Little is known about the Underground Government of the Free Democratic People of Laos (UGFDPL), a group that has claimed responsibility for several small bombings in Laos in the past few years.  <P><br /><br />While the group has made few public statements giving insight into their aims and ideology, the lack of information surrounding the group is probably more a product of the secretive, hermetic nature of Laos and its communist government. For over 30 years, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party has ruled the country with an iron fist, crushing ethnic insurgencies (notably a low-level conflict waged by the Hmong minority group) and peaceful opposition alike. <P><br /><br />While the Laotian government has been quick to blame any anti-government violence on "bandits" or ethnic "Hmong insurgents," the UGFDPL appears to be a pro-democracy group opposed to the authoritarian communist government.  In a rare statement of claim leaked to the public, the group claimed responsibility for a November 2003 bombing at a national monument, saying,  "All the bomb explosions...this time, as in the past, have been carried out by (Lao) people (our mission) is to dismantle the cruel and barbarian regime of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party."  The group also expressed an opposition to the presence of Vietnamese troops on Laotian territory.  <P><br /><br />Since 2000, the group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on markets, tourist venues, and transportation targets.  Most prominently, the group claimed responsibility for a 2004 bombing at the Thai-Lao "Friendship Bridge," just days before a regional ASEAN summit was to take place in the Laotian capital.  Due to the government's desire to downplay these incidents, very little information is known about the damage and casualties caused by the attacks.  For the most part, UGFDPL seems more interested in publicizing their cause rather then killing people. <P><br /><br />Almost nothing is known about the size and structure of the UGFDPL.  Some news reports speculate that the group is made up of disillusioned ex-military forces, but there is no concrete proof to support this claim.   <br />