寮國的族群政治

Ethnic Politics of Laos

寮國是中南半島唯一的內陸國，境內山多平地少，與五個國家接壤。特殊的地理環境使得寮國成為一個多元族群的國家，官方認定的民族高達49個，除了主流族群寮族之外，還有為數頗眾的跨國族群，如克木族與苗族等。基於凝聚國家團結，寮國政府在語言政策、民族打造等層面都採取寮化政策，求取語言與文化的同質性。然而，由於寮族僅占總人口過半多數，寮化政策難以避免對少數族群的壓抑。本文發現，除了寮化的民族打造之外，寮國社會還存有源遠流長的族群三分法：寮陯族、寮頂族、寮上族。此三分法雖以海拔高度來分類，但本文發現其隱含了城鄉差距、文明差異，以及族群階層的問題。以寮族為首的寮陯族群主要居住在河谷平原，傳統上種水稻、信奉佛教、講寮語，被視為文明、繁榮、進步的核心；而海拔越高的山區則居住著寮頂族與寮上族，傳統上過著刀耕火種貧窮落後的游耕生活，信仰萬物有靈論，講各族母語，被認為是文明與政治的邊陲。除了族群階層之外，本文也探討了寮共與苗族的歷史恩怨，以及寮國與泰國之間的近與競關係。最後，本文則試圖從寮國的族群政治建構出族群階層的理論架構。

In efforts to foster national unity, the Lao government has implemented a policy of Laoization in language and ethnic identity, aiming for linguistic and cultural homogeneity. However, since the Lao people only account for more than half of the total population, the Laoization policy cannot avoid suppressing the minority groups. In addition to the policy of Laoiaztion and nation building, this article identifies a long-standing ethnic trichotomy in Lao society based on altitude: Lowland Lao, Highland Lao, and Upland Lao. While this classification is based on elevation, it implicitly reflects urban-rural disparities, differences in civilization, and issues of ethnic hierarchy. The Lowland Lao, predominantly the Lao people, inhabit the river valleys, traditionally engaging in rice cultivation, practicing Buddhism, and speaking Lao, and are considered the core of civilization, prosperity, and progress. In contrast, the Highland and Upland Lao residing in higher-altitude mountainous regions have traditionally lived a poor and backward nomadic lifestyle of slash-and-burn farming, believe in animism, speak their respective ethnic languages, and are perceived as being at the periphery of civilization and politics. Beyond ethnic hierarchy, the article also explores the historical tensions between the Lao Communist government and the Hmong, as well as the complex relationship between Laos and Thailand. Finally, the paper attempts to construct a theoretical framework of ethnic hierarchy based on Laos' ethnic politics.