20,000 People Call on Mekong Govts to Cancel Xayaburi Dam

For immediate release

November 30, 2011

Media Contacts:
Pianporn Deetes, Thailand Campaign Coordinator, International Rivers, +66 81 422 0111, pai@internationalrivers.org
Sor.Rattanamanee Polkla, Lawyer for the Community Resources Centre, +66 81 772 5843
Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia Program Director, International Rivers, +855 92 569 113, ame@internationalrivers.org

More Than 20,000 People Call on Mekong Governments to Cancel the Xayaburi Dam

U.S. Senate Committee Calls for Delay in Xayaburi Dam

Bangkok, Thailand – 22,589 people from 106 countries submitted an international petition today to the Prime Ministers of Laos and Thailand, calling for cancellation of the proposed Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River in Northern Laos. The petition comes one week before the four Mekong governments meet on December 8th in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where they are likely to decide whether to proceed with the project.

The Xayaburi Dam is the first of eleven dams proposed for the Lower Mekong River. The petition expresses grave concern about the future of the Lower Mekong Basin, and urges the Prime Ministers to cancel the project and defer all decisions on Mekong dams for a period of at least ten years, until further studies can be conducted. The petition was presented to Thailand’s Government House and the Lao Embassy in Bangkok on Wednesday.

“The people of Southeast Asia and concerned citizens around the world have once again voiced their opposition to the Xayaburi Dam,” said Pianporn Deetes, Thailand Campaign Coordinator for International Rivers. “The whole world is watching. We do not want to remember December 8th as the day the Mekong died.”

The petition comes a day after the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved a resolution by Senator Jim Webb calling for the protection of the Mekong River Basin and for delaying mainstream dam construction along the river. The resolution calls for the U.S. Government to allocate more funding to help identify sustainable alternatives to mainstream hydropower dams and to analyze the impacts of proposed development along the river.

“The Committee’s adoption of this resolution sends a timely signal of U.S. support for the Mekong River Commission’s efforts to preserve the ecological and economic stability of Southeast Asia,” Senator Webb, chair of the Senate East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, said in a statement. “The United States and the global community have a strategic interest in preserving the health and well-being of the more than 60 million people who depend on the Mekong River.”

Although Laos is proposing the dam, Thailand is also playing a key role as investor, project developer, and purchaser of 95% of the dam’s electricity. The petition calls on the government of Thailand to cancel its plans to purchase electricity from the Xayaburi Dam and any other Mekong Mainstream Dams.

“Laos has a duty under international law to provide enough information about the regional impacts of the Xayaburi project to allow its neighbors to make an informed decision, but it has yet to do so,” said Sor.Rattanamanee Polkla, a lawyer for the Community Resources Centre in Thailand and a member of Mekong Legal Network. “Moreover, Thailand, as the primary beneficiary of the dam, should be equally responsible for providing more information about the project’s impacts. Under international best practice, Thailand should assess all energy options before deciding to dam a river of such importance for millions of people’s livelihoods, in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Environmental Assessment sponsored by the Mekong River Commission.”

“Through this petition, the international community has spoken out against the Xayaburi Dam as this is a river of global significance,” said Guadalupe Rodriguez, a member of the German-based organization Rettet den Regenwald (Rainforest Rescue), and one of the sponsors of the petition. “We cannot allow a privileged few to trade away the biodiversity and ecosystems that feed millions, as it would spark tension in the region.”

At a meeting in April, the governments of Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam raised concerns about the Xayaburi Dam’s transboundary impacts and recommended further study and public consultations. The four governments could not agree on a solution, and elevated the decision to a ministerial meeting now scheduled for December 7-8.

More information:

• Full text of the petition
• Senator Webb’s press release and text of the Senate Resolution

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Foreign diplomats congratulate Laos on National Day

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_Foreign.htm

President Choummaly Sayasone has reaffirmed Laos’ commitment to its foreign policy of peace, friendship and cooperation in terms of foreign relations, and to further strengthen and develop relations with its neighbours.

The president was addressing members of the diplomatic corps and resident representatives of international organisations who yesterday visited him and other Lao leaders to extend their best wishes on the 36th anniversary of the founding of the Lao PDR.

Mr Choummaly said the government’s achievements are the result of national solidarity, as well as the tireless efforts of the Lao people under the leadership of the Party, coupled with the invaluable support and assistance provided by friendly countries and international organisations.

The assistance and cooperation extended by friendly countries has enabled Laos to overcome difficulties and challenges, and contribute to the strengthening and promotion of peace, friendship, stability and cooperation for development in the region and the world at large.

Also present at the ceremony were Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Thongloun Sisoulith.

Ambassador of the Republic Union of Myanmar and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and International Organisations, U Nyunt Hlaing, representing diplomats accredited to Laos, also delivered a speech to mark the occasion.

He congratulated the Lao leaders and people on their achievements in pushing for progress in national development over the past 36 years.

“All of us are delighted to see that the newly elected leaders of Laos are working hard to develop Laos, making great efforts in all areas of development as well as opening up new areas. In their united perseverance to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, we believe that these great efforts will culminate in Laos rising above Least Developed Country classification by 2020,” he said.

“Indeed, we can see that the Party, government and people of Laos have, through their united efforts, successfully overcome many challenges facing the world today. Thus the stability of Lao politics has created the rapid development that we are now witnessing.”

Mr Hlaing also talked about issues surrounding climate change and the environmental damage and yearly natural catastrophes in some regions of the world.

“Although Laos, too, has suffered these calamities, with the united efforts of the people and government, and assistance of the international community of donor countries and organisations, we can see that rehabilitation and recovery are proceeding in a truly admirable manner in Laos.”

The diplomats also observed that Laos has continued its ongoing efforts in sustainable development, environmental protection, poverty reduction, human resource development, and the systematic eradication of the curse of UXO.

Mr Hlaing said “As diplomats, we can also see that Laos, in accordance with its foreign policy principles, has excellent relations both with its neighbours and with the international community as demonstrated by the increase in the number of countries (which now number 134) that have diplomatic relations with Laos.”

“Laos also has a long-established and deep cooperation with the United Nations and its agencies. In addition, Laos is also an active member of Asean, and in sub-regional cooperation frameworks.”

The successful diplomacy of Laos has seen the country chosen to host the Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in November next year.

The meeting heard that Laos is satisfied with its many achievements over the past year, including a GDP growth rate of 8.1 percent, which is leading to a gradual improvement in the living standards of the Lao multi-ethnic people.

By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update December 02, 2011)

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Laos marks 36th founding anniversary

By SHERYL LAUDATO MIGUEL

December 1, 2011

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/343277/laos-marks-36th-founding-anniversary

MANILA, Philippines — Laos marks 36th founding anniversary

The people of Laos commemorate today their 36th founding anniversary, a significant event that reminds them of their rich culture, transformation, progress, and determination of the Lao Government and the Lao multi-ethnic people to move forward the country.

On this occasion, Lao People’s Democratic Republic Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Malayvieng Sakonhninhom tells of the country’s stunning natural beauty and strong spiritual traditions.

A landlocked country, 70 percent of Laos’ land is covered with mountains and high plateaus with fertile soil and abundant mineral deposits such as tin, gold iron, silver, sulfur, and sapphires. The land is still covered with 47 percent of natural tropi-cal forest and serve as sanctuaries of tropical flora and fauna.

The Lao PDR has three main ethnic groups. The “Lao Loum” or lowlanders represent 68 percent of the total population and occupy the plain land located in the valley of the Mekong River and its tributaries. The Mekong River flows from North to South for 1898 km, with waterfalls called Khonepapheng located in the southern part of the Lao.

The “Lao Theung” or uplanders make up 22 percent of the total population and occupy the plateaus and the slopes of the mountains.

The “Lao Sung” or hill tribes represent 10 percent of the total population and occupy the high altitude areas of the mountains (1,000 meters and upwards).

With its rich cultural traditions and customs, Lao PDR observes a variety of festivals and religious events throughout the year.

In January, the Hmong ethnic group celebrate “Boun Kin Jiang,” highlighting the “Mak Khone” where young Hmong men and women throw a ball to each other in order to find the right partner.

The “Boun WatPhou Champasak” is held during February which was held at UNESCO world heritage site. “Boun Pha Vet” on the same month commemorates King Vessanthara’s reincarnation as the Buddha which highlights fortune-telling during month of March.

In April, “Boun PiMai” is celebrated by the community by splashing water on each other; “Boun Bangfai” or the rocket festival is held at the beginning of the rainy season during May; farmers prepare for rice plantation during the raining season called “Boun Tok Kar” in June; “Boun Khao Phansa” is the beginning of Buddhist lent in July, where meditation is practiced by going to the temple to listen to the chants. It is the time to abstain from evil, perform virtues, and purify one’s mind.

“Boun Khao Padabdin is observed in August by making offerings to the dead, while “Boun Khao Salak” in September where the Lao Buddhists make food as an offering to their dead.

October marks the end of the monks’ or Buddhist lent which is called “Boun Aok Phansa”; while the month of November celebrates the “Boun Suang Huei” or the boat racing festival.

December marks the “Boun ThatLuang,” a three-day religious festival celebrated at the nation’s most sacred Stupa called “That Luang”.

Laos Profile: The ruling communists maintain strict control over the media

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15353971

19 October 2011 Last updated at 05:01 ET

The ruling communists control most of the media

The ruling communists maintain strict control over the media. The government owns all newspapers and broadcast media. Newspaper circulation figures are very low.

Slandering the state, distorting party policies and spreading false rumours are all criminal offences.

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted in 2010 that “the activities of the president and top party leaders are always the lead stories in the state media, which are the only media permitted”.

There were some 527,400 internet users by December 2009 (InternetWorldStats). According to RSF, the authorities do not censor the internet.

The press

• Vientiane Times – state-run, English-language
• Le Renovateur – state run, French-language
• Vientiane Mai – state-run daily
• Pasaxon – party monthly

Television

• Lao National TV (TVNL) – state-run
• Laos Television 3 – joint venture with Thai company

Radio

• Lao National Radio – state-run

News Agency

• KPL – state-run

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Laos profile – overview

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BBC News

Laos, one of the world’s few remaining communist states, is one of east Asia’s poorest countries. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 it has …

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Laos profile – leaders

‎
BBC News

Choummaly Sayasone, the head of the ruling communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), was appointed by the National Assembly in 2006 and …

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Laos profile – in pictures

‎
BBC News

Men harvest their rice field in Muang Sing, northern Laos. Lying on the plains of Nam La River the area is a cultural nexus. An arm of the ‘China road’ …

What’s in a name? On pronouncing difficult country names

View Original Source:  http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/07/whats-in-a-name-on-pronouncing-difficult-country-names/

by Rolf Potts (RSS feed) on Sep 7th 2011 at 10:00AM

When I traveled through Southeast Asia some years ago, I was amazed by the number of fellow backpackers who ridiculed me whenever I pronounced the “s” in Laos. Apparently, I was supposed to pronounce it “Lao,” just like locals do.

The thing is, those same “s”-dropping travelers never insisted on calling Bangkok by its proper name (“Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”) when they were in Thailand — and when they recalled journeys to East Asia, they mentioned Japan and Korea, not “Nihon-koku” and “Daehan Minguk”. But Laos was “Lao,” and anyone with the temerity to pronounce the “s” ran the risk of being branded a travel-greenhorn in the backpacker haunts of Vang Vieng and Muang Sing.

Oddly enough, Laos seems to be the only place where backpackers are rigid fundamentalists when it comes to nation-state pronunciation. Rarely do you find such tenacious commitment to cultural-linguistic accuracy in the travel cliques of Misr (Egypt), Shqipërisë (Albania), or Suomi (Finland). (One possible exception might be Latin America, where otherwise normal patter among English-speaking travelers is frequently offset with trilled r’s and h-sounding g’s when mentioning places like Honduras and Argentina.)

What makes Laos an exception? Since the Westernized pronunciation is just one consonant away from the local pronunciation, my guess is lazy opportunism among backpackers hoping to showcase their cultural knowledge. Whereas referring to Morocco as “al-Maghrebia” or Greenlandas “Kalaallit Nunaat” would make you seem like a jackass show-off to fellow travelers, calling Laos “Lao” allows you to avoid confusing your compatriots while still insinuating that you’ve been in-country long enough to pronounce the place as locals do. Hence, in the goofy realm of backpacker pecking order (where displays of cultural expertise reign supreme, yet all pretensions must be subtle), Laos-pronunciation is the perfect shorthand for distinguishing salty wanderers from newbies.

Interestingly, Laos provides a good example for how complicated things can get when dissecting the names of nation-states. The “s” in Laos, for example, dates back to the late 1800′s, when a number of largely autonomous, mainly Lao-speaking kingdoms (including Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak) were united under French colonial rule. The “s” was silent in French pronunciation, and only came into spoken use when Anglophones intoned it according to their own rules (much as we do when pronouncing “Paris”). Perhaps the most famous mispronunciation of “Laos” came in 1962, when President Kennedy called the nation “Lay-oss” — reportedly out of apprehension that the American people would resist sending military aid to a country that sounded like the singular of “lice.”Though it could be easy to write off the “s” in Laos as an insidious remnant of Western imperialism, place-names in Europe are similarly indicative of bygone intrusions. When a Cardiff-born traveler refers to himself as “Welsh,” he is actually using a Germanic word that means “foreigner” (as opposed to the Celtic word for Welsh, “Cymry,” which means “compatriot”). Similarly, the official Laotian name for Laos — “Meuang Lao” — probably sounds a tad strange to the 31% of native-born citizens (including the Hmong, Dao, and Khmu) who are not ethnically Lao.British historian Norman Davies has noted that place-names aren’t necessarily a fixed concept. “They change over time,” he wrote in his 1996 book Europe: A History. “And they vary according to the language and the perspective of the people who use them. They are the intellectual property of their users, and as such have caused endless conflicts. They can be the object of propaganda, of tendentious wrangling, of rigid censorship, even of wars. In reality, where several variants exist, one cannot speak of correct or incorrect forms.”

This in mind, I’ve decided I won’t worry too much about the “correct” way to pronounce Laos. Outside of backpacker circles, I’ve found that native Laotians don’t mind when I pronounce the “s” in Laos — just like citizens of ” Ellīnikī́ Dīmokratía” understand when I make reference to “Greece,” and residents of “Al Mamlaka al Urduniya al Hashemiyah” don’t scold me for calling their country “Jordan.” Were I conversing in Lao or Greek or Arabic this might be a different matter — but host cultures tend to understand that non-fluent outsiders have their own names for things. When I’m asked by local people to use local pronunciations (or when it makes communication easier) I’m happy to drop my Westernized vocabulary for something more culturally correct. This is, in fact, a normal part of the travel-education process.

I suppose it’s also part of the travel process to foist that linguistic correctness on other travelers, but this can sometimes get obnoxious. Just as rose by any other name would smell as sweet, Laos will remain of terrific place to travel, regardless of whether or not you pronounce the “s” in the company of your fellow backpackers.

[flickr image via Ian @ The Paperboy]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

John H Kester Sep 7th 2011 3:22PM

You’re making a bit of a false comparison here because you’re comparing the shortened English names with the complete formal native names of each country. Yes, Japan is colloqially “Japan,” but it’s formally “The State of Japan” which is exactly what “Nihon [Japan] koku (country)” means. And in common Japanese parlance, the locals would say, “Nihon” or “Nippon” in the same way we commonly use “Japan.” This is not to say that your average English-speaking backpacker will refer to “Japan” as “Nihon,” but the Japan/Nihon-koku parallel is unfair.

Similarly, Jordan isn’t really “Jordan,” it’s the “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” — again, a translation of the full formal Arabic name that you mention, “Al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyyah al Hāšimiyyah.” A trip to Google Translate reveals the short-form name, “Al-Urdun.” I would wager that Jordanians prefer an economy of words in their daily speech just as we do and that they employ “Al-Urdun” in casual conversation. Again, I’m not saying an American backpacker in Jordan would call it “Al-Urdun,” but even a Jordanian wouldn’t commonly speak about “Al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyyah al Hāšimiyyah” so your comparison doesn’t work.

Importantly, even the subject of your post, “Laos,” is formally called the “Lao People’s Democratic Republic” in English and “Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao” in Laotian. People in Laos naturally use a short form name, “Muang Lao” (as you mention), or “Pathet Lao,” so you’ve mixed a short form Laotian name with long-form names of the other countries that you use to support your case. It might be unique to backpackers in Laos to make use of the local state-naming lingo (although I doubt it), but you’ve confused the issue by comparing informal Laotian state-naming with the formal nomenclature of other states.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic: – Early education programme increases access for ethnic children in Lao PDR

View Original Source:  http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/laopdr_58690.html

By Martha Tattersall

© UNICEF Laos/2011/Tattersall. Pre-school children outside their school house in Long Lao public School in Lao PDR. When UNICEF provided a new building, the old school house was used as a pre-school.

BAN LONG LAO MAI, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 27 May 2011 – In Long Lao village in northern Lao PDR, 10-year old Thao Lee starts his morning helping his family with chores. His job is to let out the cows to graze, before sitting down to a breakfast of rice and meat.

Hard-to-reach children

Thao Lee is from the Khmu ethnic group, one of 49 different ethnicities that make up the richly diverse country of Lao PDR. With the groups living mainly in rural and remote upland areas and each having their own cultural and linguistic norms, such diversity presents a major challenge to delivering services like education.

In this village outside of Luangprabang province, Khmu, Hmong and Lao Loum populations live side by side. Thao Lee’s mother-tongue is Khmu; his school curriculum is taught in Lao.

 

Since UNICEF piloted the programme in 2006, it has been rolled out across more than 1,600 primary schools. School Director Khamsy Sengsoulivanh knows only too well the challenges faced by children whose mother tongue is not Lao.

“For the children from different ethnic groups, the dictation and pronunciation is quite different,” he says. “When we are teaching them the Lao language, our ethnic students have difficulty and even if they speak it the right way, they understand it in their own language and they pronounce it in their style.”

Preparing children to learn

© UNICEF Laos/2011/Tattersall. Thao Lee sits in his fourth grade class at Long Lao Primary School, one of the UNICEF-supported 'Schools of Quality' in Lao PDR.

Long Lao received UNICEF support in 2007. Now all 240 children in the village attend school, and receive a multi-lingual education to overcoming the language barriers. Children are taught in Lao, Hmong and Khmu.

Mr. Sengsoulivanh also prepares children for learning in Lao even before they reach school age. “We have the pre-school classroom where the ethnic children come together. They play together and it prepares them for first grade,” he says.

Due to lack of funds for classrooms and availability of teachers, this strategy is not easily adopted across the country. Only about 22 per cent of children in Lao PDR attend some form of pre-primary schooling, with the overwhelming majority of these enrolments in urban areas.

That is why UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education to develop and implement a community-based school readiness programme. The goal is to increase access to early childhood education for ethnic children in remote and rural areas.

Early-childhood education is critical to preparing children for school. It also reduces drop out and repetition rates. When UNICEF provided a new building to Long Lao Public School, they were able to use the old school house as a pre-school.

Changing attitudes

© UNICEF Laos/2011/Tattersall. Children play at Long Lao Primary School. The school is part of a UNICEF-backed government strategy to improve quality and access to primary education in Lao PDR.

“The children start to learn the Lao language and that means it is much easier when they reach first and second grade,” says Mr. Sengsoulivanh.

The results of the programme can certainly be seen in Thao Lee, who says Lao language is now his favourite subject. He, like all his classmates, will continue on to secondary school after fifth grade.

“I like coming to school. I like to learn things and I also like to see my friends,” he says.

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Related links

UNICEF helps children overcome language barriers at schools in Lao PDR
with video

‘Schools of Quality’: UNICEF supports education for all in Lao PDR
with video

Child-friendly schools case study: Lao People’s Democratic Republic [PDF]