An animal protection group says Laos urgently needs to take steps to tackle this growing problem. The fastest growing ivory market in the world is now Laos, according to an investigation by Kenya-based group Save the Elephants. China is banning all ivory trade by the end of 2017, but business …
“The world of drugs has become much more complex,” an UN expert said. Bangkok (AFP) – Southeast Asian drug cartels are diversifying the narcotics they produce, the UN’s crime agency warned Wednesday, with more than 160 new highs hitting the market in the last eight years. The Golden Triangle — where …
We investigate China’s rising influence in Laos and the potentially disastrous consequences for the local population. Mandarin is the language of choice among its residents and on its street signs and advertising hoardings; clocks are set to Beijing time in homes, stores and even municipal buildings; and the Yuan is …
Dozens of elephants, adorned in bright colors and with garlands of flowers, paraded through a Laotian town on Saturday in a celebration of a species that has become increasingly scarce in the Southeast Asian country. Known historically as the “Land of a Million Elephants”, Laos now has only a few …
“A Great Place to Have a War” by Joshua Kurlantzick revisits America’s intervention in Laos in the 1960s. A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE A WAR America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA By Joshua Kurlantzick 323 pp. Simon & Schuster. $28. Speaking last September in Vientiane, the …
Thailand’s top security officer will go to neighboring Laos to push for the extradition of critics of the Thai monarchy, Thailand’s defense minister said on Thursday. Insulting the monarchy carries a jail term of up to 15 years for each offence in Thailand and prosecutions have risen since the death …
Laos has notified its Southeast Asian neighbors that it’s moving ahead with a third contentious hydro dam on the Mekong River’s mainstream. The Mekong River Commission, an organization that groups together Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand for joint management of the river, said in a statement it has received notice …
What is the likelihood that political change will come to Laos? The inquisitive visitor to an authoritarian state is often left trying to find crumbs of answers to the question: Does the populace actually like the regime and believe its lies? In some cases this is easier than others. When …
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Laos has promised to phase out farms that breed endangered tigers for their body parts, a positive step from a country believed to be a major hub of wildlife trafficking in Asia, conservation groups said Friday. The announcement by Laotian officials in South Africa came one day …
How did the US go from being a country that denied secretly bombing Laos to finally taking responsibility, 40 years later? Farmers in Laos saw small balls falling like toys from planes in the sky. Some exploded. Others just lodged in the ground. They called them “bombies.” After nine years, one-third …
Alongside the ASEAN summitry, a different group descended on Laos: angel investors. Last week, the usually sleepy capital of Vientiane was awoken amidst the commotion and hustle bustle of the 29th ASEAN Summit. Within four days, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic had hosted a flurry of official meetings, negotiations, and historic …
Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam offer an unlikely breath of fresh air. MANDALAY — With much of ASEAN stuck in the economic doldrums and its senior members beset with issues ranging from unprecedented levels of corruption to violent insurgencies and maritime disputes with China, the regional bloc has known better days. But …