24 SEPTEMBER 2019
Laos to go ahead with Luang Prabang dam project despite warnings
The government of Laos has officially informed the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission (MRC) of its plan to build a new dam in Luang Prabang, despite warnings about the project’s environmental effects
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/laos-luang-prabang-dam-project-warnings-190924102523452.html
1 APRIL 2019
UN finally tells the truth about Laos
Communist-run Laos has had a relative knack for staying out of the news for its human rights abuses, endemic corruption and sub-par performance in providing services to its citizens. But now finally someone of prominence is speaking out
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/04/article/un-finally-tells-the-truth-about-laos/
24 JULY 2018
Hundreds missing after dam collapses in Laos
The collapse of a dam in Laos has reportedly left hundreds of people missing and an unknown number dead. Some 5 billion cubic meters of water were released onto villages
https://www.dw.com/en/hundreds-missing-after-dam-collapses-in-laos/a-44800846
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44935495
28 MARCH 2018
Is hermetic Laos poised for more openness?
Next month marks Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith’s second year in power, a role few Communist Party apparatchiks have grasped with so much aplomb
http://www.atimes.com/article/hermetic-laos-poised-openness//
5 DECEMBER 2017
Hmong face military in Laos jungle in fallout from Vietnam war
Deep in the jungle in Laos, a small group of people tries to survive against all odds. Surrounded by Lao military camps, men, women and children keep themselves alive by eating roots and leaves and an occasional gibbon. They live in makeshift tents and are always on the move. Recently the shelling has intensified. But their calls for help fall on deaf ears
http://en.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20171204-anno-2017-vietnam-war-still-rages-secretly-laos-hmong
12 AUGUST 2017
Laos, Cambodia to pull back troops after PM meet
The leaders of Cambodia and Laos vowed on Saturday to recall troops from a disputed border area where tensions have been flaring for months, after the prime ministers held an emergency meeting
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2106566/laos-cambodia-withdraw-troops-disputed-border-area
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/55/188/11/1502522224623.html
11 AUGUST 2017
Cambodian PM accuses Laos of border violation, mobilising troops
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday (Aug 11) accused neighbouring Laos o sending troops into Cambodian territory in April and set an Aug 17 deadline for their departure, warning that he was mobilising soldiers to the border area
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/cambodian-pm-accuses-laos-of-border-violation-mobilising-troops-9114246
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5077785/hun-sen-threatens-evict-lao-troops/
25 MAY 2017
Laos: On the borders of the empire
This video investigate China’s rising influence in Laos and the potentially disastrous consequences for the local population
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2017/05/laos-borders-empire-170522105221541.html
3 MAY 2017
Impoverished Laos shows resistance to becoming a client state of China
Laos typically welcomes help from China. About 23% of the landlocked Southeast Asian country’s 6.8 million people live in poverty. Rural infrastructure lags behind most of its neighbors. So the Lao government supports growing investment from China as part of the “Belt and Road” program
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphjennings/2017/05/03/tiny-impoverished-laos-shows-resistance-to-being-a-client-state-of-china/#ffe93047da1b
16 FEBRUARY 2017
Little Laos tackles big corruption
In line with its communist neighbors China and Vietnam, Laos has launched an anti-corruption campaign to purge the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party of corrupt members
http://www.atimes.com/article/little-laos-tackles-big-corruption/
11 FEBRUARY 2017
Despite the risks, Laos goes ahead with Pak Beng dam
With construction likely to start within months, the people most affected still have little information on the hydropower project
http://www.atimes.com/article/despite-risks-laos-goes-ahead-pak-beng-dam/
10 DECEMBER 2016
Laos long march forward
With the World Bank’s assistance, Laos has set specific targets in its Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plans. Under Lao’s eighth plan, approved in April 2016, goals to be achieved by 2020
http://www.atimes.com/article/laos-march-ancient-kingdom-modern-society//
12 SEPTEMBER 2016
Can Laos create a startup economy?
While there has been much attention on the diplomatic and economic fronts during the Asean summit, Vientiane was also subject to scrutiny from a different group of people: international angel investors
http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/can-laos-create-a-startup-economy/
6 SEPTEMBER 2016
US gives Laos US$90m for bomb clearance
The United States announced on Tuesday it would provide an additional US$90 million over the next three years to help Laos, heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, clear unexploded ordnance that has killed or injured more than 20,000 people
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-09/06/content_15491442.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/06/barack-obama-pledges-more-aid-to-laos-to-recover-from-secretive/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37286520
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_Laos.htm
21 APRIL 2016
Laos elects new president and PM during inaugural National Assembly meeting
The meeting named 78-year-old Bounnhang Vorachit for the nation’s top post while Tongloun Sisoulith, 70, will take on the prime ministerial role.
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/04/laos-elects-new-president-and-pm-during-inaugural-national-assembly-meeting/
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/new-laos-leaders-take-office-communists-welcome-world
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/Video_FileVDO/Apr16_New_leaders.htm
27 FEBRUARY 2016
China’s expanding influence in Laos
The recently signed Joint General Scheme of Mohan–Boten Economic Cooperation Zone is the first cross-border economic cooperation zone that China has established in Laos and, for that matter, in the whole of Southeast Asia.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/02/26/chinas-expanding-influence-in-laos/
16 FEBRUARY 2016
New opportunities for US–Laos relations
Leadership changes announced at the 10th Congress of the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party will give the United States an opportunity to boost ties with Laos when President Barack Obama visits Vientiane in September 2016. This will be the first visit ever to Laos by a sitting US president.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/02/16/new-opportunities-for-us-laos-relations/
25 JANUARY
Laos assures US it will help counter Chinese assertiveness
The prime minister of communist Laos assured U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday that his small nation will help counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
http://news.yahoo.com/laos-assures-us-help-counter-chinese-assertiveness-080159765.html
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/laos-keen-avoid-militarisation-south-china-sea
http://www.voanews.com/content/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-asia-asean-laos-north-korea/3161239.html
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_John%20Kerry.htm
24 JANUARY 2016
Kerry arrives in Laos as US reaches out to wartime foe
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Laos late Sunday (Jan 24) in a rare high-level visit by an American diplomat to Washington’s former wartime foe
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kerry-arrives-in-laos-as/2454262.htm
22 JANUARY 2016
Ruling communists in Laos promote VP Bounnhang Vorachit as country’s new leader
The ruling communist party of Laos elected a new leader Friday, putting Bounnhang Vorachit in charge of the single-party country as it takes its turn as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
http://news.yahoo.com/ruling-communists-laos-promote-vp-countrys-leader-122505983.html
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_10th_congress.htm
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/laos-pm-party-boss-set-political-exit-after-congress-vote
15 DECEMBER 2015
3 years on, rights groups demand answers on Sombath Somphone disappearance
On the eve of the third anniversary of acclaimed community development leader Sombath Somphone’s forced disappearance, human rights groups on Monday in Bangkok urged the Lao government to provide information regarding Mr. Sombath’s whereabouts and fate.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/12/sombath-somphone-disappearance/
12 DECEMBER 2015
Curfew imposed in Lao province after deadly violence
Lao authorities have imposed a curfew in north-central Xaysomboun Province after a spate of violence in which three government soldiers and three civilians were killed, police and other sources said Friday
http://atimes.com/2015/12/curfew-imposed-in-lao-province-after-deadly-violence/
2 DECEMBER 2015
Laos Touts 40 Years of Stability, but Critics Decry Debt, Corruption and Poverty
President Choummaly Sayasone marked 40 years of communist rule in Laos on Wednesday touting the stability and security of his landlocked Southeast Asian nation, but some Laotians lamented their country’s corruption, rising debt and dependence on China and Vietnam
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/laos-anniversary-12022015171027.html
26 OCTOBER 2015
Report reveals plunder of Lao forests
A leaked report has revealed near epic-scale illegal logging in Laos, with virtually no law enforcement In 2013 for instance, Laos exported 1.4 million cubic metres of timber to Vietnam and China, or more than 10 times its official harvest
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/report-reveals-plunder-lao-forests
8 SEPTEMBER 2015
Laos Approaches the World Stage
Laos’s profile in Southeast Asia has become more prominent over the past several years. Today external powers compete for influence there, with Vietnam and Japan seeking to limit China’s expanding presence in Laos. Thailand, South Korea, and other states also have significant stakes there. The United States’ involvement in Laos has been minimal since 1975, when the communist government assumed power
http://cogitasia.com/laos-approaches-the-world-stage/
5 JUNE 2015
Laos and China to Set Up Joint Company for High-Speed Railway
Laos is setting up a joint company with China to oversee the construction and financing of a multibillion-dollar, high-speed railway project that will link the two neighboring countries and extend to Thailand, according to a transport ministry official
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/laos-and-china-to-set-up-joint-company-for-major-high-speed-railway-06042015172519.html
5 MAY 2015
Laos expects economy to grow 7.6 pct this year
Laos expects its economy to expand by 7.6 percent this year despite headwinds slowing the pace of growth, Deputy Finance Minister Thipphakone Chanthavongsa said Monday.In a statement to the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/laos-expects-economy-to-grow-76-pct-this-year-8503
23 APRIL 2015
Laotian government pressures activists not to raise human rights issue at ASEAN meeting
Laotian NGOs planning to attend the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum are the target of government threats. Many of these have been scared off and will not participate. The Sombath case is still wrapped in silence after the activist disappeared more than two years ago
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Laotian-government-pressures-activists-not-to-raise-human-rights-issue-at-ASEAN-meeting-34060.html
26 JANUARY 2015
Human rights groups demand UN action on abuses in Laos
The Laos government is moving backward on human rights, says Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division. HRW issued a submission to the United Nations ahead of Laos’ Periodic Review last week, urging it to emphasize the need for reform related to enforced disappearances, freedom of speech, association, and assembly, the treatment of detainees in drug detention centers, and labor rights.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/130098/human-rights-groups-demand-un-action-on-abuses-in-laos/
3 JANUARY 2015
Business support is crucial for Laos to join the AEC and lock in growth
The accession of Laos to the World Trade Organization in 2013 was the latest in a series of steps towards achieving economic integration. The next milestone in its integration agenda is the establishment of the ASEAN economic community at the end of 2015
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2015/01/03/business-support-is-crucial-for-laos-to-join-the-aec-and-lock-in-growth/
21 NOVEMBER 2012
Laos’ Hydropower Boom Attracts Regional Attention
The recent decision by the government of Laos to green light the long delayed construction of the massive Xayaburi Dam made headlines across the world. Most analysts and commentators agree the move is controversial, as the dam will likely have significant negative environmental effects within Laos as well as in Cambodia and Vietnam, which lie further down the Mekong.
http://atlanticsentinel.com/2012/11/laos-hydropower-boom-attracts-regional-attention/
17 NOVEMBER 2012
Laos “Different Face” of Poverty
While Laos has been the beneficiary of rapid economic growth, not all are seeing its benefits.
http://thediplomat.com/2012/11/17/laos-different-face-of-poverty/
5 NOVEMBER 2012
Laos approves Xayaburi ‘mega’ dam on Mekong
Laos has given the go-ahead to build a massive dam on the lower Mekong river, despite opposition from neighbouring countries and environmentalists
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20203072
26 OCTOBER 2012
The World Trade Organization approves Laos membership
The World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council, which includes representatives from all member governments, formally approved Laos’s membership at its October 26 meeting. Laos first applied for WTO membership in 1997 and, 15 years later, will be the last member of ASEAN to join the multilateral trading syste
http://cogitasia.com/laos%E2%80%99s-wto-membership-will-help-bolster-rule-of-law/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cogitasia%2FZCwV+%28cogitASIA+Posts%29
5 OCTOBER 2012
Is the Party over in Laos ?
A crackdown on bars in northern Laos reveals deeper problems with tourism in this small, landlocked country.
http://thediplomat.com/2012/10/05/is-the-party-over-in-laos/
2 OCTOBER 2012
Land Dispute Task Force Formed
The Lao government has set up a task force to investigate a long-running dispute with villagers affected by the development of a rubber plantation by a Vietnamese company in southern Laos’s remote Sekong province.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/thateng-10022012150922.html
11 JULY 2012
Clinton visits Laos, country US pummeled with bombs during Vietnam War
Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Laos in more than five decades, gauging whether a place the United States pummeled with bombs during the Vietnam War could evolve into a new foothold of American influence in Asia.
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/11/12682531-clinton-visits-laos-country-us-pummeled-with-bombs-during-vietnam-war?lite
http://www.france24.com/en/20120711-hillary-clinton-visits-laos-vietnam-war-united-states-secretary-of-state-asia
6 JULY 2012
Vietnam Joins Cambodia on Xayaburi Opposition
Cambodia and Vietnam will jointly urge Laos to suspend the controversial Xayaburi dam, a Cambodian official said Tuesday, following reports that the project’s construction is moving ahead despite government pledges to wait for further study.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/xayaburi-07062012163933.html
27 JUNE 2012
Laos holds first gay pride event despite taboo
Laos has held its first ever gay pride event in what supporters hope is a sign of softening social values in the small communist country.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120627-355815.html
Xayaburi Construction Moves Ahead
Work on the Mekong dam in northern Laos has gone beyond preliminary preparations, an environmental group says.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/xayaburi-06272012193544.html
10 MAY 2012
Xayaburi Dam Construction Suspended
Laos has suspended construction on the controversial Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River following an uproar from neighboring Cambodia and environmental groups, a senior Lao government official said Wednesday
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/xayaburi-05092012154022.html
2 MAI 2012
Laos closes in on WTO
After almost a decade of major economic transformation, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is on the brink of World Trade Organization (WTO) membership. The small country’s Herculean effort to join the exclusive trade club is a reminder to the 10 other least-developed countries (LDCs) now seeking membership of the cumbersome process involved
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NE02Ae01.html
21 FEBRUARY 2012
Off the air in Laos
Amid an unprecedented flurry of public debate and critique of government policies and actions, Lao authorities abruptly canceled a popular call-in radio program in late January without any public explanation
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NB22Ae01.html