BAN NAMPRAI, Thailand (Reuters) – The first hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River began commercial operations in Laos on Tuesday amid protests from villagers in Thailand who say the Xayaburi Dam and several others in the works will destroy their livelihoods. The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam’s debut coincides with parts …
Washington has admitted to the long-lasting effects of dioxin use in Vietnam, but has largely sidestepped the issue in neighboring Cambodia and Laos. KAMPOUT TUK, Cambodia—Paris Dauk’s left arm lies close to her chest, reminiscent of how a bird bears a broken wing. She’s talkative and has a propensity to …
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand will ban pig imports from Laos for 90 days after its neighbor confirmed the first outbreak of deadly African swine fever, an official notice said. The ban would cover live pigs and carcasses in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading into Thailand, said a …
Centuries ago, the kingdom that made up much of modern-day Laos was called Lan Xang. In English: “Land of a Million Elephants.” Yet while the Asiatic elephant may have endured as a cultural icon for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the numbers tell a story of a species in crisis. …
In Southeast Asia’s only landlocked country, the Mekong River is a lifeline. From a slow boat heading up the river in Laos, you’ll see fishermen working in their boats, riverside farms where bananas grow, and domesticated buffalo lazing. Occasionally a ferry chugs by. From time to time, steps leading to …
WASHINGTON (AP) — The remains of three air crew members who were lost during a resupply mission over Laos during the Vietnam War have been identified, more than 47 years after they were killed. In October 1997, a Joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic team received information about a possible crash …
MOSCOW — This was no ordinary shipment of tanks. The Russian Defense Ministry greeted it with a display of public pride, sending a crew from its official television channel to record the delivery’s departure from the far-eastern port of Vladivostok to a military base near Moscow, a trip that will …
Chinese-funded projects in Laos could hasten the eradication of the elephant population. China Railway’s Kunming bureau recently announced that a 36-kilometer long fence will be built along the Singapore-Kunming Railway project to protect wild elephants in southwest Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna region. This is a positive step, but it does little to allay concerns …
IN July, a hydroelectric dam collapse in Laos released five billion cubic meters of water into surrounding countryside – the equivalent of two million Olympic swimming pools. The resulting flood killed dozens, devastated communities, forced thousands to flee and ripped through areas of protected rainforest. The catastrophe made headlines globally; initial …
Influential Facebook users, pejoratively referred to as net idols, are facing retribution for their online posts. Vientiane, Laos – Inside a packed lecture hall at the American Centre in the capital Vientiane, 60 National University of Laos students sit surrounded by framed posters featuring inspirational quotes by American icons Martin Luther …
TWO WEEKS after a dam in the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower facility collapsed in southern Laos, sending millions of tonnes of water crashing through villages downstream, authorities are still counting the dead. The official death toll is at least 31, but at least 130 people remain unaccounted for, which could push the final …
SIEM PANG, Cambodia — Kang Ngan isn’t sure what a dam is. She doesn’t know how old she is, although she thinks “over 30” is a good guess. But she has lived long enough to know that something is terribly wrong along the Sekong River. The rhythms of life here …