A/HRC/41/39/Add.4 For the benefit of people who are affected by development projects, the Government has defined an appropriate compensation measures and has implementation compensation policies, laws and decree on compensation and resettlement for affected people to enable them to receive benefits that could better improve their living conditions as such providing electricity, water sanitation, and school for the children, healthcare centre and creating permanent job for them to generate income above poverty line as well as provide other convenience facilities. 52. Para 59 In reality the Government has attached importance to greater social service for those who live in rural areas by strengthening and improving of the quality of health care at the grassroots level, particularly in under-served areas. Government has been paying attention to improve and extend health care services to rural areas by improving disease prevention system, provide free medical treatment for poor people and creating conditions for all people to access to health care services, particularly the vulnerable groups including women, children and person with disabilities. The national health insurance projects has been extending to all ethnic groups throughout the country, the Government has increased the budget to health sector more than 9% of GDP in each year, and healthcare funding for poor people has also established. 53. Para 60 The Lao PDR is pleased to clarify that the populations of Lao PDR is composed of 50 ethnic groups which are divided into 4 main ethno-linguistic groups: Lao-Tai 62.5%, MonKhmer 23.7%, Hmong-Mien 9.7%, Sino-Tibetan 2.9%. These multi-ethnic people have always co-existed, living together peacefully and enjoyed the equality and nondiscrimination. All ethnic groups living together in peace and harmony throughout the country. The Lao Government does not classify any ethnic group as minority or majority ethnic group regardless of the different size of their population. Ethnic groups have equal rights and obligations The Government pursues a policy to enhance the unity, solidarity and equality among all ethnic groups, reaffirming non-discrimination based on race, language, belief or ethnicity. Article 2 of the Constitution stipulates that the State of the Lao PDR is a people's democratic state; all powers belong to the people, and are exercised by the people and for the interests of the multi-ethnic people of all social strata whose foundation is the alliance between workers, farmers and intelligentsia. Articles 8 and 9 of the Constitution 2015, stipulate that the State implements the policy of unity, solidarity and equality among ethnic groups; all ethnic groups have the right to preserve, promote their respective fine traditions and cultures as well as the fine traditions and culture of the whole nation; all acts of religious division and discrimination among ethnic groups are prohibited as clearly states in Articles 66 and 176 of the Penal Law that “any person dividing, obstructing, limiting the participation or discriminate against others base on their ethnicity is punishable by imprisonment”. 54. Para 62 According to the archaeologists and historians, there had been multi ethnic groups living in the land, which is presently called Lao PDR for thousands years, and thus none of them can lay claim to be more indigenous than any other group. Since the establishment of country as “the Lao People’s Democratic Republic” in 2nd December 1975, Lao PDR has been enjoying political, social-economic stability, all of the Lao ethnic groups (50 ethnic groups) are always co-existed, living together in peaceful, harmony and enjoyed the equality and non-discrimination. There has been no experience in the Lao history that certain ethnic groups have laid claim indigenous status as such. 12