:

• Area: 181,040; 236,800 sq km
• Population: 13.6 million; 6.2 million (July 2005 est.)
• Population growth rate: 1.81%; 2.42% (2005 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth: 58.87; 55.08 years (2005 est.)
• People living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000; 1,700 (2003 est.)
• Total fertility rate: 3.44; 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)
• Major infectious diseases: very high degree of risk (Cambodia);
• Literacy: 69.4%; 66.4% (2002)
• GDP per capita - purchasing power parity: $2,000; $1,900 (2004 est.)
• Population below poverty line: 40%; 40% (2002 est.)
• Internet users: 30,000; 15,000 (2002)

(Source: CIA - World Factbook 2005)

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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Cambodia and Laos.