News
Laos Jars are Slowly Revealing their Secrets
In the rugged province of Xieng Khoaung in upper northern Laos are scattered more than 2,000 large carved stone jars. They vary in size, with the biggest standing at just over 2.5 metres tall and weighing in at 30 tonnes. The jars are believed to ...
Dr Louise Shewan, University of Melbourne; Dr Dougald O’Reilly, ANU and Dr Thonglith Luangkhoth
Feasibility study for Forestry and Eco Agriculture project gets underway
The government has given the green light to Jia Run Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. to carry out a feasibility study for an ecological agriculture development project in Sanamxay district, Attapeu province. An agreement with regard to the project was signed on Wednesday by Deputy Minister of ...
Viengdavanh Banphahaksa
Lao government, ethnic communities clash over development projects
New reports of Lao military operations against ethnic Hmong communities suggest the government is tightening its control over areas targeted for development and investment. According to a Radio Free Asia report on April 1, Lao military forces have repeatedly attacked Hmong living around Phou Bia mountain in Xaysomboun province, ...
Editorial
Chinese Dams Unleash Mekong Waters on Laos During ‘Dry’ Season
Chinese dams on the Mekong River have begun releasing water during the river’s normal dry season, causing trouble for wildlife, farmers and fishermen in Laos, sources in the Southeast Asian country told RFA. “The Mekong River water level is up 12 centimeters [4.7 inches] from yesterday,” ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam See Continued Rights Abuses, Restrictions on Free Expression: Report
Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam imposed serious restrictions on freedom of expression and the press over the last year, with all three countries also holding political prisoners and interfering with the rights of citizens to peacefully protest, according to an annual State Department report released on ...
Richard Finney
Rainforest Trust is Saving Habitat in Laos for the Rare Asian Unicorn
Rainforest Trust is working with Asian Arks to conserve the Khoun Xe Nong Ma National Protected Area that was recently declared by the Government of Lao PDR. The KXNM area covers approximately 133,000 acres of the Upper Xe Bang Fai-Laos Key Biodiversity Area in the ...
Rainforest Trust
Laos Only ASEAN Country With Zero Covid Deaths
Laos has become the only country in ASEAN with zero deaths attributed to the Covid-19 coronavirus. Until last week, Cambodia and Laos had each recorded zero deaths from the Coronavirus, despite differing strategies for Covid prevention and control. Cambodia suffered its first death from Covid-19 last Thursday ...
Latsamy Phonevilay
Illegally Harvested Timber Sold ‘Under Cover’ in Attapeu Province in Laos
Businessmen in Laos’s Attapeu province are selling timber hidden for years in the forest after being harvested illegally, mixing it with other timber allowed by provincial authorities to be sold by local villagers, Lao sources say. Now being sold to private businessmen, the contraband timber was ...
Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFA’s Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Laos, UN strengthen development cooperation
The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that it will continue to support the Lao government under the Cooperation Framework, to enable the government to design a clear strategy for the development of Laos. The Cooperation Framework builds on inputs from all key stakeholders, including the UN ...
UNESCO Requests New Impact Assessment for Luang Prabang Dam
UNESCO has requested a new assessment for a large-scale Lao Mekong River dam located near a World Heritage Site, fearing that the dam’s potential impact could put the site at risk. According to UNESCO, the town of Luang Prabang is “an outstanding example of the fusion ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
