Radio Free Asia
Lao Dam Resettlement Village Out of Water Due to Drought
More than 100 Lao families who were moved to a resettlement village four years ago to make way for construction of the Nam Tha 1 Dam hydropower project in Luang Namtha province have run out of water amid a worsening drought, local sources say. Water sources ...
Vietnam Jails Six Bloggers, Activists in One-day Sweep Across the Country
Vietnamese courts on Thursday sentenced six dissident bloggers and activists to long terms in prison amid a continuing crackdown on online expressions of dissent in the one-party communist state that has seen dozens of people jailed this year, sources said. In southeastern Vietnam’s Dong Nai province, ...
Despite Efforts to Stamp Out Corruption, Laos Remains Corrupt
Laos continues to struggle with rampant corruption despite recent efforts to eliminate it from the halls of government, according to the country’s State Audit Organization (SAO). At a Lao National Assembly meeting earlier this month, the organization reported massive losses resulting from under-the-table deals made by ...
EU Issues Damning Report on Cambodia Before Looming Deadline on Trade Benefits Decision
In a scathing report, the European Union warned Cambodia that it has not taken enough steps to prevent a loss of its special trade privileges, noting particularly “further deterioration” of its human rights record since a review process was launched nine months ago. The confidential 70-page ...
Parameswaran Ponnudurai
Stakeholders Question Farness of MRC’s Impact Assessment for Laos’ Luangprabang Dam
Stakeholders are concerned about the legitimacy of the multinational approval process for Laos’ Luangprabang hydropower project, after recommendations to lower the environmental impact were raised, but few were accepted during a meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) last week in Vientiane. The meeting was held ...
Mekong River Commission Says Dams Are Causing of Sharp Shifts in Water Levels
The Mekong River Commission Tuesday acknowledged that climate change played a role in this year’s widely varying water levels on the Mekong, but said that dam construction was the main culprit in sharp water level increases and decreases, emphasizing a need for data-sharing between countries. The ...
Eugene Whong
Two Large Mekong River Dams in Laos to Start Operations by End of Year
The first two of five planned large-scale Lao dams on the Mekong river are set to go online before the end of this year, amid controversy over their impact on the environment and people’s livelihoods. The Xayaburi dam in northern Laos will start operations on October ...
Lao Man, 69, Arrested for Refusing to Give Up Land His Family Has Held Since 1965
An elderly man in Laos was detained last month for refusing to give up land that had been in his family since 1965, family members said. Thitphay Thammavong, 69, was arrested on September 16 after declining to sign papers that would cede control of his 1.5 ...
Provincial Official in Laos Wants to Cancel Concession for Chinese Coal Company
Officials for the local government in Laos’ Houaphanh province say they want to cancel the survey contract of a Chinese coal company after learning that its operations in the province have caused hardship for villagers who have yet to see any compensation. The company reportedly damaged ...
Regional Government in Myanmar’s Sagaing Rethinks Support For Chinese Copper Mine
The Sagaing regional government in northwestern Myanmar on Monday cancelled permission for a Chinese company to conduct inspections for a new copper mine project following a protest by local residents in the capital Monywa. Hundreds of local residents staged a morning protest opposing the granting of ...
