Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the country tell RFA. Drawings are frequently rigged, and winning numbers that are not popular with many buyers mysteriously vanish from purchased tickets, the sources say. For example, the winning number in the Oct. 14 lottery drawing was 509, but that number disappeared from tickets purchased throughout the day of the draw, a source in the capital Vientiane told RFA. The number reappeared only 10 minutes before the drawing took place, he added.

The winners are members of the Iu Mien ethnic group, a southeast Asian ethnic group with roots in southern China. Tens of thousands of Iu Mien fled to Thailand and the United States after the Vietnam war, where they have since re-established their communities with Buddhist temples, schools, social organizations, businesses, restaurants and other services. In the Portland area, the community has a Chinese-language school, a Buddhist temple and other businesses. The prize money is paid out over 30 years, but the winner, Saephan, and his wife Duanpen, plan to take half now.