Reuters Japan signed an agreement yesterday to provide a US$131 million grant to Cambodia to build what will be the longest bridge across the Mekong River and a major link in a regional transport network. Construction of the bridge over the Mekong, at the town of Neak Leoung, southeast of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, [...]
By Brian McCartan for Asia Times BANGKOK - Laos aims to lift itself out of least-developed country status by 2020, but a shift underway from reliance on Western aid to Asian private capital has sparked criticism from development specialists who believe the trend towards large-scale projects is unsustainable and works against the country’s long-term economic [...]
Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent for The Guardian Award-winning conservationist and philanthropist Karma Samdrup tells court of beatings during interrogation A jailed Tibetan environmentalist used the opening of his trial today to accuse Chinese captors of beatings, sleep deprivation and other maltreatment, his wife told reporters. Karma Samdrup – a prominent businessman and award-winning conservationist [...]
By Binh Dai-Translated by Phuong Nhu for Saigon Daily The cholera-causing bacterium has contaminated Mekong Delta rivers, medical workers say, prompting local authorities to move against the use of river water for household activities, which is common in delta provinces. Although the virulent vibrio cholera virus is usually found in mollusks living in brackish water, [...]
Brian McCartan from Bangkok for Asia Times BANGKOK - The last remaining physical gaps on the north-south roadway set to connect China to Thailand and further afield through Southeast Asia will soon be bridged, opening a new land route that promises to expand intra-regional trade. China has recently agreed to finance the construction of two [...]
Analysis by Marwaan Macan-Markar for IPS BANGKOK, June 14, 2010 (IPS) - The Mekong River is steadily emerging as a testing ground for public diplomacy, Chinese style. Beijing, it appears, wants to reach out to its southern neighbours who share the river more as a friendly giant than an imposing bully. An unprecedented move to [...]
Bravo Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority! STOCKHOLM, June 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of its world class performance in water supply and self-sufficiency, the Cambodian Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) under the leadership of General Director Ek Sonn Chan has been named the winner of the Stockholm Industry Water Award 2010. For full [...]