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Tom Fawthrop
Tom Fawthrop, an author and filmmaker, has been based in Asia for more than 30 years. He has been a contributor to various media including The Economist, Guardian and SCMP. He has also directed the documentary “Killing the Mekong, Dam by Dam”.
Controversial private projects, increase in tourist boat trips near ecologically important mangrove forests have upset conservationists in Hoi An.
Highly endangered fish species are on the brink, as dam-building along the Mekong decimates the ecosystem which millions of people rely on.
Geologists point out that the dam is in proximity to an active fault line in an earthquake-prone region of northern Laos and could trigger strong quakes and result in flooding.
Once teeming with fish, the river is now filled with forlorn fisherfolk who say they’re lucky to have catch at all, as more hydropower dams are built up and down the river.
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Thailand does not need the power from the Lao dam and, to honour its Unesco commitments, can help pull the plug in the Thai developer’s project.
In a new book, Australian journalist John Martinkus documents West Papuan indigenous tribes’ fight to recover ancestral lands annexed by Indonesia.
The Last Days of the Mighty Mekong by Brian Eyler sounds a stark warning about the impact dams are having along the once-mighty river, cites the failures of both Western and Asian agencies, and calls for solutions to stem the damage before it is too late
Earthquake experts have renewed concerns about the potential for a seismic disaster hitting the massive Xayaburi dam, which is well under construction on the Mekong River in a quake-prone location in Laos.
Some supporters say they expect popularly elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to retreat to Chiang Mai and set up government there if the army tries to take power in Bangkok amid ongoing anti-government demonstrations.
Nineteenth-century Mekong explorers marvelled at the wetlands of Siphandone in southern Laos, a district of spectacular waterfalls, swirling rapids, steep narrow gorges and myriad islets.
Environmentalists are again raising concerns about the controversial Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River, saying efforts to make the project in Laos more "fish friendly" are not serious, and employ untested technology.
The image of Myanmar's Buddhist clergy has undergone a battering in recent months, as saffron-robed monks incite discrimination and violence against Muslim communities.
The death of Ieng Sary - one of three Khmer Rouge leaders accused of genocide and war crimes before a tribunal in Phnom Penh - may have also killed off attempts by victims and their families to recover his assets and hidden wealth, including a bank account in Hong Kong.
