People and government
China dismisses U.S. criticism over dams
Beijing dismissed criticism from the United States after a U.S. official claimed that China’s construction of dams on the upper Lancang (Mekong) River had a detrimental effect on lower Mekong countries. “Related comments by a U.S. official are groundless and they have ulterior motives,” Foreign ...
How Taming the Mekong Could Give China Unprecedented Power
The deadly collapse of one of the dozen or so dams dotted along the Mekong River and its tributaries has highlighted the rapid development of a waterway that is increasingly important strategically for China and its neighbors. For hundreds of thousands of people living on ...
Japanese Gov’t Calls Cambodia’s Election “Disappointing”
A week after Cambodia’s general election, which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won in a landslide victory after it banned its main opposition, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called the poll “disappointing.” Keep reading ...
Laos stresses narrowing development gap at Asean meeting
Laos has stressed the need to strengthen newer Asean members’ capacity through the implementation of the regional plan to narrow the development gap. Keep reading ...
Cambodia’s take on FOIP
A ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ (FOIP) seems to be a work in progress and it is still not clear how much support it could garner from Asean member states. Chheang Vannarith argues that as long as FOIP serves common regional economic interests, Cambodia is willing ...
GMS nations need greater connectivity to spark growth: Expert
Dr Watcharas Leelawath, executive director of the Mekong Institute last Friday said cooperation and greater connectivity among the member states are necessary to get the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to take off. Keep reading ...
Japan and Mekong nations agree to keep U.N. sanctions in place against North
Top diplomats from Japan and five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River have pledged to maintain U.N. economic sanctions aimed at pressuring North Korea to achieve complete denuclearization as promised. The agreement Friday came amid growing concern that countries friendly to North Korea, such as ...
Vietnam continues aid to victims of Lao dam collapse
The High Command of Military Region 5 and the South Laos Friendship Co., Ltd are continuing to direct their units to send personnel to the Lao province of Attapeu to help local residents affected by of the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam overcome the ...
Cambodian PM's party claims all election seats, opposition sees 'death of democracy'
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) said on Monday it had won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in a general election a day earlier that critics said was neither free nor fair. Keep reading ...
More aid from Vietnam reaches survivors of Lao dam collapse
The National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue has asked the Ministry of National Defence to join disaster relief efforts for victims in the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in Laos following the instruction of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Keep reading ...