Laos' Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (C) who was named as new secretary general of Laos Communist Party speaks at the closing ceremony of the 11th national congress of the communist party of Laos in Vientiane, Laos January 15, 2021.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith Elected Secretary General

As holder of Laos’ top office, Sisoulith must balance an ever-increasing Chinese influence.

Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos virtually addresses the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, Sept. 26, 2020.

Lao PM Sisoulith Set to Become Ruling Communist Party Chief

2021-01-14

The former labor and foreign minister vows to tackle income inequality and corruption.

Lao People's Revolutionary Party General Secretary Bounnhang Vorachith, 83, in undated photo.

Change at Top Mooted as Laos Ruling Communist Party Meets

2021-01-12

Some Laos expect a reshuffle of elderly leaders, but outside experts see tradition holding.

A satellite image showing the exposed river bed on the Mekong at Pak Chom, Loei province, in northeastern Thailand on the border with Laos. The U.S.-based Mekong Dam Monitor says the water at Pak Chom is at an “abnormally low level.

China Notifies Downstream Mekong Neighbors Days After It Began Holding Back Water

2021-01-06

U.S.-funded Mekong Dam Monitor notes Beijing’s notification came six days after it began Dec. 31 Jinghong Dam water restrictions.

A stretch of the Nam Ou River near Muang Ngoy in Laos is shown in a Dec. 28, 2020 photo.

Lao Dams Lower Water Levels on a Scenic River, Harming Tour Boat Operators and Other Local Businesses

2020-12-31

Travel by boat is now blocked along a scenic stretch of the Nam Ou River, as dam operators hold back water needed for power generation.

In this Dec. 20, 2020, file photo, a guard with a face-shield stands near a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, south of Bangkok. Thailand, which has kept the coronavirus largely in check for most of the year, is facing a challenge from a large outbreak of the virus among migrant workers in the province close to Bangkok

Second Wave of Coronavirus in Thailand Leaves Lao Migrants Unemployed and Stranded

2020-12-30

Migrants say they want to return home, but borders remain closed.

The future site of Laos' Phou Ngoy Dam from a file photo.

Lao Plan to Build Another Big Mekong Dam Dismays Villagers, Concerns Thais

2020-12-29

Phou Ngoy Dam will be the seventh of nine planned mainstream Mekong dams.

A group of Lao fishermen who lost jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic are shown stranded in Pahang state in Malaysia in an undated photo.

Lao Fishermen Arrested in Thailand After Crossing lllegally From Malaysia

2020-12-23

The group are the latest to enter Thailand illegally trying to get home after losing their jobs amid fears of the spread of COVID-19.

A public health worker checks the temperature of a Lao fisherman, one of 20 who entered Thailand illegally on Dec. 17, 2020.

More Lao Fishermen Arrested in Thailand After Entering Illegally on Way Home

2020-12-18

The attempted trip home was 'difficult and dangerous,' one man says after fishing work dried up in Malaysia in November.

The Jinghong dam on the Mekong River in China's Yunnan province, in an undated photo.

US-Backed Mekong Dam Monitor Project Offers Data and Transparency to Mekong Region

2020-12-16

Data could be used to hold China accountable for impact of 11 upstream dams.

Sombath Somphone is shown in a photograph taken before his Dec. 15, 2012 disappearance.

Laos Snubs Wife of Missing Rural Expert in ‘Unconvincing’ Stance on Disappearance

2020-12-15

A former UN rights monitor calls the Lao government's refusal to investigate a “disgrace."

Jailed Lao blogger 'Mouay' is shown in an undated photo.

Laos’ Rights Record Marred by Arbitrary Arrests, Forced Disappearances and Harsh Treatment in Custody

2020-12-10

The situation is “getting worse,” experts say, while the government blames lack of progress on COVID-19.

Lao migrant fisherman in Pahang state, Malaysia, Dec. 7, 2020.

COVID Closures, Embassy Intervention Strands Hundreds of Lao Fishermen in Malaysia

2020-12-08

As borders were closing, they missed chances to get home as the Lao embassy took over travel arrangements.

Fourteen Lao Christians evicted from their homes in Luang Namtha province's Long district are shown in a February 2020 photo.

Lao Christians Evicted From Their Village Return, But Can’t Build Homes

2020-12-04

They come back after living under harsh conditions in the forest, but are not allowed to replace homes torn down by village authorities after they refused to renounce their faith.

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Truck Smuggling Fireworks Explodes at the Vietnam-Laos Border, Killing 3

Running Dry: Drought And Dams Deplete The Mighty Mekongmekong-drought-500

Laos and its Dams:
Southeast Asia’s Battery, Built by China

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CHINA’S FAST TRACK TO INFLUENCE:
BUILDING A RAILWAY IN LAOS Lao-chinese-railway264.jpg

 A River in Peril

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Search for Sombath

Xayaburi Dam

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