Laos Declares National Mourning After National Assembly President Dies
Laos has declared a five-day national mourning period following the death of National Assembly President Xaysomphone Phomvihane, who died Saturday at age 70.
National Assembly President Xaysomphone Phomvihane died on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the age of 70 after battling severe vasculitis. He passed away at 11:18 a.m. local time.
In response, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government of Laos, and the Lao Front for National Development declared a five-day national mourning period from August 9 to August 13. Mourning activities are centered at the National Convention Centre, with an official funeral service scheduled for August 13 at the That Luang Esplanade.
International delegations are responding to the loss. Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, is leading a high-ranking Vietnamese Party and State delegation to Laos on Sunday, August 10, to pay his respects. Official party communications characterized Phomvihane as a core leader who devoted his life to the party's revolutionary cause and the well-being of the Lao people.
Keep reading in the app
The full story and every source, free in the app.
Coming soonGoogle Play