The small Southeast Asian country of Laos outraged civilized people everywhere last month by repatriating nine escaped North Koreans orphans. The escapees, who had travelled through China and into Laos, are now likely to suffer harsh punishment. Repatriated North Koreans are known to face internment in brutal labor camps upon their return. They’re occasionally even executed. In repatriating the refugees, Laos may have been attempting to curry favor with China, which refuses to recognize North Korean escapees as refugees, and actively repatriates them. As such, this outrage is a clear sign of China’s growing clout (and perhaps, America’s waning influence) in southeast Asia.