US Welcomes Delay On Laos Dam

[webfact]

US welcomes delay on Laos dam

WASHINGTON, December 9, 2011 (AFP) - The United States welcomed Thursday a delay by Southeast Asian nations on approving a controversial hydropower dam in Laos, voicing fear about the environmental effects for the Mekong River.

Laos failed at a meeting to win approval from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam to go ahead with the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam, which activists say could spell disaster for the roughly 60 million people who depend on the waterway.

During a meeting with Mekong nations in July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "that there's a very serious question about this new dam and possible environmental ramifications," her spokesman Mark Toner said.

"So we view it as a positive sign that they're delaying looking at it," Toner told reporters in Washington.

Senator Jim Webb, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia and has been an outspoken critic of the dam, called the delay "an important step toward responsible policy."

"The United States and the global community have a strategic and moral obligation to preserve the health and well-being of the people who depend on the Mekong River for their livelihoods and way of life," Webb said in a statement.

The Mekong nations, at their meeting Thursday in Cambodia, called for further study on sustainable development and the potential effects of the project, which would be the first of 11 dams on the mainstream lower Mekong.

Cambodia and Vietnam fear the effects of the 1,260 megawatt Xayaburi dam on their farming and fishing industries. Thailand, however, has been more enthusiastic and has agreed to buy 95 percent of the electricity from the dam.

President Barack Obama's administration launched the Lower Mekong Initiative in hopes of supporting the environment, health and education in the populous region, as part of a renewed effort to build relations with Southeast Asia.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-12-09

[webfact]

XAYABURI HYDROPOWER PROJECT

Laos' proposed dam delayed again

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Ministers of countries in the lower Mekong sub-region were unable to come to a decision on Laos' controversial Xayaburi hydropower project yesterday, recommending further study of the likely impact of building a mainstream dam on the river.

At their annual meeting yesterday in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the Council Members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), comprising water and environment ministers from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, agreed to approach Japan and other international development partners to support the study.

Laos has proposed building the Xayaburi Dam on the mainstream Mekong approximately 150km downstream of Luang Prabang. The project has an installed capacity of 1,260MW; an 810m-long, 32m-high dam; a 49-square-km reservoir; and live storage of 225 million cubic metres.

The primary objective of the project is to generate foreign-exchange earnings to finance socio-economic development in Laos. The developer is Thai construction firm Ch Karnchang, which negotiated a tariff agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand in July 2010.

The project is widely opposed by people living along the Mekong River due to feared negative environmental and social impacts.

Vietnam and Cambodia apparently disagreed with the project, believing it would have a serious impact on the downstream ecosystem and food chain.

At a meeting in Vientiane in April, MRC officials agreed that the project would be delayed, and the final decision left to their ministers.

At a verbal discussion among the MRC member nations' four prime ministers at the 3rd Mekong-Japan Summit held on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Bali in November, it was agreed that further studies should be conducted on the project.

"The outcome [yesterday] demonstrates the member countries' continued commitment to work together in the regional spirit of the Mekong Agreement to bring about economic development without compromising sustainability of livelihoods of their peoples and the ecology," said MRC Council chairman Lim Kean Hor, the Cambodian minister of water resources and meteorology.

"Further study will provide a more complete picture for the four countries to be able to further discuss the development and management of their shared resources, Lim Kean Hor said in a statement after the meeting.

-- The Nation 2011-12-09

[stickyrice2000]

I disagree with building the dam too. Personally, I feel that the outsiders are putting some dinero into the Lao officials' hands and push for this project to happen.

[Sydebolle]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

[xthAi76s]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

I can't really agree with anything you've said as almost every sentence is flawed.

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word.

1. Are you claiming that China has NEVER asked the international community for permission or cooperated with other countries countries pursuant to legal agreement obligations? I doubt that assertion is true.

2. Even if your assertion were true, it would have no bearing on what is right -- legally. Laos is a party to the 1995 Mekong Agreement, and so it has a legal obligation under that agreement.

Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR.

Really, so the weight of international legal obligations rests on how we feel about parties involved in the legal process? Certainly you don't think the world would be a safe place to live in if everyone followed your line of thinking, do you? Isn't it something like the child who after being told by mom to wash up and get ready for bed yells to his mom "No, mom! I'm not going to goto bed at the time I previously agreed to because I saw you and dad up last night!". Pretty silly, no?

[folium]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

The Chinese have built 4 of the cascade of 8 dams they plan to build on the Upper Mekong. The effects are already being felt in terms of discharge, flows and sediment levels in Myanmar & Thailand, but as China is not a member of the MRC it can basically do what it wants and its economic/political clout allows it to get away with such high-handed, reckless behaviour.

While you obviously have a big issue with the Americans (and just so you know I am not an American), the active role being played by the US is actually very welcome to many SE Asian nations as they are increasingly fearful of China's appetite for resources and desired control of the South China Sea.

Myanmar's suspension of the Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy was one in the eye for the Chinese as Burma plays them off against a more involved USA. Similarly Clinton's role over Xayaburi has been welcomed by Cambodia and Vietnam and the overall international and regional pressure will have contributed to this excellent news that Xayaburi will be delayed while a proper environmental impact assessment is undertaken by the MRC. Ironically exactly that was done last year but as the conclusions were firmly against the dam it was ignored by the MRC at the time. Now that the issue has been dragged into the harsh spotlight of global attention, perhaps more credence will be given to this report.

In many ways Laos is being exploited by Thailand as an outsourced energy provider and font of much construction and financial business/gain. Laos wraps up its hydropower programme as renewable and eco-friendly which is laughable given the growing awareness that hydropower, badly managed, can be environmentally disastrous.

Also before you get too dewy-eyed about the communist, authoritarian regime of Laos, they are just as happy exploiting non-renewable energy resources for Thailand's benefit. Hence the development of the Hongsa lignite strip mining and power generation operation upstream from the Xayaburi dam site, with lignite being one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels (see the Mae Moh mine near Lampang for how delightful it is), which will destroy a section of Laos that is growing as an ecotourist destination based around the Xayaburi elephant festival and the presence of some 200 elephants. The "Land of a Million Elephants" is down to about 500 due to the rampant deforestation and destructive exploitation of Laos resources by the ever-caring regime based in Vientiane.

But then again why let a few facts get in the way of some whining about the Americans.

[kennalder]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

I can't really agree with anything you've said as almost every sentence is flawed.

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word.

1. Are you claiming that China has NEVER asked the international community for permission or cooperated with other countries countries pursuant to legal agreement obligations? I doubt that assertion is true.

2. Even if your assertion were true, it would have no bearing on what is right -- legally. Laos is a party to the 1995 Mekong Agreement, and so it has a legal obligation under that agreement.

Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR.

Really, so the weight of international legal obligations rests on how we feel about parties involved in the legal process? Certainly you don't think the world would be a safe place to live in if everyone followed your line of thinking, do you? Isn't it something like the child who after being told by mom to wash up and get ready for bed yells to his mom "No, mom! I'm not going to goto bed at the time I previously agreed to because I saw you and dad up last night!". Pretty silly, no?

Exactly. I always like to take flawed arguments to the extreme so how about this scenario?

A convicted felon, say an arsonist, sees an instance of child abuse. He is not allowed to report it until he has rebuilt the structure he burned down. Now that's silly!

I don't dispute the idea the US may have something other than pure intentions behind many of its interventions, and they tend look the other way when another super power is involved, but as pointed out, Laos is party to a legal agreement. As usual those that are for going ahead have no downside, and who cares about a few million Cambodians and Vietnamese? Just maybe those ugly Americans!

[daninthai]

Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam should simply tell Laos (and they should all tell China) that they will view any damming of the river to be an attack on their national security, and a declaration of war. There's no way Laos would continue with it. I do wonder how China would do against a unified ASEAN.

[carbine1125]

America please keep your big nose out of it, you did enough damage already in that neck of the woods!

[timberboy]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

Your response seems of a limited scope given the subject matter, and possibly opinionated as well. No one seems to like when the United States has any involvement what so ever in anything. Well, they are a world power and they have strategic interests in the south-east asian region, so whether you like it or not, that is todays world. Better to shrug off the implications.

You cant seriously try to compare the energy needs of the United States in comparison to Laos. If you read the articles ,the project is coming from a Thai company, and the Thai govt agreed to purchase practically all of the energy produced from this hydroelectric project.

Edited December 9, 2011 by timberboy

[Oberkommando]

Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam should simply tell Laos (and they should all tell China) that they will view any damming of the river to be an attack on their national security, and a declaration of war. There's no way Laos would continue with it. I do wonder how China would do against a unified ASEAN.

Why would Thailand say anything? They are behind the push for the dam construction.

Again, and I'm getting bored of saying this, but the dam will be Thai financed, Thai built and 95% of the electricity generated will be for Thai consumption.

[folium]

Well, if the Chinese build things, they dont ask and nobody dares to even mention a word. If the Laotians are doing the same then the whole world, spearheaded by the American clowns, need to intervene again. Clintons comments are uncalled for as long as the US is in a bigger mess than Lao PDR. The deal and the conditions might have to be reviewed by the MRC (Mekong River Commission) if there is anything wrong. While Laos is far from perfect they managed to inch into the 21st century with sustainable energy - unlike other countries!

The Chinese have built 4 of the cascade of 8 dams they plan to build on the Upper Mekong. The effects are already being felt in terms of discharge, flows and sediment levels in Myanmar & Thailand, but as China is not a member of the MRC it can basically do what it wants and its economic/political clout allows it to get away with such high-handed, reckless behaviour.

While you obviously have a big issue with the Americans (and just so you know I am not an American), the active role being played by the US is actually very welcome to many SE Asian nations as they are increasingly fearful of China's appetite for resources and desired control of the South China Sea.

Myanmar's suspension of the Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy was one in the eye for the Chinese as Burma plays them off against a more involved USA. Similarly Clinton's role over Xayaburi has been welcomed by Cambodia and Vietnam and the overall international and regional pressure will have contributed to this excellent news that Xayaburi will be delayed while a proper environmental impact assessment is undertaken by the MRC. Ironically exactly that was done last year but as the conclusions were firmly against the dam it was ignored by the MRC at the time. Now that the issue has been dragged into the harsh spotlight of global attention, perhaps more credence will be given to this report.

In many ways Laos is being exploited by Thailand as an outsourced energy provider and font of much construction and financial business/gain. Laos wraps up its hydropower programme as renewable and eco-friendly which is laughable given the growing awareness that hydropower, badly managed, can be environmentally disastrous.

Also before you get too dewy-eyed about the communist, authoritarian regime of Laos, they are just as happy exploiting non-renewable energy resources for Thailand's benefit. Hence the development of the Hongsa lignite strip mining and power generation operation upstream from the Xayaburi dam site, with lignite being one of the dirtiest and least efficient fossil fuels (see the Mae Moh mine near Lampang for how delightful it is), which will destroy a section of Laos that is growing as an ecotourist destination based around the Xayaburi elephant festival and the presence of some 200 elephants. The "Land of a Million Elephants" is down to about 500 due to the rampant deforestation and destructive exploitation of Laos resources by the ever-caring regime based in Vientiane.

But then again why let a few facts get in the way of some whining about the Americans.

Its a pity not many will ever seen the true beauty of the Laos countryside as they would be to busy avoiding the unexploded ordnance deposited by the caring Americans!

So does that mean you support the construction of dams on the mainstream of the Mekong?

[TAWP]

The only reason US cares is becomes of the assumed Chinese involvement.

[metisdead]

It is perfectly acceptable to report on events and give opinions, but personal attacks editorializing events to bash any specific country is against ThaiVisa posting rules. Posts have been removed.