The Laotian ivory trade: an ugly by-product of national corruption
The retail ivory market in Laos has rocketed in recent years. Corruption and weak law enforcement remain an obstacle to eradicating the destructive trade.
Laos
Why Laos’ reliance on Chinese money could bankrupt the country
Laos is pushing hard to meet United Nations (UN) development targets. The government risks bankrupting the nation in the process.
Why Laos needs to get serious about tackling corruption
The Prime Minister of Laos has pledged to crack down on the millions of dollars lost in national revenue each year because of a deep-rooted culture of corruption in his country’s organisations.
Damned by dam construction? Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong river
Dam construction in Laos has an enormous detrimental impact on the Mekong river, and the people who depend on it for their livelihood in Vietnam and Cambodia. Laos is doing little to address the situation. Cambodia and Vietnam suffer from the drastic consequences of dam construction.
ASEAN’s new reality: does the life of a drug user really mean less?
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0ASEAN countries are getting tough on drugs but as attitudes in Indonesia and the Philippines harden, Laos is playing catch-up regarding public opinion. Officials across…
“They’re so Lao”: Explaining the Thai sense of superiority
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0A Thai photographer’s Facebook post drew attention to long-standing tensions between the cultures of his nation and neighbouring Lao. But is “you’re so Lao” truly…
Obama in Laos: can he win six million hearts to trump Beijing?
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0By Dung Phan When Barack Obama travelled to Cuba, he was the first U.S president in almost 90 years to set foot in the landlocked…
America’s shame: The unspoken danger of Laos’ hidden bombs
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0By Dung Phan It was a cold day in Laos, and huddled around a fire for warmth was Sak and his brother and friends. He…
ASEAN’s shame: Where is Sombath Somphone?
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0By Sarah Caroline Bell The sun had set on a warm Saturday evening in Vientiane. For most, December 15 2012 was just another weekend, but…
What does Laos have to hide?
LinkedinTwitterFacebook0By Sarah Caroline Bell You cannot speak out, protest about, or write negatively about the government unless you want to spend 16 years in prison,…