News
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
Sweden pledges $2.5 mil to UNESCO for media development in Cambodia
The Swedish government and UNESCO yesterday signed an agreement on “Strengthening Media Development and Freedom of Expression” in Cambodia, with Sweden contributing around $2.5 million to UNESCO for the project. According to a joint statement released yesterday, the project is to be implemented in partnership with ...
Sen David
Southeast Asia remains a hot spot for plastic pollution
Southeast Asia has emerged as a hot spot for plastic pollution because of rapid urbanization and a rising middle class , whose consumption of plastic products and packaging is growing due to their convenience and versatility. But local waste management infrastructure has not kept pace, resulting in ...
Victoria Kwakwa
Environmentalists criticise Netflix fishing doco for inaccuracies and misinformation
As Thailand accuses a Netflix documentary of using outdated and inaccurate information about the country’s fishing industry, a number of global environmental experts are echoing similar criticisms. According to a report in Coconuts, Seaspiracy has been slammed for being full of inaccuracies and twisting the science behind the damage ...
Maya Taylor | Source: Coconut
Gaur dies of old age in Vietnam nature reserve
A 700-kilogram gaur was found dead Sunday at the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve in southern Vietnam. The reserve said the male ox had died of old age. But it is not clear how old it was. On April 9 forest rangers found the animal showing ...
Nguyen Quy
Vietnam tightens land management
Vietnam’s ministries of Construction, and Natural Resources and Environment have requested provinces and cities review state management on land prices amid ‘land fever’ in some localities. The environment ministry said land prices in some localities and areas have increased dramatically, which could affect socio-economic development and ...
Asia News Network
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.
UN condemns violence against Myanmar protesters and deaths
The U.N. Security Council late Thursday strongly condemned the use of violence against peaceful protesters in Myanmar and the deaths of hundreds of civilians, but dropped the threat of possible future action against the military following the Feb. 1 coup. The British-drafted press statement approved by ...
EDITH M. LEDERER
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