Laos

Environmental Investigation Agency Accused Vietnam of Smuggling Wood From Laos; Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association Denied

September 1, 2011 (Vietnamica) – London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), in July, reported that Vietnam had illegally harvested wood from Laos for the last three years, despite ongoing talks between Vietnam and the European Union. One month later, Nguyen Ton Quyen – General Secretary of Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association – responded that ‘all timber imported from Laos is approved by the Lao central government and is closely monitored by local authorities in Laos.’

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Lao Govt to Sell 30 Pct of State-owned ETL

Aug 31, 2011 (Vietnamica) — Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported on Aug 23 that the Lao government planned to sell 30 percent of the state-owned Enterprises of Telecommunications Laos (ETL) in Sept 2011 in an IPO.

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Laos Megaprojects to Get Funding from Thai Kasikornbank

Aug 31, 2011 (Vietnamica) — The Bangkok Post reported that Thailand’s Kasikornbank would finance three megaprojects 12 billion baht, two of which are Laos’ 440-MW Nam Ngun 3 and 300-MW Nam Ngiep 1 hydropower plants.

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On the Geopolitical Position of Laos

August 31, 2011 (Vietnamica) – China has grown as Laos’ second largest investor – only after Vietnam. There has been significant Chinese presence in infrastructure – road, stadiums, plantations, government buildings, hydro stations and mining. Chinese also own big casinos and large pieces of land. Meanwhile, the HSR network is part of Beijing’s Pan-Asian transportation plan, although after the train crash in Wenzhou (Stratfor, July 27), the future of this is unclear.

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Kingdom of Cambodia: Country – Economy – People

© CIA Factbook 2011 - Map of Cambodia

Aug 30, 2011 (Vietnamica) — Cambodia is a country belonging to the French old – but now familiar – definition of Indochina, which shares land borders with Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Therefore its economy is within the scope of study and insights by Vietnamica. In a short overview that follows, we present a sketch about Cambodia’s country, economy and the people.

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Laos Geopolitical Position: Seeking a Relationship with China

August 29, 2011 (Vietnamica) – According to Hara, Yamada, and Keola (2011), in recent years, following huge changes in the international politics of East Asia, Laos’s geopolitical position has once again been spotlighted, with some even speaking of their expectations that the country’s position will rise from being an inland country to being a bridge country. However, without assistance from other countries, it is extremely difficult for the country to run itself. Against this background, its relationship with China, which provides large amounts of financial aid and investment, is becoming the greatest issue for Laos today.

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