Call on Laotian people to save our Land, Very Soon Mekong dam will destroying the region’s lifeblood

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The international community should not let the Lao government get away with such a blatant violation of international law. We are calling on donor governments and the governments of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia to take a firm stand against Laos. 

More information from http://www.internationalrivers.org/: 

“The international community should not let the Lao government get away with such a blatant violation of international law,” said Ms. Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia Program Director for International Rivers. “We are calling on donor governments and the governments of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia to take a firm stand against Laos. The Xayaburi Dam is the first of a cascade of devastating mainstream dams that will severely undermine the region’s development efforts. The food security and jobs of millions of people in the region are now on the line.”

More from:  http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/laos-evades-responsibility-and-plows-ahead-with-xayaburi-dam-7714

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Xayaburi Construction’s Photo

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.bangkokpost.com/multimedia/photo/257475/laos-river-life/embed

• Xayaburi Construction’s Photo:  the Government of Laos appears to be set on unilaterally moving forward with the Mekong mainstream dam despite recent reports
• Read International Rivers’ fact sheet on Mekong mainstream dams in English, Chinese and Thai
• Read International Rivers’ fact sheet on the MRC’s Strategic Environmental Assessment on Mekong Mainstream Dams in English, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese
• Thousands Unite to Save the Mekong!
• Save the Mekong Petition Successfully Launched
• Visit the Save the Mekong coalition website

http://www.bangkokpost.com/multimedia/photo/257475/laos-river-life/embed

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/236558/activists-call-to-scrap-lao-dam-project

Activists are unhappy with Laos’ pledge to study the environmental effects of the controversial Xayaburi hydro dam.  Click for more

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Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/laos-evades-responsibility-with-dam-construction-30193861.html

Ame Trandem, Pianporn Deetes

November 8, 2012 1:00 am

In clear defiance of its neighbours and a regional agreement, the Lao government announced that it would hold a groundbreaking ceremony at the Xayaburi Dam site on the Mekong River on Wednesday, November 7. Viraphonh Viravong, Laos’ deputy minister of energy and mining, said “It has been assessed, it has been discussed the last two years. We have addressed most of the concerns.
After the ceremony, the project developers are expected to begin construction on the cofferdam, which diverts the river while the permanent dam wall is built. The cofferdam is expected to be completed by May 2013.

The international community should not let the Lao government get away with such a blatant violation of international law. We are calling on donor governments and the governments of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia to take a firm stand against Laos.

The Xayaburi Dam is the first of a cascade of devastating mainstream dams that will severely undermine the region’s development efforts. The food security and jobs of millions of people in the region are now on the line.

Construction activities at the dam site began in late 2010. In April 2011 the Cambodian and Vietnamese governments asked the Lao government for further studies on the project’s trans-boundary effects. In December 2011 the four governments of the Mekong River Commission met and agreed to conduct further studies on the effects of the Xayaburi Dam and 10 other proposed mainstream dams. To date, no regional agreement has been made to build the Xayaburi Dam despite the 1995 Mekong Agreement’s requirement that the governments of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos cooperate and seek joint agreement on mainstream projects.

Laos said it would cooperate with neighbouring countries, but this was never genuine. Instead, the project always continued on schedule and was never actually delayed. None of Vietnam and Cambodia’s environmental and social concerns have been taken seriously. Laos has never even collected basic information about the ways that people depend on the river, so how can it say that there will be no impacts?

On October 22, Vietnam’s minister of natural resources and environment met the Lao prime minister and requested that all construction on the Xayaburi Dam be stopped until necessary studies to assess the effects of Mekong mainstream dams were first carried out.

Laos continues to deny that the dam will have trans boundary impacts and is applying the recommended mitigation measures made by Finnish consulting company Poyry and French company Compagnie Nationale du Rhone, despite the fact that the project has never carried out a trans-boundary impact assessment. The Cambodian government, Vietnamese government, and scientists throughout the Mekong region have disagreed with the work of these companies.

Laos is playing roulette with the Mekong River, offering unproven solutions and opening up the Mekong as a testing ground for new technologies. When the Mekong River Commission stays quiet and tolerates one country risking the sustainability of the Mekong River and all future trans-boundary cooperation, something is seriously wrong.

As Thai companies serve as the project’s developers and financers, and the Thai government will purchase the bulk of the Xayaburi Dam’s electricity, Thailand has the responsibility to call for a stop to construction immediately and cancel its power purchase agreement until there is regional agreement to build the dam. This move by Laos sets a dangerous precedent for the future of the Mekong region. If Laos is allowed to proceed unhindered, then in the future all member governments will proceed unilaterally on projects on the Mekong River. The Mekong Agreement will become yet another useless piece of paper.

Unless the Mekong dam crisis is tackled immediately, the future of the region is in great danger. With the Asian and European heads of states gathered in Vientiane, Laos for the Asem Summit, it’s time that the international community takes a strong stand and makes it clear that such actions by Laos will not be tolerated.

Ame Trandem is Southeast Asia programme director, International Rivers. Pianporn Deetes is Thailand campaign coordinator, International Rivers.

http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/laos-evades-responsibility-and-plows-ahead-with-xayaburi-dam-7714

Contact Us

• Ame Trandem
  ame@internationalrivers.org
  +66 86 882 2426
• Pianporn Deetes
  pai@internationalrivers.org
  + (66) 814 220 111

Credits: International Rivers

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burning issue: Fresh ideas needed in ties with Laos

BURNING ISSUE:

Fresh ideas needed in ties with Laos

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Fresh-ideas-needed-in-ties-with-Laos-30206697.html

Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation May 22, 2013 1:00 am

Relations between Thailand and Laos in the 21st century have already moved toward a new era, which requires not only trust and cooperation, but also a new vision to make the links mutually beneficial to people of both countries.

The joint cabinet meeting between the two governments jointly chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong over the weekend in Chiang Mai reflected no clear vision for their ties in a new era. It simply followed up work which previous governments had initiated.

Many visionary and capable Thai leaders in the past were able to open new chapters in relations with Laos. Former Prime Minister Kriangsak Chamanant, together with Laotian leader Kraisone Pomvihan, managed to end mistrust in 1979 and brought the two brotherly countries into close relations, despite their different political ideologies.

Conservative forces in Bangkok halted the good ties with two military clashes in 1984 and 1987 due to boundary conflicts during Prem Tinsulanonda’s years – but such sour relations lasted for only a short time.

Visionary leader Chatichai Choonhavan dramatically led relations between Thailand and Laos into a genuine new era as he declared the policy to transform Indochina’s battle zone into a market zone at the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. Such a policy has been fundamental for the relationship until now.

Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai during their time guided relations with Laos to regionalism and regional integration when they introduced economic liberalisation, connection and integration with Asean to the two countries.

Thaksin Shinawatra might have his problems domestically but he was famous in many neighbouring countries for his brainchild projects linking them in the Mekong basin. His initiative, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), is still active in developing infrastructure as well as providing assistance to Laos. The latest summit of ACMECS took place with participation by Yingluck in Vientiane in March this year.

However, there has been no new policy initiative in relation to Laos since the 2006 military coup, as many governments over the years since then have been busy with domestic conflicts.

This government under Yingluck is no exception. Although the current government is relatively free from domestic political tension, it offers no policy initiative for ties with Laos. The joint statement signed by foreign ministers of the two countries reflected no new vision for future relations.

One part of the statement is even locked into relations of the 1980s. It stated that Thailand would not allow any dissidents to use Thailand as their shelter or as a launching PAD against the government in Vientiane. The anti-communist movement in Thailand has not been active since the beginning of this century, but Laos continued to worry over dissidents and mistrusted Thailand.

This government was supposed to have a policy initiative on economic relations with Laos, but it was not to be. Projects on economic and transportation links were mostly created after Chatichai, Chuan and Thaksin’s administrations.

The two countries have learned already that many road links and bridges were under-utilised due to fewer economic activities in the area. Border-crossing transportation was obstructed by bureaucracy, but ideas to liberate it have never been translated into tangible projects. The schedule to implement single-stop inspection services has been repeatedly delayed.

Asia Pacific: Proposed high-speed rail network a high investment for Laos?

This story was from channelnewsasia.com

Proposed high-speed rail network a high investment for Laos?

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/proposed-high-speed-rail-network-a-high-/682812.html

• By Anasuya Sanyal
• POSTED: 21 May 2013 4:54 PM

High-speed railway lines connecting Thailand, Laos and China might soon become a reality after the Thai cabinet met with its Lao counterparts in Chiang Mai earlier this week.

File photo: Laotian boys ride on a motorcycle with a sidecar attached in Luang Prabang, Laos. (AFP/Roslan Rahman)

THAILAND: High-speed railway lines connecting Thailand, Laos and China might soon become a reality after the Thai cabinet met with its Lao counterparts in Chiang Mai earlier this week.

The proposal would have a major impact on the region as there is currently only vehicle crossing from ASEAN countries into China.

Both governments are planning to spend billions on countrywide railroad infrastructure.

But in Laos, the plan will be nothing short of radical as the country’s rail networks are practically non-existent.

The proposed massive rail projects will require loans totalling over half of the country’s GDP, which was US$8.3 billion in 2011, according to the World Bank.

Chadchart Sittipunt, Thailand’s transport minister, said: “I think the key message for Laos will be how to create value for this high-speed train for Laos. I think we need to talk because I think there will be a lot of investment for Laos. But how will they create value from this big investment? If they can do it, it will be a good connection between Kunming (China), Laos, and Thailand.”

Rail links are not a surefire benefit to Laos’ economy.

Nevertheless, Vientiane’s ambition to transform the landlocked country into an integrated regional player is gaining support from its neighbours.

Last year the Thai government agreed to finance a US$55 million project to build a short railway line bridging Laos’ capital with Thailand’s Nong Khai province, while it plans its own railway overhaul to be completed in 2020 at a cost of US$69.6 billion.

- CNA/xq

HAGL boss denies NGO’s accusations of Laos-Cambodia land grab

HAGL boss denies NGO’s accusations of Laos-Cambodia land grab

Source: Viet Nam News. Published: 20 May 2013

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.eco-business.com/news/hagl-boss-denies-ngos-accusations-laos-cambodia-land-grab/

Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation, has rejected all accusations made against his company of deforesting and appropriating land in Laos and Cambodia by the NGO Global Witness, calling them “groundless.”

The organisation recently released a report titled “Rubber Barons” – apparently a play on “robber barons” which refers to unscrupulous American magnates of the late 19th century — in which it says Viet­namese companies and international financiers are driving a land grabbing crisis in Cambodia and Laos.

It accuses Hoang Anh Gia Lai and the State-owned Vietnam Rubber Group of acquiring vast tracts of land in the countries for their rubber plantations, and devastating the environment and local livelihoods.

Duc told reporters and investors in HCM City yesterday: “After its report was published, we invited representatives of Global Witness and the media — including CNN and BBC, to which the organisation sent its press release — for a fact-finding tour of our projects in Laos and Cambodia, but it refused.”

Global Witness only wanted to meet him in Viet Nam, he said.

“But what is the point since people should come to see with their own eyes the truth about our investments there,” he said, adding he had offered to pay for the trip.

The report alleges that the firms have ignored environmental and social safeguards while overseeing the destruction of high-value evergreen and semi-evergreen forests and the seizure of people’s land and livelihoods.

Duc said the governments in Laos and Cambodia had a very stringent process for providing land to investors that included investigation by local and central authorities before giving approval.

They also required guarantees that there would be no negative impacts on the life of local people, he said.

Before his company invested in the poorest Lao province, Attapeu, in 2008 its per capita income had been around US$200, and the figure has increased now to $1,200, he said.

Besides, HAGL spent more than US$30 million in the province, where it built a 200-bed hospital, schools, 2,000 houses, roads, bridges, and others, he said. Earlier, people there used to live in makeshift, not proper, houses, he said.

“No governments allow investors to do business in their country to cause hunger and poverty to their people.

“The governments in Laos and Cambodia want other investors to follow our business model.”

As for allegations about HAGL illegally exploiting forests and bringing home timber, there is no possibility of bringing wood from overseas projects since wood from forests is owned by the country’s government and has to be auctioned.

His company did not even participate in the auctions though they were profitable, he claimed.

But he had no intention of filing a suit against Global Witness, he said.

“As a large listed company, we always abide by the laws and regulations of countries where we do business, and we meet all the environmental criteria of Laos and Cambodia.”

He promised to step up his company’s environmental protection activities to world standards.

“We are well aware of the significance of environmental issues and have set up an environment working team in our company.”

HAGL recently invited Bureau Veritas, a major global institution in testing, inspection and certification services, to assess the environmental impacts it causes, he said.

“We will also apply for an FSC (forest sustainability certification).”

HAGL, through its affiliates, has leased 27,000ha of rubber plantations and 10,000ha of sugarcane fields in Laos. It has another 14,000ha of rubber in Cambodia and 8,600ha of rubber in Viet Nam.

Related News & Opinion

• New film exposes two international financiers in large-scale land grabs

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Original from Viet Nam News:

HAGL boss denies accusations of Laos-Cambodia land grab by NGO

Updated

May, 18 2013 10:26:07

 Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://vietnamnews.vn/environment/239519/hagl-boss-denies-accusations-of-laos-cambodia-land-grab-by-ngo.html

HCM CITY (VNS)— Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation, has rejected all accusations made against his company of deforesting and appropriating land in Laos and Cambodia by the NGO Global Witness, calling them “groundless.”

The organisation recently released a report titled “Rubber Barons” – apparently a play on “robber barons” which refers to unscrupulous American magnates of the late 19th century — in which it says Viet­namese companies and international financiers are driving a land grabbing crisis in Cambodia and Laos.

It accuses Hoang Anh Gia Lai and the State-owned Vietnam Rubber Group of acquiring vast tracts of land in the countries for their rubber plantations, and devastating the environment and local livelihoods.

Duc told reporters and investors in HCM City yesterday: “After its report was published, we invited representatives of Global Witness and the media — including CNN and BBC, to which the organisation sent its press release — for a fact-finding tour of our projects in Laos and Cambodia, but it refused.”

Global Witness only wanted to meet him in Viet Nam, he said.

“But what is the point since people should come to see with their own eyes the truth about our investments there,” he said, adding he had offered to pay for the trip.

The report alleges that the firms have ignored environmental and social safeguards while overseeing the destruction of high-value evergreen and semi-evergreen forests and the seizure of people’s land and livelihoods.

Duc said the governments in Laos and Cambodia had a very stringent process for providing land to investors that included investigation by local and central authorities before giving approval.

They also required guarantees that there would be no negative impacts on the life of local people, he said.

Before his company invested in the poorest Lao province, Attapeu, in 2008 its per capita income had been around US$200, and the figure has increased now to $1,200, he said.

Besides, HAGL spent more than US$30 million in the province, where it built a 200-bed hospital, schools, 2,000 houses, roads, bridges, and others, he said. Earlier, people there used to live in makeshift, not proper, houses, he said.

“No governments allow investors to do business in their country to cause hunger and poverty to their people.

“The governments in Laos and Cambodia want other investors to follow our business model.”

As for allegations about HAGL illegally exploiting forests and bringing home timber, there is no possibility of bringing wood from overseas projects since wood from forests is owned by the country’s government and has to be auctioned.

His company did not even participate in the auctions though they were profitable, he claimed.

But he had no intention of filing a suit against Global Witness, he said.

“As a large listed company, we always abide by the laws and regulations of countries where we do business, and we meet all the environmental criteria of Laos and Cambodia.”

He promised to step up his company’s environmental protection activities to world standards.

“We are well aware of the significance of environmental issues and have set up an environment working team in our company.”

HAGL recently invited Bureau Veritas, a major global institution in testing, inspection and certification services, to assess the environmental impacts it causes, he said.

“We will also apply for an FSC (forest sustainability certification).”

HAGL, through its affiliates, has leased 27,000ha of rubber plantations and 10,000ha of sugarcane fields in Laos.It has another 14,000ha of rubber in Cambodia and 8,600ha of rubber in Viet Nam. — VNS

Lao PDR: Laos never stop Xayaburi Dam – ການກໍ່ສ້າງເຂື່ອນໄຟຟ້າໄຊຍະບູລີ ຄືບໜ້າດີ

ການກໍ່ສ້າງເຂື່ອນໄຟຟ້າໄຊຍະບູລີ ຄືບໜ້າດີ

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.vientianemai.net/teen/khao/1/9360

ວັນທີ 16 ພຶດສະພາ 2013 – ເວລາ 11:53:35

ທ່ານ ວິ​ຣະ​ພົນ ວິ​ຣະ​ວົງ ລັດຖະມົນຕີ​ຊ່ວຍ​ວ່າການ​ກະຊວງ​ພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່​ແຮ່ ໄດ້​ເປັນ​ປະທານ​ການ​ປະຊຸມ​ຮ່ວມ​ກັບ​ບັນດາ​ຕົວ​ແທນ​ສື່​ມວນ​ຊົນ ໃນ​ວັນ​ທີ 15 ພຶດສະພາ 2013 ໂດຍ​ໄດ້​ມີ​ການ​ປຶກສາ​ຫາລື​ສະພາບ​ລວມ ໂຄງການ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ເຂື່ອນ​ໄຟຟ້າ​ໄຊ​ຍະ​ບູ​ລີ​ໃນ​ໄລຍະ​ຜ່ານ​ມາ ແລະ ໃນຕໍ່ໜ້າ​ຂອງ​ຄະນະ​ປະຊາສຳພັນ ລວມ​ທັງ​ການ​ສືບຕໍ່​ໂຄສະນາ​ເຜີຍແຜ່​ຂໍ້​ມູນ-ຂ່າວສານ​ຕ່າງໆ​ອອກ​ສູ່​ສັງຄົມ ທັງ​ພາຍ​ໃນ ແລະ ຕ່າງປະເທດ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ຮູ້ ແລະ ເຂົ້າໃຈ​ຕໍ່​ນະໂຍບາຍ​ຂອງ​ພັກ-ລັດຖະບານ​ລາວ ກໍ​ຄື​ເປົ້າ​ໝາຍ​ລວມ ແລະ ຄວາມ​ສຳຄັນ​ຂອງ​ໂຄງການ​ດັ່ງກ່າວ.

ອີງ​ຕາມ​ຂໍ້​ມູນ​ກະຊວງ​ພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່​ແຮ່​ລະບຸ​ວ່າ: ພາຍຫລັງ​ລັດຖະບານ​ລາວ ໄດ້​ເຫັນ​ດີ​ໃຫ້​ບໍລິສັດ​ຜູ້​ພັດທະນາ ດຳເນີນ​ການ​ຈັດ​ພິທີ​ວາງ​ສີ​ລາ​ລືກ​ເລີ່ມ​ການ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ ໃນ​ວັນ​ທີ 7 ພະຈິກ 2012 ມາ​ຮອດ​ປັດຈຸບັນ​ມີ​ຄວາມ​ຄືບ​ໜ້າ​ດີ ຫລື​ປະມານ 9,18% ສຳລັບ​ເຂື່ອນ​ອວ່າຍ​ນ້ຳ ກຳລັງ​ດຳເນີນ​ການ​ຖົມ​ດິນ ໂດຍ​ແຍກ​ວັດ​ສະ​ດຸ​ທີ່​ນຳ​ມາ​ຖົມ​ເປັນ​ຊັ້ນໆ ເພື່ອ​ຮັບປະກັນ​ຄວາມ​ໝັ້ນຄົງ​ຂອງ​ຕົວ​ເຂື່ອນ ແລະ ປ້ອງ​ກັນ​ນ້ຳ​ຊຶມ​ຜ່ານ​ຕາມ​ແບບ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ຕົວ​ຈິງ​ໄລຍະ​ທີ 1 ຊ່ອງ​ເດີນ​ເຮືອ ກຳລັງ​ເລັ່ງ​ການ​ຂຸດ​ຈົກ​ພື້ນ​ທີ່​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ກະກຽມ​ເທ​ຄອນ​ກຣີດ ເພື່ອ​ປັບ​ລະດັບ​ຊ່ອງ​ເດີນ​ເຮືອ​ໄດ້​ບໍ​ລິ​ມາດ​ທັງ​ໝົດ 2 ລ້ານ​ກວ່າ​ແມັດ​ກ້ອນ ວິເຄາະ​ວິໄຈ​ໂຄງ​ສ້າງ ແລະ ແຕ້ມ​ແຜນ​ວາດ​ການ​ເສີມ​ແຮງ ອອກ​ແບບ​ຫ້ອງ​ຄວບ​ຄຸມ​ຊ່ອງ​ເດີນ​ເຮືອ ທາງ​ລະບາຍ​ນ້ຳ​ລົ້ນ​ໄດ້​ມີ​ການ​ຮັບຮອງ​ຄວາມ​ໝັ້ນຄົງ​ຂອງ​ແບບ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ ເທ​ຄອນ​ກຣີດ​ປັບ​ລະດັບ ຄາດ​ວ່າ​ຈະ​ມີ​ບໍ​ລິ​ມາດ 550.000 ແມັດ​ກ້ອນ ສຳເລັດ 25% ເກາະ​ກາງ​ເຂື່ອນ ໄດ້​ມີ​ການ​ຮັບຮອງ​ຄວາມ​ໝັ້ນຄົງ​ຂອງ​ແບບ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ ທັງ​ມີ​ການ​ຮັບຮອງ​ແຜນ​ວາດ​ຮູບ​ຮ່າງ​ແທ່ງ​ຄອນ​ກຣີດ ແລະ ກຳລັງ​ມີ​ການ​ທົບ​ທວນ​ແຜນຜັງ​ການ​ເສີມ​ແຮງ​ຂອງ​ໂຄງ​ສ້າງ​ເບື້ອງ​ຕົ້ນ​ນ້ຳ ແລະ ທ້າຍ​ນ້ຳ ໄດ້​ມີ​ການ​ຂຸດ​ດິນ​ອອກ​ເພື່ອ​ບຸກເບີກ​ພື້ນ​ທີ່​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ເຮືອນ​ຈັກ ສຳເລັດ 20% ເຈາະ​ສຳ​ຫຼວດ​ບໍລິເວນ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ຈັກ​ໄຟຟ້າ ສຶກ​ສາ​ຄວາມ​ໝັ້ນຄົງ​ຂອງ​ດິນ ນອກ​ນີ້​ການ​ກໍ່ສ້າງ​ໂຮງ​ບົດ​ຫີນ ໂຮງ​ປະສົມ​ຊີມັງ ແລະ ອື່ນ​ສຳເລັດ​ເກືອບ 100%.

ແນວໃດ​ກໍ​ຕາມ ທາງ​ໂຄງການ​ຍັງ​ໄດ້​ສຳເລັດ​ການ​ຍົກຍ້າຍ​ຈັດ​ສັນ​ປະຊາຊົນ​ຈຳນວນ 76 ຄອບຄົວ​ຈາກ​ບ້ານ​ຫ້ວຍ​ຊຸຍ ໄປ​ຢູ່​ບ້ານ​ນາ​ຕໍ​ໃຫຍ່ ເມືອງ​ໄຊ​ຍະ​ບູ​ລີ ແຕ່​ຕົ້ນ​ປີ 2012 ແລະ ສຳເລັດ​ການ​ຍົກຍ້າຍ​ຈັດ​ສັນ​ປະຊາຊົນ 94 ຄອບຄົວ ຈາກ​ບ້ານ​ປາກ​ເນີນ ມາ​ຢູ່​ບ້ານ​ຫ້ວຍ​ຫິບ ແຂວງ​ຫຼວງ​ພະ​ບາງ ໃນ​ຕົ້ນ​ປີ 2013 ຊຶ່ງ​ຜູ້​ພັດທະນາ​ໂຄງການ​ໄດ້​ເອົາໃຈໃສ່​ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ​ຍົກ​ລະດັບ​ຊີວິດ​ການ​ເປັນ ​ຢູ່​ໃດ້​ດີ​ຂຶ້ນ ປຸກເຮືອນ​ໃຫ້​ຄອບຄົວ​ລະ​ໜຶ່ງ​ຫຼັງ ພ້ອມ​ດ້ວຍ​ການ​ສົ່ງເສີມ​ປູກ​ຜັກ ສວນ​ຄົວ ປູກ​ເຫັດ ລ້ຽງ​ປາ ລ້ຽງ​ກົບ ເປັດ-ໄກ່ ລວມ​ທັງ​ວຽກ​ຫັດຖະກຳ ທັງ​ມີ​ການ​ສະໜອງ​ແນວ​ພັນ​ພືດ ແລະ ແນວ​ພັນ​ສັດ ສະໜອງ​ການ​ບໍລິການ​ຮັກສາ​ສຸຂະພາບ ສ້າງ​ໂຮງຮຽນ ແລະ ສຸກສາລາ ປັດຈຸບັນ​ປະຊາຊົນ​ເຫຼົ່າ​ນີ້​ມີ​ຄວາມ​ພູມໃຈ​ຕໍ່​ການ​ພັດທະນາ​ໂຄງການ​ ດັ່ງກ່າວ ຊຶ່ງ​ສາມາດ​ຊ່ວຍ​ໃຫ້​ປະຊາຊົນ​ພົ້ນ​ທຸກ ແລະ ມີ​ອາຊີບ​ທີ່​ໝັ້ນຄົງ​ກວ່າ​ເກົ່າ.

How the World Bank funds illegal logging in Cambodia and Laos

Published on Alaska Dispatch (http://www.alaskadispatch.com)

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130514/how-world-bank-funds-illegal-logging-cambodia-and-laos

Denise Hruby | GlobalPost.com

May 14, 2013

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Five-months pregnant, Im Chanthy was told that her husband’s body had been found in the trunk of his car, brutally hacked to death for reporting on illegal logging and land concessions in Cambodia.

Many of these concessions, a new report by environmental watchdog Global Witness found, are owned by two Vietnamese rubber companies, which — with the financial support of Deutsche Bank, an arm of the World Bank and local governments — have acquired more than 500,000 acres of land in Cambodia and neighboring Laos.

The companies and officials involved have made millions growing resin trees and harvesting their sap to make rubber, while thousands of poor Cambodians and Laotians lost the little they had. Villagers have been sued and prosecuted, intimidated, threatened and shot at while trying to defend their livelihoods.

Heng Serei Odom, the journalist, paid with his life, and his wife Chanthy is now raising their 5-month old daughter on construction sites. She works carrying sand bag after sand bag for $2.50 a day — too little to eat properly, or care for her sick child.

“I move around from one construction site to the other, where I build small tents to stay there temporarily. That’s why my daughter is sick a lot, because she has no proper accommodation to shade her and I don’t have enough milk to feed her,” Chanthy said.

The companies in question continue undeterred despite allegedly being aware that many of their undertakings, such as the extensive logging of timber in national parks, are illegal, according to “Rubber Barons,” the report released by London-based Global Witness on Monday that sheds light on the secretive operations of Hoan Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and the Vietnamese Rubber Group (VRG).

Germany’s Deutsche Bank, according to the report, holds $3.3 million in a subsidiary of VRG, which is chiefly owned by the Vietnamese government, and $4.5 million in the privately owned HAGL. The International Finance Cooperation (IFC), which is an arm of the World Bank, indirectly funds HAGL through its $14.95 million share in a Vietnam-based fund that invests in HAGL.

“We’ve known for some time that corrupt politicians in Cambodia and Laos are orchestrating the land-grabbing crisis that is doing so much damage in the region. This report completes the picture by exposing the pivotal role of Vietnam’s rubber barons and their financiers, Deutsche Bank and IFC,” said Megan MacInnes, who runs Global Witness’ land team.

Both Southeast Asian governments have argued that the land concessions granted to HAGL and VRG will help develop the poor countries and turn simple, self-reliant farmers into plantation workers.

But in reality, the 165,000 acres HAGL, VRG and affiliated companies hold in Laos and the 445,000 acres Global Witness identified in northeastern Cambodia have brought misery and despair to communities that depend on the forests, the report shows.

Bulldozers arriving are often the first sign of a fight for land the poor countryside stands to lose. Houses have been demolished, farms flattened, cemeteries dug up, and trees in which holly spirits are said to live have been uprooted.

“Losing the forest is like losing life,” a villager told Global Witness, describing how essential the fast evergreen and semi-evergreen forests are for the community.

HAGL and VRG have made millions off the plantations and the illegal selling of luxury wood. Between 2001 and 2011, prices for natural rubber increased ten-fold and reached about $3,600 per tonne last year, when Vietnam became the world’s third-largest producer of rubber.

Most rubber is shipped to China, where it is processed and exported to the United States and Japan. As demand surges, the tight supply has fueled HAGL’s and VRG’s land-grabbing in Cambodia and Laos.

In addition, luxury rosewood grows inside the land concessions, which is illegally logged and exported, Global Witness says.

“The revenues are a planned part of the companies’ financial plan for the concessions — the impression given is that without these revenues, the concession would not be economically viable,” says Josie Cohen, a researcher for Global Witness.

In northeastern Cambodia, Dong Nai, a member of VRG is estimated to have logged 30 percent of the total forest in the area, amounting to about 10,000 resin trees, which are used for the production of varnishes or perfumes, for example.

For 100 resin trees, the company offered to pay between $250 to $330 in compensation, a sum the families would make from tapping the tree in two to three months, they said.

But reports and complaints the residents filed regarding Dong Nai’s illicit activities went unanswered — most likely due to the involvement of a cousin of prime minister and strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for almost 30 years. Senior government officials, including the minister of land management, have visited the community to convince residents of the company’s good intentions.

Residents protesting the illicit timber trade in Cambodia are threatened by police and military police paid to guard the concessions, and have even shot live rounds. May 16 marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of a 14-year-old girl protesting a rubber concession by officials.

Despite Deutsche Bank’s and the IFC’s claim that they are respecting human rights, environmental and anti-corruption standards, Global Witness says that they didn’t properly research the companies before investing millions of dollars in HAGL and VRG.

“The suffering that [VRG and HAGL] have inflicted on local people, however, gives claims that they contribute to the two countries’ development a distinctly hollow ring. It also begs the question: What sort of institutions could countenance financing companies such as these?” the report concludes.

And while hundreds of thousands of Cambodians see their existence threatened — or already destroyed — a culture of impunity surrounds those responsible.

“We very much hope — for the sake of the communities whose livelihoods, forests, burial grounds and spirit forests have been destroyed — that those responsible are brought to justice,” Cohen said.

Neither government holds a positive track record in pursuing powerful and well-connected perpetrators. But international pressure has helped in some recent cases, such as the killing of journalist Heng Serei Odom, who worked to uncover similar ties between officials, rubber plantations and illegal logging. Earlier this month prosecutors announced that the case be reinvestigated.

Justice would offer some solace, Chanthy, the young mother, said.

“I am so happy that the court decided to reinvestigate the killing of my husband, and I hope that all perpetrators will be prosecuted and punished,” Chanthy said.