A/HRC/45/2 493. United Nations Watch (by video message) was deeply concerned with the human rights situation in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, in particular when it comes to children. It called the Council to do its utmost to protect the rights of children in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, namely, their right to education and to be free from child labour, and to save them from the plight of child marriage and the predicament of early pregnancy. Concerning education, it noted that secondary school enrolment was still lagging behind. Girls from certain ethnic communities were at a disadvantage. It also echoed UNESCO’s call to ratify the Convention against Discrimination in Education. Regarding child labour, it considered the situation very worrying. It cited the ILO, according to which 178,000 children are subjected to child labour. A majority are children from rural areas and 50 per cent of them are girls. On the third issue, it stated that girls marriage and early pregnancies were preventing girls of getting out of poverty. It cited UNICEF, according to whom the Lao People’s Democratic Republic had the highest rate of child marriage in East Asia, with 37 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 being married by the age of 18. 494. CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation, in a joint statement with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, regretted that the Government had not accepted several recommendations related to fundamental freedoms and protection of human rights defenders. Following the second cycle in 2015, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic had committed to reassess the restrictions on fundamental freedoms in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. However, it noted that the Government’s actions since then had stood in stark contrast to these commitments as well as Constitutional guarantees of these rights. It observed that criticism of the Government continued to be criminalized by using defamation charges. It cited the case of a woman human rights defender, Houayheuang Xayabouly. It also expressed concerns regarding Decree No. 238 on Associations. It called on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to create and maintain, in law and practice, an enabling environment for civil society organizations, media, journalists and human rights defenders by repealing or reviewing all repressive legislation in accordance with international standards. It also regretted the Government’s failure to accept key recommendations to investigate the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone and called on the Government to establish a new independent and impartial investigative body. It concluded its intervention by calling on the Government to set out a comprehensive, measurable and time-bound action plan for the implementation of universal periodic review recommendations, in full cooperation and consultation with civil society. 495. The Society for Threatened Peoples regretted that the Lao People’s Democratic Republic did not accept key recommendations affecting indigenous and minorities’ rights. It drew the attention of the Council to the systematic persecution of Hmong people, who endure State persecution and are often victims of violent attacks and enforced disappearances. Facing the risk of discrimination, persecution and military violence, large numbers of Hmong people have fled to Western countries or attempted to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, during previous decades. The remaining Hmong have been excluded from the Laotian society and some of them have been forced to hide in the jungle. Today, from those who flew to the jungle, only small groups were left, due to the active persecution that they still suffer. It provided details regarding the case of a group of people who went missing on 12 March 2020, while fleeing severe starvation and constant military attacks. It stated that this was just one of many examples of gross human rights violations committed against the Hmong people in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. It regretted that the authorities continued to deny the existence of the issue and refused to have any meaningful dialogue about it. It called for an investigation of the human rights violations in the region. 87