Laos — Radio Free Asia

Popular Lao performing artist Ther Una is shown in an undated photo.

Lao Musician Ther Una Confirmed Released From Detention

The report contradicts the musician's statement this week that he had been absent from Facebook only to work on video projects.

Lao musician and social commentator Ther Una is shown in an undated photo.

Lao Musician, Thought Arrested, Breaks Silence to Say He’s Been Busy Working

2021-07-29

“Please don’t say that, if you don’t know what’s really going on,” Ther Una said of reports of his arrest.

Popular Lao Musician Ther Una Arrested, Questioned on Unknown Charges

2021-07-28

His songs took on bribery and social ills in a one-party state that brooks no public criticism.

Lao villagers in a boat survey houses destroyed by heavy flooding in Sanamxay district, southern Laos' Attapeu province, July 23, 2018.

Three Years On, Lao Flood Survivors Still Dealing With Aftermath of Dam Collapse

2021-07-22

Residents of six hard-hit villages say they have been given unsuitable farmland and remain in temporary shelters.

Six defendants in a COVID-19 spreading case are shown on trial in the Lao capital Vientiane, July 15, 2021.

Laos Sends Six COVID-19 Super-Spreaders to Prison

2021-07-16

The group brought two Thai men infected with COVID-19 across the border into Laos, spreading infection in karaoke bars and other entertainment venues.

A Luang Prabang City street lined with French colonial-style buildings is shown in a photo taken in 2020.

NGOs Urge Thailand Not to Buy Electricity From Luang Prabang Dam

2021-07-15

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will meet from July 16-31 to assess the dam's potential impact on the Luang Prabang City World Heritage Site.

Lao workers returning home from Thailand are checked for fever at the Nongkhai-Vientiane Friendship Bridge, July 10, 2021.

Lao Workers Return From Thailand, Bringing COVID-19 With Them

2021-07-13

The climb in new cases in Laos is being driven by infected workers trying to get home, officials say.

A section of the Lao-China high-speed railway crosses rice fields in a suburb of the Lao capital Vientiane in a photo taken in 2021.

Lao Farmers Driven From Their Land by Foreign Concessions, Rising Costs

2021-07-07

Flooded farms, land grabs, and production costs are driving Lao villagers from their land to seek work in the cities.

A sign in Laos warning young women and girls to 'Think carefully' and not fall victim to human trafficking is shown in a 2020 photo.

COVID-19 Drives New Surge in Trafficking of Women From Laos to China

2021-07-03

The need for good jobs lures young Lao women and girls into trafficking schemes despite government campaigns aimed at ending the trade.

Some of the 700 permanent homes being built for flood survivors in Sanamxay district, Attapeu province, in Laos are shown in an undated photo.

Lao Flood Survivors Still Struggle, With Cash and Rice Support Now Cut Off or Reduced

2021-06-30

'Now we have no money, no land to farm, and no homes to live in,' one survivor says.

A local villager drive a boat where the future site of the Luang Prabang dam will be on the Mekong River, outskirt of Luang Prabang province, Laos, February 5, 2020.

Lower Mekong Organization Calls for More Information Sharing on Hydropower Projects

2021-06-30

The MRC said China, and members Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand should work together to reduce impact on riparian communities.

The Kings Romans Casino in northern Laos' Bokeo province is shown in a January 2020 photo.

Chinese Casino and Resort in Laos Resumes Work on Controversial Airport

2021-06-25

Some fear the new air link will lead to a surge in crime in the China-owned SEZ, including trafficking in women and drugs.

The Nam Houng 1 Dam in Xayabouri province, Laos, is shown in an undated photo.

Laos in Push to Inspect Dams Before Rainy Season Begins

2021-06-22

Water levels and safety conditions will be monitored to prevent a repeat of past dam collapses and deadly floods, authorities say.

The Lao-China high-speed railway line is shown running through farmland in Oudomxay province in Laos in a file photo.

As Lao-China Rail Line Nears Completion, Some Displaced by the Work Still Wait to be Paid

2021-06-17

Some villagers moved from their land have not yet been paid, while others say they are happy with the compensation they have received.

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