Discotheques in Laos face nationwide shut down
The government plans to shutdown discotheques nationwide after finding out these entertainment venues are degrading the values associated with Lao culture, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Mass Culture Department Director General, Mr Sipheng Vongpanya said on Wednesday the Minister of Information and Culture had signed a notice to all cultural officials nationwide to shut down discotheques around the country.
However, the ministry would compromise in the capital as the city is a gathering place for foreign tourists. In Vientiane, authorities will allow one discotheque in each district to remain open...More>>
The authorities hope to ensure the closure of unlicensed discotheque venues by the end of the year.
In Laos, there is a differentiation between the definition of discotheque and nightclub.
The ministry only allows establishment of nightclubs, defined as those venues which stage a live musical band.
Discotheques, on the other hand, are defined as those venues at which music is usually provided by DJ's playing recorded music. The styles found there are usually western electronic music and associated dancing, seen as encouraging immorality.
The discotheques also typically had limited lighting, against the requirements of Lao nightclub regulation, he said.
According to the Ministry of Information and Culture, establishment of discotheques is illegal in Laos.
However, several business people have opened discotheques in Vientiane using the Lao-style night club licenses after finding that the demand for such entertainment service had been increasing.
Mr Sipheng said the discotheque owners who wanted to keep their entertainment venues open must agree to host live music bands in accordance with the regulation on entertainment venue management.
He said the ministry made the decision to shut down discotheques in the country because it wanted to protect Lao culture.
The move came after officials found that a number of teenagers used discotheques as a place to engage in illicit love affairs.
He also said the discotheques were places where young people practice unacceptable behaviour.
If the authorities allowed them to continue, the younger generation would be influenced by unacceptable foreign culture.
Mr Sipheng expressed confidence the ministry would carry on its policy, although it could face strong opposition from owners of discotheques in Laos.
“We keep close eyes on local authorities to enforce the notice, if they have problems with business people, the ministry will take responsibility over people's complaints,” he said.
He said the ministry had urged local authorities to host meetings with owners of discotheques first so as they can get informed about the government policy and to ensure sufficient time to transform their own entertainment venues into new businesses by the end of this year.
“If they fail to transform their discotheques into new businesses or Lao style night clubs, they will be ordered to shut down,” he told Vientiane Times.
By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
Vientianetimes
Posted by samakomlao
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