On 7 December 2012, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a notice to Mrs. Gindroz, the Country Director of the Swiss development organization Helvetas Laos. The letter ordered her to leave the territory of Lao PDR within 48 hours. The notice states that "the Lao Government is dismayed by the improper behaviour of Mrs. Anne-Sophie Gindroz. Her unconstructive attitude towards the Lao PDR has become apparent and gone far beyond the acceptable norms and practices". She is also accused of "a prejudicial anti-Lao Government campaign." The notice refers to a personal letter sent by Mrs. Gindroz on 21 November 2012 to donor countries and organisations ahead of Round Table Implementation Meeting (RTIM), a mechanism that facilitates meaningful dialogue and constructive engagement between the Lao government and the development partners. In that letter, Mrs. Gindroz criticised the Lao government for its repression of civil society and for creating a difficult operating environment for Helvetas Laos and other development NGOs. Mrs. Gindroz arrived in Thailand on 9 December 2012. Lao authorities ordered Mrs. Gindroz to leave the territory of Lao PDR after she sent a personal letter on 21 November 2012 to the development partners of the Lao PDR ahead an annual meeting on aid to the country. This personal letter describes the restrictions and contradictions faced by civil society in Laos as a consequence of government policies. Mrs. Gindroz's expulsion is a clear reprisal following her personal letter in which she exercised her legitimate right to freedom of expression.