Radio Free Asia
Laos Plans to Build Sixth Large-Scale Mekong River Mainstream Dam
A Thai hydropower company has plans to build what would be Laos’ sixth large-scale Mekong river dam, the latest cog in Laos’ ambitious plan to become the “battery of Southeast Asia.” The Thailand-based Charoen Energy and Water Asia Co. Ltd. (CEWA) presented to Lao authorities the ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong
Mekong River Dams Disrupting Lives of Southeast Asian Fishermen, Farmers
Tiem Ngern-tok pointed at the water level, shook his head and talked about dragon boat races to explain how dams in China and Laos have disrupted the lives of Thai people whose villages abut the Mekong River. “During annual boat races the water was high,” said ...
Myanmar Arrests 49 Rohingya Muslims Attempting to Flee to Malaysia
Myanmar authorities on Wednesday arrested nearly 50 Rohingya Muslims in Yangon region as they attempted to flee the country for Malaysia, a lawmaker said, while a separate group of Rohingya detainees appeared in court in Ayeyarwady region to face charges on traveling without official permission ...
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi Visits Kayah State as Party Tries to Improve Ties With Ethnic Groups
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with ethnic Karenni youth in eastern Kayah state Wednesday to discuss local grievances there, the latest step to shore up her ruling National League for Democracy’s relations with ethnic groups as the party faces year-end elections. The visit, and ...
Hundreds in Cambodia Protest Lack of Progress in Resolving Land Disputes
Almost a thousand protesters gathered on Monday outside the Ministry of Land Management in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh to urge direct intervention by the Ministry in long-running land disputes, saying that handing the responsibility off to provincial authorities has stalled resolution. Coming from the provinces of ...
Thailand to Air Concerns with River Commission over Drought, Chinese Dams in Mekong
Thailand will raise concerns about its current drought during a Mekong River Commission meeting expected next month, the Thai water-resources chief said, as local farmers complained that dams in China were choking the waterway on which millions depend for their livelihoods. Somkiat Prajamwong, director of Thailand’s ...
Lao Villagers Displaced by Dams Struggle to Survive in Resettlement Sites
Hundreds of Lao families displaced by Chinese-backed dam projects and now living in resettlement villages are facing hardships due to poor housing and a lack of work, with many still waiting for compensation promised for fields and orchards lost when they were forced to move, ...
Former Vietnamese Government Minister Draws Life Term in Corruption Case
A former Vietnamese government minister and his deputy were sentenced on Saturday to a life term and 14 years in prison respectively in a case of corruption that is said to have cost the state budget almost U.S. $3 million, media sources said. Son Bac Nguyen, ...
Displaced Population in Myanmar’s Rakhine State Reaches 100,000
The number of civilians displaced during the past year amid an uptick in armed conflict in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state has reached more than 100,000, a regional relief organization said Monday, as authorities continue to limit area access to groups providing aid. The new figure based ...
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Hague Performance Impresses Few Beyond Myanmar Loyalists
Leader Aung San Suu Kyi came up short in defending Myanmar before the U.N.’s top court this week on genocide charges for the army’s brutal expulsion of Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar and international legal experts said Friday, while her supporters defended her performance. The case, launched by ...
