The Bru (also Bruu, Riang or Bru-Vân Kiều; Vietnamese: Người Bru - Vân Kiều; Lao: ບຣູ ; Thai: บรู; which literally means "people living in the woods"[citation needed]) are an indigenous ethnic group living in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

[2] The Bru are also close ethnically to Pnongam peoples of Southern Vietnam and Eastern Cambodia.

Some people have confused the Bru for the Brao in northeastern Cambodia and Attapeu and Champasak Provinces of southern Laos.

About 400 years ago, the Bru were pushed out of the best valley lands in northern Laos and forced southward by the Thai-speaking peoples.

[citation needed] A small part of the Bru migrated from Annamite Range (Vietnamese: dãy Trường Sơn) to Đắk Lắk since late April 1972.

During and following the Vietnam War the Bru people in Thailand were heavily involved in revolutionary activities against the local Thai governments.

The territories populated by the Bru include excellent conditions for prosperity, but the regions where they live lack adequate infrastructure for much needed development.

Recent projects including cultivation of rubber, coffee, tobacco and cotton have struggled due to these conditions.

They are very musical and are skilled with many different instruments including castanets, drums, gongs, zithers and simple and traditional instruments that used to accompany singing tales (cha chap) and change songs (sim) Although they are a Katuic people, they've adopted some elements of Tai culture.