Some 900 residents have been moved so far to make way for the dam in northern Laos.
An official says the project will go forward in August.
An environmental group says a nearby river is being polluted by toxic chemicals, a charge rejected by the mining company.
The Lao government responds following pressure from the UN and rights groups.
The Hongsa power plant has displaced more than 2,000 residents.
The WWF warns a third of them could be lost in two decades.
They press Americans to help remove Vietnam War-era bombs from Laos.
Studies on the rail line across Laos are underway following the US $5 billion loan approval.
The Communist Party decides to negotiate the Chinese loan despite concerns over its stringent conditions.
Lao officials physically prevent US Embassy officials from entering an area related to the case.
A dam expert calls on the government to present a comprehensive development plan for the country’s waterways.
Residents of Ban Yup had protested what they called an illegal land concession for seven years.
The State Department says it is investigating reports of the three men.
Lao Police have been investigating their disappearance since early January.
Relocation compensation for the development project in the Lao capital is too low, the residents say.
Two months after the disappearance of a prominent activist, his family and friends hold prayers for his safety.
Authorities in Laos release a woman who had been held incommunicado for three months.
