[1] The special zone was created 1994 by the military, with area split off from the provinces Vientiane and Xiangkhoang, in order to control and suppress the postwar Hmong resistance.
The area of the special zone of Xaisomboun was once controlled by the Hmong "Secret Army" and included the military bases Long Tieng and Sam Thong; today it is controlled by the Lao People's Army (LPA), which have put pressure on Hmong insurgents.
[4] In 2017, Barbara Lochbihler MEP submitted a parliamentary question to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, addressing the humanitarian challenges faced by the Hmong in Xaisomboun.
She highlighted issues such as restricted access for international officials, reports of violence, and the lack of European Union development assistance reaching the area, seeking clarity on the European Union's actions to address the crisis and engage with the community directly.
[5] In 2021, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) condemned the treatment and military violence against the ChoaFa people living in the special zone of Xaisomboun, as well as "intimidation, harassment and persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, and members of minority communities through arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances".