News
Bangkok Declaration must wait until June
ASEAN countries yesterday agreed to work together closely to deal with the region’s serious marine trash problem, with leaders of the grouping expected to endorse the Bangkok Declaration at the Asean Summit in Bangkok in June. Keep reading ...
Are We Seeing the Mekong River's 'Last Days'?
In the introduction to his new book, Brian Eyler cautions that “the reader should not get the impression from the book’s title that the Mekong River is in its death throes.” Yet 320 pages later, he signs off with a warning: “Unless we begin today ...
'Dirty money' in the Mekong region is about 100 billion USD / year
That is the information given by Chris Batt, UNODC’s adviser against money laundering / counter-terrorism financing at the workshop “Enhancing compliance awareness on money laundering prevention, terrorism financing and multilateral assessment processes.” Continue reading (only Vietnamese version) ...
Laos Stops Chinese-backed Tourism Development After Villagers Complain
A Chinese development project in Laos has been suspended indefinitely after pushback from local villagers and merchants. Project would affect 22 villages near Vang Vieng tourism district. In mid-January, developers had begun initial surveys in Phoudindeng, Huai Sa-ngoa and Pakpo villages, located near scenic Vang Vieng. Keep reading ...
BRI backlash: time for China to reassure Asean
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to draw criticism and disapproval. Its sceptics brand it as China’s Marshall Plan, or as a ‘neo-imperial project’. To ensure the initiative’s success, China should heed some of these concerns and take steps to improve the implementation ...
Thailand's Junta Government Defends Controversial Cybersecurity Law
“The scope of the law is so broad, it’s like Big Brother activists have called the legislation “cyber martial law” said Kanathip Thongraweewong, Director of Digital Media Law Institute at Kasembandit University. Thailand’s Junta Government The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday defended a controversial cybersecurity ...
Mekong delta faces severe salinization
Early March, gradual saltwater intrusion in coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta is threatening to the primary production system and daily activities. Thousands of inhabitants in Ben Tre and Kien Giang are suffering from scarcity of safe drinking water and daily activities. Keep reading ...
Laos builds more dams, scientists worry about Mekong’s ecosystem
Instead of requesting additional data used in the building of Pak Lay hydroelectric dam in Laos, Dr Le Anh Tuan, a Mekong River expert and deputy head of the Institute for Climate Change Research at Can Tho University, believes that it would be better to ...
Cambodia-Laos Pledge to Complete Border Demarcation
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said that Cambodia and Laos pledged to complete border demarcation to transform the border areas to become “peace and development” zone, speaking in a courtesy call with Amphay Kindavong, newly appointed Lao Ambassador to Cambodia, at the Cambodian-Chinese Friendship ...
‘Commissions’ Required of Companies Bidding for Building Work in Flood-hit Lao Province
Construction firms bidding for approval to build permanent homes for flood victims in Laos must pay between 10 to 26 percent of the total cost of the project to local authorities if their bids are approved, sources in the country say. Government officials in Attapeu ...
