News

CAMBODIA had denied reports by Amnesty International and the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) that large scale illegal logging has increased in the Prey Lang wildlife sanctuary. The Ministry of Environment has rejected reports by the two groups, saying it was an attempt to cause conflict ...

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 ...

An endangered turtle bred in captivity laid eggs for the first time in Cambodia, conservationists said this week, in a massive win for animal protection in the kingdom. The animal was among five Royal Turtles — once feared extinct in the country — that laid more ...

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 ...

Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai was ranked as the third most city in the world with the worst air quality  index on Wednesday, with an average PM2.5 dust level higher than 200. Chiang Mai province is once again battling with a critical air quality levels due ...

While its own people in Texas are in dire straits amid an electricity-related crisis, the US has turned its attention to the Mekong water resource issue, while turning a blind eye to China’s efforts to resolve the problems.  Ned Price, US State Department spokesperson, raised “concerns ...

Southeast Asian foreign ministers will hold a special meeting on Tuesday on the political crisis in Myanmar, the Indonesian foreign ministry said, as the regional and international community condemned a deadly weekend crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. The online meeting was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ...

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 ...

The World Bank has announced the 13-month debarment of Germany’s Ferrostall Oil & Gas (FSOG), an engineering, procurement and construction contractor for oil, gas and other industrial plants. It is in connection with an alleged fraudulent practice under the Bank-financed Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project in Myanmar. The ...

The government of Laos issued new guidelines for managing hydropower dams aimed at minimizing water shortages and flooding, state media reported on Thursday, amid debate on how its hydropower boom has altered the vital Mekong River. The new decree, effective March 4, requires all hydropower operators ...