Economy and industry
EU lends support for Lao exports to European market
The EU in Laos is providing support for the export of Lao goods to the European market through training sessions for government officials and associated parties. A training session conducted in Vientiane on Aug 2 was co-chaired by the political officer at the EU in Laos, ...
Sharing solutions: How a digital toolkit is strengthening Indigenous voices
Technology isn’t always a practical solution for Indigenous communities fighting for their land rights. Some technology requires internet access, which often isn’t available in remote areas. And some technology can be needlessly complicated and expensive, alienating some community members. The Earth Defenders Toolkit is working to help overcome ...
Caitlin Looby
Ethnic communities in Myanmar opposing a coal plant see their fight get harder
Almost two decades ago, Myanmar’s largest coal-fired power plant was built as a joint venture by a group of military-affiliated businessmen and the China National Heavy Machinery Corporation. Since then, it has disrupted the socioeconomic lives of the Pa’O and Taungyo people who are Indigenous ...
Robert Bociaga
China poised for Thailand’s solar move
In March, Thailand announced it will draft a master plan to reach net zero carbon emissions. Though it has not set a date for net zero, that deadline will proably be announced in November at the COP26 UN climate talks. According to energy secretary Kulit Sombasiri, talking ...
Tyler Roney
In Laos, a Dubious Dam Threatens Luang Prabang
When investors in 2019 announced plans to build a massive hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River just upstream from Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of the former Kingdom of Laos, they drew a slew of criticism. So much criticism, in fact, that UNESCO—which has ...
Nathan Thompson
Mekong Delta attractive to renewable energy investment
Eleven of 13 cities and provinces in the region hold great potential for solar energy development, with average solar radiation of 1.387-1.534 Kwh per year. Coastal areas in the region have high potential to develop wind power, with wind speeds of 6.5-7m per second. Taking advantage of its natural conditions and investment ...
VNA
Chinese Embassy in Cambodia refutes false report by Reuters on Mekong River data 'hacking'
The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia on Thursday refuted a false report published by Reuters, which claimed that Chinese hackers “stole Mekong [River] data from Cambodia.” The Reuters report, also published on Thursday, quoted the US Justice Department and two anonymous sources as saying that Chinese hackers ...
Global Times
Chinese hackers stole Mekong data from Cambodian foreign ministry - sources
Buried in a long U.S. indictment accusing China of a global cyberespionage campaign was a curious detail: Among the governments targeted by Chinese hackers was Cambodia, one of Beijing’s most loyal Asian allies. The target of the hack, which two sources with knowledge of the indictment ...
Prak Chan ThulJames Pearson
Heavy Job Losses in Myanmar Since Coup: ILO Report
Myanmar lost an estimated 1.2 million jobs in the second quarter following the February military coup that crippled an economy already weakened by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). “Myanmar was already facing economic stress with jobs and livelihoods under threat as ...
THE IRRAWADDY
Myanmar’s Electricity Sector Crippled Since Military Coup
The military coup has created a crisis in Myanmar’s electricity sector, which has lost billions of dollars in income and been beset by prolonged power outages across the country due to mismanagement by the junta and the public’s refusal to support the regime, Independent Economists ...
THE IRRAWADDY