TOKYO -- A quarter-century of Japanese "judicial diplomacy" is bearing fruit in Southeast Asia. On May 27, Laos became the third country in Southeast Asia, after Vietnam and Cambodia, to introduce a civil code with Japanese support.
Japan's long-term engagement on the topic has resulted in it being allowed for the first time to participate in a conference of senior legal officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting, or ASLOM, will discuss cybersecurity and other cross-border legal issues.
