Extractive industries
Myanmar activists press Chinese mining firm for answers
Local activists have again failed in their bid to get a major Chinese mining company to answer questions about its involvement in mining activities in Sagaing Region. Ko Tint Aung Soe, a representative of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability in Sagaing Region, told The ...
Anti-dredging activists refuse to meet with government
Activists have continued their campaign to drive out sand dredging companies from Koh Kong province’s Botum Sakor district, refusing a meeting with local authorities and instead holding a 100-strong protest outside the district hall. Keep reading ...
Vietnam destroys 60 illegal gold mines in central region
Quang Ngai Province’s Military Command announced 27 July they had destroyed 60 illegal gold mines within 6 days, by one week earlier than previously planned. Government agencies have coordinated with Engineer Corps to carry a ton of explosives to the sites. Keep reading ...
Thai boats caught smuggling oil in Vietnam waters
Vietnamese coast guards have caught two Thai boats smuggling fuel to two Vietnamese fishing boats in the southwestern waters off off Phu Quoc Island. Keep reading ...
Laos stone not a rock-solid investment for Chinese speculators
A government ban, fines and the confiscation of goods has not stopped Chinese opportunists seeking to make a quick buck in Laos stone, reports the Shanghai-based China Business News. The popularity of Laos stone has investors betting that it could step up next to the greats ...
Rayong fishermen mark two years since oil spill
Small fishermen in Rayong have called on Thailand’s biggest petrochemical company to do more to rehabilitate oil-spill impacted sites along the province’s coastline, saying they still are living with the after effects of a spill two years ago. Keep reading ...
Caution urged as Myanmar poised to embrace more mining
New mining laws in Myanmar are expected to come into place after November’s national elections, enticing more foreign investment, but rights groups fear local communities could be imperiled without more solid legal protections. Analysts say Myanmar’s mining industry is still at the “frontier” stage of development ...
Pollution from copper mining in Northern Laos destroying local livelihoods
A company operating a copper mine in northern Laos’ Oudomxay province is polluting the local environment and destroying the livelihoods of residents, according to villagers, who have called for officials to investigate the firm. A resident of Sawang village, in Oudomxay’s Namo district, told RFA’s Lao ...
Chinese rare earth metals exchange to pay $6.4bn owed to investors
Hundreds of Chinese investors protested outside of the Fanya Metal Exchange, in the south of the country, after finding that the minor rare earth metals exchange was unable pay out on investment products. Keep reading ...
Cambodia's mining tax likely won’t budge
Cambodia’s new mining law is on track for adoption by the end of this year and will introduce a raft of reforms to the sector, a senior official said, although the country’s mining tax will likely remain the same. Meng Saktheara, secretary of state at the ...
