Vietnamese Opposition Could Sway Lao Hydropower Plans-
Vietnamese officials are criticizing the Lao government’s controversial plan to build a dam on the Mekong River. Analysts say opposition from Vietnam and other lower Mekong countries could force Laos to scale back its hydropower ambitions.
Vietnamese officials are publicly opposing a plan by neighboring Laos to build a hydropower dam on the Mekong River.
The $3.5 billion Xayaburi hydropower dam is the first of 12 dams planned for the lower Mekong. A Thai developer would build the dam, and Thailand would buy most of the 1,260 megawatts of electricity the dam would generate.
Lao officials say the proposed Mekong dams would cut poverty and bolster their land-locked country’s economy.
Criticism
But Vietnamese officials say the dam would jeopardize water supplies and threaten fishing on the river’s downstream reaches. Their recent comments echoed warnings by environmentalists that the Mekong dams would damage the environment and threaten the livelihoods of people who live near the river.
Analysts say political pressure from Vietnam and its lower Mekong neighbors – Thailand and Cambodia – could force Laos to delay or modify its plans to harness the Mekong’s flow.
Philip Hirsch, a professor of human ecology at the University of Sydney, told VOA that of the lower Mekong countries, Vietnam has so far been most publicly critical of Laos’ hydropower ambitions.
"The interesting question, which I think is very difficult for anyone to answer, is how these two countries, Vietnam and Laos – which are so close – are going to extricate themselves from what at the moment seem to be diametrically opposite positions on the Xayabouri dam," Hirsch said.
Vietnam and Laos are both one-party states and Hirsch says Vietnam typically influences Lao policy "behind closed doors." But Hirsch says recent criticism of the Xayabouri proposal by high-ranking Vietnamese officials has been "very public."
All four lower Mekong countries will be closely watching a recommendation on the dam expected this month from the Joint Committee of the Mekong River Commission, an advisory body formed in 1995 to promote sustainable development along the 4,900-kilometer Mekong system.
Influence
But Hirsch points out that the MRC has no power to force Laos to abandon its plans for the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams.
"The MRC is not a regulatory institution,” Hirsch added. “It’s not a strong agency in that way, it’s one which has always worked on the basis of trying to achieve consensus, and if we’re looking for regulation from the MRC, I think we’re looking in the wrong direction."
Hirsch says Thailand has vowed to stay neutral in MRC negotiations, which puts the onus on Vietnamese and Cambodian officials to address the Xayabouri dam proposal in discussions with their Lao counterparts.
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
In October, an independent study commissioned by the MRC recommended that lower Mekong countries delay decisions on hydropower projects for 10 years, warning that Mekong hydropower dams would exacerbate food insecurity and cause "serious and irreversible" environmental effects.
China, which borders northern Laos, already operates four dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River.
-- Edited by Nia on Monday 18th of July 2011 07:02:20 PM
Vietnam is threatening Laos future development and hydro-power capability on its own ground. I'm not sure why the Lao Government still cling with Vietnam on how to decide on its own terms. Following Vietnam isn't the answers for Laos future development or future power supply for our own Lao people needs to develop. Reason why Vietnam is ahead of Laos in terms of investment and business is because they have power source, which Laos doesn't quite have and lack such areas.
In order to have business and and development like the rest of its neighbors. It needed power to sustain all that is needed create profitable and business opportunity for foreign investors.
And already the Vietnamese Official already threatening Laos by saying Quote:
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves witout the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
Vietnam is threatening Laos future development and hydro-power capability on its own ground. I'm not sure why the Lao Government still cling with Vietnam on how to decide on its own terms. Following Vietnam isn't the answers for Laos future development or future power supply for our own Lao people needs to develop. Reason why Vietnam is ahead of Laos in terms of investment and business is because they have power source, which Laos doesn't quite have and lack such areas.
In order to have business and and development like the rest of its neighbors. It needed power to sustain all that is needed create profitable and business opportunity for foreign investors.
And already the Vietnamese Official already threatening Laos by saying Quote:
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
The hell with Vietnam, Trinh Le Nguyen is just a NGO's CEO of Vietnam. He's not the one that make a decision whom and what company in Vietnam will Invest in Laos. He can protest all he want, Laos gotta do what Laos gotta do to get her citizens out of the poverty. As a matter of fact, Vietnam couldn't afford to lose Laos to big boy China.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
That person is a Hmong who wants to give Lao people a bad image. What all of these Hmong wants is revenge against Lao people for no reason. Also Lao people are very diverse unlike these Hmong who cling among themselves. These Hmong don't know diversity.
Vietnam is threatening Laos future development and hydro-power capability on its own ground. I'm not sure why the Lao Government still cling with Vietnam on how to decide on its own terms. Following Vietnam isn't the answers for Laos future development or future power supply for our own Lao people needs to develop. Reason why Vietnam is ahead of Laos in terms of investment and business is because they have power source, which Laos doesn't quite have and lack such areas.
In order to have business and and development like the rest of its neighbors. It needed power to sustain all that is needed create profitable and business opportunity for foreign investors.
And already the Vietnamese Official already threatening Laos by saying Quote:
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
The hell with Vietnam, Trinh Le Nguyen is just a NGO's CEO of Vietnam. He's not the one that make a decision whom and what company in Vietnam will Invest in Laos. He can protest all he want, Laos gotta do what Laos gotta do to get her citizens out of the poverty. As a matter of fact, Vietnam couldn't afford to lose Laos to big boy China.
Laos need other friends beside Vietnamese...
Trinh Le Nguyen threat is something that the Lao people will think twice about Vietnam intention. Not only he made himself look stupid for the Vietnamese people. But also made such a threat that can destroyed the relationship perimeter between both country. I do agree with you that Laos need to build up its own ground and decision for its own people. Not for the Vietnamese people only.
Vietnam is threatening Laos future development and hydro-power capability on its own ground. I'm not sure why the Lao Government still cling with Vietnam on how to decide on its own terms. Following Vietnam isn't the answers for Laos future development or future power supply for our own Lao people needs to develop. Reason why Vietnam is ahead of Laos in terms of investment and business is because they have power source, which Laos doesn't quite have and lack such areas.
In order to have business and and development like the rest of its neighbors. It needed power to sustain all that is needed create profitable and business opportunity for foreign investors.
And already the Vietnamese Official already threatening Laos by saying Quote:
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayaburi and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
The hell with Vietnam, Trinh Le Nguyen is just a NGO CEO of Vietnam. He's not the one that make a decision whom and what company in Vietnam will Invest in Laos. He can protest all he want, Laos gotta do what Laos gotta do to get her citizens out of the poverty. As a matter of fact, Vietnam couldn't afford to lose Laos to big boy China.
Laos need other friends beside Vietnamese...
Laos could do any thing without Vietnamese permission period . If the Vietnamese loses control of Laos to China that means China surround Vietnam by the sea and the Land and could Isolated Vietnam to the world economically and military. That is not all China would like to come in Bangladesh and Pakistan also to keep the market and raw martial from this region and keep the eyes on India. So any where and countries which China could laid their hands on so they will do to control the economy of the world.
50% of the members of former Lao Communist Party which controlled Lao nation were actually Vietnamese who were using Lao names . Mr. Kayson the Chief of Lao Communist Party was half Lao and half Vietnamese . Kayson 's father was 100% Vietnamese and Kayson's mother was Lao. in Cambodia , mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen were puppets of the Vietnamese communist party. in Cambodia Mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen are still puppets of teh Vietnamese Communist party. Mr . Hok Lundi was the Vietnamese Chief of the Cambodian National Police , that was why there was a peaceful control of the Lao and the Khmer people by the Vietnamese Communist Party
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
building dams directly over mekong river is just crazy!
Generaly, I don't like when neightbour countries use their influence to decide what laos should do, but in this case, i strongly think they are right!
Don't touch Mekong! because the social and environnemental impact of a dam built directly over Mekong would be tremedous (not only for populations of neightbour countries, but aso for lao population!
Laos, can , and probably should buid dams to develop, but only after very serious social and environmental studies for each projetc, and after done everything possible to lower thoses impact at very low level. If impossible (and i beleive this is not possible for such project), they should just find another place for the dam or forget the project, that would not be a "development project", but in fact just an "anti-development project" or "development illusion project"
building dams directly over mekong river is just crazy!
Generaly, I don't like when neightbour countries use their influence to decide what laos should do, but in this case, i strongly think they are right!
Don't touch Mekong! because the social and environnemental impact of a dam built directly over Mekong would be tremedous (not only for populations of neightbour countries, but aso for lao population!
Laos, can , and probably should buid dams to develop, but only after very serious social and environmental studies for each projetc, and after done everything possible to lower thoses impact at very low level. If impossible (and i beleive this is not possible for such project), they should just find another place for the dam or forget the project, that would not be a "development project", but in fact just an "anti-development project" or "development illusion project"
I don't think you know what you are talking about? In any case China already built 4 major large dam on the Mekong River versa Lancang River in China. Also many more are being built now and later through the years.
Also you need to think about what if one of those dam closes to Laos break down and flood the entire southern area. Dam disaster would flood the entire city or town near the River bank a couple of mile out of all direction. Something you need to think about since Laos also has Earthquake along the river region.
50% of the members of former Lao Communist Party which controlled Lao nation were actually Vietnamese who were using Lao names . Mr. Kayson the Chief of Lao Communist Party was half Lao and half Vietnamese . Kayson 's father was 100% Vietnamese and Kayson's mother was Lao. in Cambodia , mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen were puppets of the Vietnamese communist party. in Cambodia Mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen are still puppets of teh Vietnamese Communist party. Mr . Hok Lundi was the Vietnamese Chief of the Cambodian National Police , that was why there was a peaceful control of the Lao and the Khmer people by the Vietnamese Communist Party
President Obama is black (African) . There are no real American but the red Indian . Who ever is good people and want to build and make Laos to be a better place to live so it doesn't matter that he or she is Thai , Vietnamese, Chinese, Hmong or Alien from outer space.
50% of the members of former Lao Communist Party which controlled Lao nation were actually Vietnamese who were using Lao names . Mr. Kayson the Chief of Lao Communist Party was half Lao and half Vietnamese . Kayson 's father was 100% Vietnamese and Kayson's mother was Lao. in Cambodia , mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen were puppets of the Vietnamese communist party. in Cambodia Mr. Chea Sim and Mr. Hun Sen are still puppets of teh Vietnamese Communist party. Mr . Hok Lundi was the Vietnamese Chief of the Cambodian National Police , that was why there was a peaceful control of the Lao and the Khmer people by the Vietnamese Communist Party
President Obama is black (African) . There are no real American but the red Indian . Who ever is good people and want to build and make Laos to be a better place to live so it doesn't matter that he or she is Thai , Vietnamese, Chinese, Hmong or Alien from outer space.
That is fine so let the people vote and choose who they want to be their leader like president Obama who was elected by the American people. So let the Lao people do the same . They could vote and choose who ever they think the he/she could be the best person to run the country .
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
What the f*ck, Yes you live in Laos and What? Have you ever lived in Thailand? No
How do you know that ThaiChinese in Thailand are bad. I have so many friends who live in Chinatown, and they are nice, friendly, kind and good people.
I won't say that LaoChinese in Laos are good or bad cuz I've never lived there and I don't know them. I DON'T JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE JUST BCUZ WHAT I HAVE KNEW JUST ONE PERSON OR KNOW IT FROM TV.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
Prove it to me you @ss, just one cases.
stop living in denial, you and i both know that is a fact. go to lao's capital city, you will see all chinese living in nice houses while lao are living in the street. i feel that lao will soon turn to another tibet
Warning Hmong "Meo" alart!!!!!!!!! on this website. I think some of these Hmong just want attention from Lao ppl because we don't care about them or anyone else.
Warning Hmong "Meo" alart!!!!!!!!! on this website. I think some of these Hmong just want attention from Lao ppl because we don't care about them or anyone else.
i know when people are to be mistaken as lao, it is very insulting to them
Warning Hmong "Meo" alart!!!!!!!!! on this website. I think some of these Hmong just want attention from Lao ppl because we don't care about them or anyone else.
i know when people are to be mistaken as lao, it is very insulting to them
I don't understand how Meo can be mistaken for Lao when most Meo men are no more than 4 foot tall. This is very insulting to us Lao.
The Mekong Delta is Vietnam's rich rice basket and will be directly affected by these dam building projets. So, the dream of Laos of becoming the battery of Asia would merely still be a dream. In other words, Vietnam is saying " You cannot build any dams in the mekong river - over by dead body, comrade! " Sadly enough, Lao is in no position to fight this and will continue to get a few million dollars hand-out of investment annually from Vietnam instead of getting many billion of dollars generated by these projects.
Lao government should stop depending on the handling out from Vietnam and China and start to think of what is the best interested for Lao people and how to transform Lao people out from poverty and educated and trained Lao people to become skill workers for the future. Lao government must stop taking any advise from Vietnam and China and do what ever will benefit Laos the Lao people .
Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai invested in Laos because they benefit , profit and for their national interested and their people not because of the Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai Love Laotian . So it is about time that Lao's leader must think about Laotian interested not Vietnamese and the Chinese or Thai. Invite more foreign investors from Europe and the United States to come and invest in Laos and be yourself .No need the advice from Vietnam and China .Make your own decision and do what will benefit Laotian not the Vietnamese , Chinese and Thai.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
Prove it to me you @ss, just one cases.
stop living in denial, you and i both know that is a fact. go to lao's capital city, you will see all chinese living in nice houses while lao are living in the street. i feel that lao will soon turn to another tibet
Yes they do living in a nice house, But nobody give them for free, they works hard their @ss-off to get those nice house. So if lao people works hard as they do, they the lao should have a nice house too. Don't blamed somebody else for your failured....
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
Prove it to me you @ss, just one cases.
stop living in denial, you and i both know that is a fact. go to lao's capital city, you will see all chinese living in nice houses while lao are living in the street. i feel that lao will soon turn to another tibet
Yes they do living in a nice house, But nobody give them for free, they works hard their @ss-off to get those nice house. So if lao people works hard as they do, they the lao should have a nice house too. Don't blamed somebody else for your failured....
Don't worry that guy is a Meo and he doesn't talk sense. He's trying to incite hatred between Lao and her neighbors.
Go Laos Go...Here is the moment. Here is the time that Laos needs to tell Vietnam that the interest and well being of our people and our country is none of their concern.
For the last 35 years Lao leaders have no Gut why do you think that they will have the gut to do that now. It is just an act that is all nothing more.
They couldn't make any decision by themsleves without the Vietnamese give them the advise for the last 35years . So how do you think that they will be able to make the decision by themselves now.
They will not make the decision on their own but stop taking the advise from the Vietnamese and now take the advise from the Chinese. So the government could not make the decision on their own either by the Vietnamese or the Chinese. So this time it might be Chinese .
lao should take advise from the chinese, after all lao is part of china. china flooded lao with millions of chinese, lao are like the low class in their own country!
I was borned and raised in Laos, I've never seen a lao chinese treated the majority of lao like dirt like Thaichinese in Thailand ok. a lao chinese is more like lao, layback, relax and know how to have fun, not hassle like thaichinese. money,money, and money thai chinese even murder their owns family members...
talking out of your arse now? lao are treated as low class while the chinese are the first class in lao, pyre fact
Prove it to me you @ss, just one cases.
stop living in denial, you and i both know that is a fact. go to lao's capital city, you will see all chinese living in nice houses while lao are living in the street. i feel that lao will soon turn to another tibet
Yes they do living in a nice house, But nobody give them for free, they works hard their @ss-off to get those nice house. So if lao people works hard as they do, they the lao should have a nice house too. Don't blamed somebody else for your failured....
Don't worry that guy is a Meo and he doesn't talk sense. He's trying to incite hatred between Lao and her neighbors.
Hmong hate Lao but love Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. Hmong are better off living in those countries than Laos.
Vietnamese Opposition Could Sway Lao Hydropower Plans-
Vietnamese officials are criticizing the Lao government’s controversial plan to build a dam on the Mekong River. Analysts say opposition from Vietnam and other lower Mekong countries could force Laos to scale back its hydropower ambitions.
Vietnamese officials are publicly opposing a plan by neighboring Laos to build a hydropower dam on the Mekong River.
The $3.5 billion Xayaburi hydropower dam is the first of 12 dams planned for the lower Mekong. A Thai developer would build the dam, and Thailand would buy most of the 1,260 megawatts of electricity the dam would generate.
Lao officials say the proposed Mekong dams would cut poverty and bolster their land-locked country’s economy.
Criticism
But Vietnamese officials say the dam would jeopardize water supplies and threaten fishing on the river’s downstream reaches. Their recent comments echoed warnings by environmentalists that the Mekong dams would damage the environment and threaten the livelihoods of people who live near the river.
Analysts say political pressure from Vietnam and its lower Mekong neighbors – Thailand and Cambodia – could force Laos to delay or modify its plans to harness the Mekong’s flow.
Philip Hirsch, a professor of human ecology at the University of Sydney, told VOA that of the lower Mekong countries, Vietnam has so far been most publicly critical of Laos’ hydropower ambitions.
"The interesting question, which I think is very difficult for anyone to answer, is how these two countries, Vietnam and Laos – which are so close – are going to extricate themselves from what at the moment seem to be diametrically opposite positions on the Xayabouri dam," Hirsch said.
Vietnam and Laos are both one-party states and Hirsch says Vietnam typically influences Lao policy "behind closed doors." But Hirsch says recent criticism of the Xayabouri proposal by high-ranking Vietnamese officials has been "very public."
All four lower Mekong countries will be closely watching a recommendation on the dam expected this month from the Joint Committee of the Mekong River Commission, an advisory body formed in 1995 to promote sustainable development along the 4,900-kilometer Mekong system.
Influence
But Hirsch points out that the MRC has no power to force Laos to abandon its plans for the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams.
"The MRC is not a regulatory institution,” Hirsch added. “It’s not a strong agency in that way, it’s one which has always worked on the basis of trying to achieve consensus, and if we’re looking for regulation from the MRC, I think we’re looking in the wrong direction."
Hirsch says Thailand has vowed to stay neutral in MRC negotiations, which puts the onus on Vietnamese and Cambodian officials to address the Xayabouri dam proposal in discussions with their Lao counterparts.
Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects.
"Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos],” Trinh Le Nguyen said. “It’s one of the ways they can have some power."
In October, an independent study commissioned by the MRC recommended that lower Mekong countries delay decisions on hydropower projects for 10 years, warning that Mekong hydropower dams would exacerbate food insecurity and cause "serious and irreversible" environmental effects.
China, which borders northern Laos, already operates four dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River.
-- Edited by Nia on Monday 18th of July 2011 07:02:20 PM
