Party Secretary General and State President Thongloun Sisoulith delivered a keynote address at the event, which was attended by senior Party and government officials, religious leaders, members of the foreign diplomatic corps, and representatives from mass organisations, the military, the police, and academia.

The event, held on the eve of President Kaysone’s birthday (December 13, 1920 – 2025), was broadcast live across the nation via national television, online platforms, and to similar commemorative gatherings in all provinces across the country.

In his speech, President Thongloun reflected on the historical context of Laos under colonial rule, a time when the nation lost its independence and its people suffered. He described Kaysone as a visionary who, filled with patriotic fervour, sought a path to national salvation. This path, he stated, was illuminated by the “light of Marxism-Leninism” and the revolutionary line of the Indochinese Communist Party.

“President Kaysone Phomvihane was the founder, the nurturer, and the leader who built the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party,” stated President Thongloun, highlighting President Kaysone’s central role in establishing the Party on March 22, 1955, and in leading the protracted struggle for national liberation.

He detailed President Kaysone’s strategic leadership in combining political, military, and diplomatic struggles, culminating in the “historic, once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity” seized in 1975. This led to the proclamation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on December 2, 1975, ending centuries of foreign domination.

Beyond the liberation struggle, President Thongloun praised President Kaysone’s leadership in the subsequent era of national protection and development, particularly his pivotal role in initiating the Chintanakan Mai (Renovation) policy in the late 1980s. This policy of comprehensive renewal, he asserted, laid the foundation for the country’s sustained development and achievements seen today.

Calling on the entire Party, state, military, and people, President Thongloun outlined key lessons from President Kaysone’s legacy: strengthening national solidarity; emulating his revolutionary moral qualities and simple, honest lifestyle; maintaining independence and self-reliance while fostering international cooperation; prioritizing education and preserving national culture; and focusing on rural development to eradicate poverty.

“President Kaysone Phomvihane performed great and glorious deeds for our Party and nation,” President Thongloun concluded. “His cause and dedication are inseparable from the revolutionary cause of our Party… He will live on forever in the hearts of the Lao people.”

The commemoration comes as Laos recently concluded celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Republic and prepares for the upcoming 12th National Party Congress.

KPL