Officials banned from circulating classified documents

State employees are banned from circulating and distributing or even destroying classified documents of the nation as such acts could result in damaging national security and social order.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Khammanh Sounvileuth, presented a new draft documentation law for debate during the National Assembly’s (NA) ongoing session yesterday.
He highlighted various bans imposed on government officials to not reveal or spread classified documents and information that could affect national unity and go against the Party’s policies, the National Constitution and laws.

However, the draft law does not stipulate in detail the types of documents that are classified or specify in detail punishments for violations.
Mr Khammanh emphasised that government officials are also prohibited from fabricating official documents and using them for their own benefit.
Over the past 10 years, a number of counterfeit documents has been circulated in Laos, creating social confusion and public security problems in the country, notably documents related to land and other development projects.
Bans have also been imposed on individuals and organisations to prevent the circulation and distortion of information with the aim of opposing the duties performed by government officials.
The new law is being enacted amid  concerns regarding the spreading of misinformation and fake news, especially material posted online via social media.
Many Asian governments have joined forces to fight fake news and asked their citizens to take facts into account before posting and sharing information online.
Mr Khammanh said Laos has a number of decrees related to document collection and management, notably the decree on official documents.
Nevertheless, those decrees are not comprehensive and do not cover all types of documents, including documents related to Lao history.
The minister said it is necessary to enact this law as a legal tool for collecting, managing and preserving important documents of the nation. The Ministry of Home Affairs established a technical team in 2017 to prepare the draft law, which has been debated at various meetings to get input from relevant sectors.
The law drafting team also studied and exchanged lessons with authorities in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia to ensure the comprehensiveness of this law.
The new law is in line with the government’s policy to boost socio-economic development and the country’s integration with the rest of the world. It will enable government sectors to enhance cooperation to systematically manage valuable documents of the nation and keep them in safe and proper places for research and development.
The seventh ordinary session of the National Assemblys 8th Legislature opened on June 5, and so far NA members have approved several laws, including the amendment of the forestry law, vocational education law and tax management laws. The NA also approved new laws related to excise duties, income tax and anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

By Somack Pongkhao
(Latest Update June 21, 2019)