Special zone Xaisomboun split?

[Ahoerstemeier]

On this talk page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xaisomboun) on Wikipedia someone suggests that the special administrative zone of Xaisomboun was or is about to be split. Statoids.com (http://statoids.com/ula.html) doesn't list anything about it yet, and I also couldn't find anything in the web about it. Anyone here heard anything about it, or is it just a rumor?

[Ahoerstemeier]

Seems like I found the answer to my own question - but did take quite some time with google to find that hint. Apparently in 2001 two districts (Hom and Langsane) from Xaisomboon were assigned to Vientiane province. But it were only two PDF documents talking about Opium trafficking mention this fact...

[ncr]

What is this "Special Zone" for anyway? I always wondered why they needed to give it a name other than "province" (and with which intent it was created in the first place).

[Ahoerstemeier]

I don't the actual reason, but I am quite sure it is related with the Hmong living in that area. Since the "secret war" of the US the Hmong were rebellious to the communist leaders. Calling it a special zone instead of a normal province they probably could easier impose the travling limitations to that area (especially for foreign journalists), so the dirty things of the fighting with rebellious Hmong won't come to public. But nevertheless that area is well-known for the many human rights violations taking place.

[Ahoerstemeier]

Seems like the special zone has now been abolished altogether (Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laos&diff=126086767&oldid=125083981)), and the districts now belong to provinces they belonged before the creation of the special zone. Anyone have more details?