Land - Open Development Mekong

Satellite photos show expansion of Chinese-funded naval base in Cambodia

Recent satellite images taken of the coastal area around Sihanoukville, Cambodia, show a significant development of a China-funded naval base that would help Beijing boost its power projection not only in Southeast Asia but also the Taiwan Strait. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that Phnom Penh and Beijing had signed a secret deal to […]

The post Satellite photos show expansion of Chinese-funded naval base in Cambodia first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

No justice for Indigenous community taking on a Cambodian rubber baron

The mood outside the Kampong Thom Provincial Court had grown tense on the afternoon of July 26. Some 12 residents of Ngon village, an Indigenous Kuy community in Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district, waited for the judge’s verdict. The group had spent roughly $200 traveling the 75 kilometers (47 miles) to the provincial capital, a […]

The post No justice for Indigenous community taking on a Cambodian rubber baron first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Lao authorities seem powerless to stop crime in Golden Triangle economic zone

The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in northern Laos is a haven for criminal activities including prostitution, scamming and drug trafficking, but Lao authorities are essentially powerless to stop it, workers in the zone and police told Radio Free Asia. The zone is a gambling and tourism hub catering to Chinese citizens situated in Bokeo […]

The post Lao authorities seem powerless to stop crime in Golden Triangle economic zone first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Indigenous Cambodians stripped of ancestral land

In the remote and densely forested northeastern province of Mondulkiri in Cambodia, Song Pro, a member of the indigenous Bunong community, stares at a rubber plantation that was once a sacred forest. When the war in Indochina came to Cambodia in the 1970s, the forest saved Song Pro. At the sound of planes, she and […]

The post Indigenous Cambodians stripped of ancestral land first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

‘It can be pretty horrifying’: how Cambodia’s land grabs are ruining lives

The monk looks haggard in the midmorning sun, scanning the views through surrounding trees while chainsaws drone in the near distance. “It’s as if a storm has come and the animals have fled like there has been a hurricane,” he says from his sparse, open-air pagoda in the woods. “Now everything is destroyed, I don’t […]

The post ‘It can be pretty horrifying’: how Cambodia’s land grabs are ruining lives first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Thailand grapples with allowing more Chinese landowners

Thailand has been a popular expatriate destination for investment and retirement for decades, but foreign land ownership has long been restricted. Foreigners can own no more than 49% of any condominium development and are restricted from owning most freehold estates. Yet Thailand is keen to attract wealthy international investors — particularly those from China. Thailand’s […]

The post Thailand grapples with allowing more Chinese landowners first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Indigenous woman sentenced to jail for encroachment

The Supreme Court has sentenced an indigenous Karen woman to 2 years and 8 months in prison for encroaching on National Park land despite pleas that the piece of land was passed down through her family. Wansao Phungam is an indigenous Karen woman who lives in Tha Salao village in Nong Ya Plong District, Phetchaburi […]

The post Indigenous woman sentenced to jail for encroachment first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Conservationists look for ‘divine intervention’ from forest development

A two-lane dirt road truncates the northeastern tree line of Phnom Tamao Forest, marking the start of a housing complex on private land bordering the protected area. Dozens of boundary markers cemented underneath the tree canopies of the forest indicate the plans for land exchange deals that would clear the way for development within the […]

The post Conservationists look for ‘divine intervention’ from forest development first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

China-Laos low-carbon demonstration zone unveiled in Vientiane

The inauguration ceremony of the Vientiane Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone jointly built by China and Laos was held via video conferencing on Friday. The event indicates construction of the demonstration zone has entered a new phase, opening a new chapter for China-Laos cooperation to address climate change in the framework of South-South cooperation. Zhao Yingmin, […]

The post China-Laos low-carbon demonstration zone unveiled in Vientiane first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Laos Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone booming

The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) is growing in development and investment projects, especially economic infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, hotels, tourism, residential areas, and entertainment, to attract more visitors, while over 500 companies are investing in the area. During a visit by reporters this week to mark the 15th anniversary of the Golden Triangle Special […]

The post Laos Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone booming first appeared on Open Development Mekong.