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Sisattanak Road Upgrade to Resume

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The widening and paving of a 7.8 km stretch of road in Sisattanak district is set to resume after a two year delay.

The first section of the road links Donnokkhoum, Sangveuy and Chomphet villages while the second section links Suanmone, Sangveuy and Dongsavath villages.

The project manager told Vientiane Times on Tuesday that the project began in 2012 and was scheduled to finish by April 2014, but by the end of 2013 the contracting company ran out of money.

The completion of the two remaining sections has been contracted out to the Asia Joint Development and Construction Company. The total cost of completing the project is an estimated 144 billion kip (about US$18 million).

About 60 percent of the project is complete. The contracting company confirmed they would resume work this month and expect to complete the project in 2017.

Three sections of the road have already been finished – the 4.8 km Donnokkhoum-Sangveuy-Chomphet section, the 2.5 km Dongsavath-Sangveuy section, and the 500m Suanmone-Sangveuy section.

The unfinished sections are only five to six metres wide and have dirt surfaces. As they are unsealed, they become very dusty in the dry season and muddy in the wet season, making travel difficult year round.

When the upgrades are complete, the entire stretch of road will be 11 metres wide and sealed with concrete. It will also have a proper drainage system, streetlights and traffic signs.

The purpose of the project is to improve the flow of people and goods between the villages by making transportation easier, reducing traffic congestion in the rush hour and lowering the number of road accidents.

The road will also offer a convenient shortcut for motorists travelling through the capital, allowing them to bypass some of the congestion in Vientiane.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Manhunt Underway after Policeman Shot and Killed

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Savannakhet provincial police and Xepon district local authorities are trying to trace a man suspected of shooting and killing a police officer on Wednesday.

The policeman was reportedly killed by a man named Mr Somphone (also known as Tak) in an old two-storey building while he and other officers were searching for him in connection with a multiple stabbing.

Police had received a tipoff from neighbours who became suspicious after the suspect got into a heated argument with other people on November 2, which resulted in three people being stabbed. They are now recovering in hospital.

In the meantime the police tried to track down the assailant but were unable to find him.

However, on Wednesday police were informed by neighbours that there was a bad smell coming from a nearby building. They went to investigate but were ambushed by the suspect who was hiding inside.

A police officer, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times that the suspect then shot and killed one of the policemen.

Police surrounded the building to prevent the man escaping but he managed to evade them. Police then discovered the body of another victim, who is believed to have been stabbed by the suspect.

We will bring the full force of the law to bear on Mr Somphone if he is found guilty of killing one of our men, the police officer said.

The police are now in pursuit of the suspect and intend to bring him to justice after his shocking act, which has appalled the general public, he added.

The police are asking for anyone with information on Mr Somphone’s whereabouts to come forward, but warn that people should stay away from him as he is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Source: Vientiane Times

Traffic Police to Promote Road Safety during Festival

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The Vientiane Traffic Police Department will be maintaining a booth to advertise the importance of road safety at the That Luang festival celebrations in a bid to stem the rising number of accidents.

The booth will be manned from November 12-14, located in front of the National Assembly. The aim of the initiative is to promote order on the roads and reduce the number of accidents during the That Luang Festival.

Deputy Chief of Vientiane Traffic Police Department, Major Sangkhom Phommalath reported that every year, the department cooperates with private companies to open booths and inform festival goers about the traffic regulations, aiming to reduce deaths, injuries and accidents.

“Last year, we organised the booth at the Lao ITECC because the site of the festival was not convenient but this year we moved to the That Luang festival site again,” Major Sangkhom said.

The booth will have many features to highlight road safety issues, including accident photos and information and awareness booklets, he explained.

Officers on duty at the booth will also offer question and answer sessions.

They will be giving away prizes to people who visit the traffic safety booth, including shirts, stickers, jackets, umbrellas, pens, road safety handbooks and helmets, to those who can correctly answer questions about the traffic regulations.

Major Sangkhom Phommalath said last year the police booth received interest from the people because they organised many activities and were giving away prizes to the visitors.

However, despite the safety awareness efforts, the congestion of last year’s That Luang Festival resulted in a larger than usual number of accidents.

According to Vientiane Traffic Police Department,

during last year’s That Luang festival from November 19- 25, 2015, some 19 road accidents occurred in the capital, resulting in four fatalities.

Of those involved in accidents, nine were slightly injured, 18 were seriously injured and four were critical.

The majority of victims were workers and students while most of the accidents were recorded in the districts of Xaythany, Xaysettha, and Chanthabouly, Vientiane. Most accidents involved motorcycles.

This year, in order to prevent accidents and reduce traffic congestion police also stationed 400 police officers on duty at 81 police posts in the capital. The police will be stationed within the festival area and on standby to deal with any road accidents.

However, road users should be pay attention to the traffic regulations and obey the instructions of police officers to minimise congestion and road accidents.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

French Embassy Announces Research Week, with Focus on Public Health

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The Embassy of France to Laos and partners held a joint press conference on Thursday to announce the programme for the 6th edition of “Research Week for Development”.

Research Week will take place in Vientiane from November 16-18, with the theme “Public health challenges in Laos” and featuring contributions from health research and regional perspectives.

The event will take place at the Francophone Institute for Tropical Medicine and the University of Heath Sciences, with participation by researchers and stakeholders from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Speaking at the press conference, French Ambassador, Mrs Claudine Ledoux said the focus of Research Week will be identifying and addressing emerging health risks linked with environmental and economic practices through an integrated approach known as One Health.

Researchers will illustrate the contributions of research in the field of surveillance and infectious disease fighting in Laos and the region.

A diversity of health professionals and researchers will share their experiences and work with Lao youth, highlighting the opportunities of research for public policy and career development.

Since the first edition held in 2009, the Research Week for Development has pursued a three-pronged ambition: feed into scientific debates for the Lao PDR’s and the sub-region’s development; support decisions and policy makers; and attract young students to scientific careers.

Proving the international dimension of this symposium, talks will be given in French, English and Lao with simultaneous translations.

Scientific presentations and high-level panels will bring together policy makers and scientific experts. There will also be interactive events for a wider audience (workshops, stalls, competitions, tours, screenings and exhibitions).

Quality training, sustainable practices in agriculture, and optimised national strategies are three key levers for public health development in Laos.

Laos is characterised by high biodiversity and a multifaceted society, and is a crossroads for cultural, human and economic exchange. Laos is subject to many challenges in a dynamic region prone to environmental, human, and climatic changes.

More than any other public action, the role of scientific research is fundamental in public health. In addition, current economic development allows authorities to consider an ambitious policy for the development of the health and wellbeing of the population.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Luang Prabang Awaits Decision on Mekong Railway Bridge

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Luang Prabang

A Chinese construction company will soon visit Luang Prabang to decide on suitable locations for a railway bridge across the Mekong River and a port that will be used to handle the construction materials needed to build the railway.

The railway bridge is part of the planned 427-km Laos-China railway that will run from the Chinese border to Vientiane.

The construction company and provincial authorities will look at possible sites for the bridge and the port, which will receive construction equipment shipped in by river.

A provincial official, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times on Thursday “The railway bridge may be built in the town of Luang Prabang, not far from a new bridge that will be built across the Mekong to link the town to Chomphet district.”

This site is not thought to be within the Luang Prabang World Heritage Site, for which a preservation order exists.

The provincial Public Works and Transport Department and provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department will consider whether the sites proposed by the construction company are suitable.

It is not known when construction of either the bridge or the port would begin as the Chinese company has not yet supplied any details.

Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Souphanh Keomixay addressed the issue at the National Assembly this week, answering questions put by Assembly members concerning the railway, with construction scheduled to begin in December.

The Laos-China Railway Project is estimated to cost about US$6 billion and will run from the border area of Boten in Luang Namtha province to Vientiane. It is scheduled for completion in 2021. The project is 70 percent owned by China and 30 percent by Laos.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr Bounchan Sinthavong told the National Assembly that the railway will run from the Chinese border to Vientiane and the next phase will extend the track to Thailand.

A railway will also be built to connect Khammuan province’s Thakhaek district to the Vietnamese border, from where it will run to a coastal port in Vietnam. Another track will be built from Thakhaek to the Cambodian border.

The Laos-China railway will have a 1.435-metre standard-gauge track. There will be 33 stations, 21 of which will be operational initially.

There will be 72 tunnels with a total length of 183.9 km, representing 43 percent of the railway’s total length. The line will also have 170 bridges totalling 69.2 km in length, accounting for 15.8 percent of the total. Passenger trains will travel at 160 km per hour, while the speed of rail freight will be 120 km per hour.

Source: Vientiane Times

President Congratulates US President-elect

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President Bounnhang Vorachit on Wednesday sent a message to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump following his election as the 45th President of the United States of America.

The message reads “On the occasion of your election as President of the United States of America, I have the great honour, on behalf of the government and people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, to extend to Your Excellency my sincere congratulations. Your election is a testimony to the trust and confidence that the American people have vested in Your Excellency to lead the nation towards prosperity and well-being.”

“I am delighted and look forward to working with Your Excellency for the enhancement of the friendly relationship and bilateral cooperation which have been gradually and effectively developed for the common benefits of the Lao and American peoples.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to convey to Your Excellency my best wishes for good health and every success in your noble tasks.”

Source: Vientiane Times

Govt Proceeds with Planned Mekong Hydro Project

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The government has informed the Mekong River Commission (MRC) that it will proceed with the planned development of a new Mekong hydropower project in Pakbaeng district, Oudomxay province.

The MRC Secretariat said on its website that it has received notification from the Lao government that Laos will undertake the formal process of prior consultation on the planned 912MW hydropower scheme in the northern province.

The run-of-river dam will be built on the Mekong mainstream, and is designed to discharge a flow of 5,771.2 cubic metres of water per second, according to the MRC.

The Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat submitted on November 4 a detailed description of the planned project to the MRC Secretariat for its review and further action to inform other member countries about the project’s scope and other requirements under the prior consultation process.

Within the next month, the MRC Secretariat will review the document and verify its compliance with the rules before forwarding the case to the MRC’s Joint Committee, which comprises representatives of the four member countries at the head of department level where the consultation takes place.

The prior consultation is part of the MRC’s procedural rules on cooperation on water use in the Mekong mainstream: the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA). Under the procedures, any infrastructural project using mainstream water during the dry season within the same basin, as well as during the wet season between two basins, must undergo the prior consultation process.

Applicable projects include large-scale irrigation and hydropower development projects which may cause significant impacts on the environment, water flow and quality of the Mekong mainstream.

In the prior-consultation process, with technical and administrative support from the MRC Secretariat, the notified member countries will review technical aspects of the project, assess any possible impacts on the environment and livelihoods along riparian communities, and suggest measures to address those concerns.

The member countries aim to come to an agreement on how the consulted case should proceed. It is not meant to approve or deny the proposed project. This process normally lasts six months, but could be extended further by the Joint Committee.

The MRC has so far experienced two prior consultation cases – the Xayaboury and Don Sahong hydropower projects, both of which are located.

In both cases, agreement was not reached at the Joint Committee level and they were referred to the MRC Council, the organisation’s highest body, with the ministers from the four countries. The council was also unable to reach unanimous conclusions on these cases.

In the case of Xayaboury, the process prompted the Lao government and the developer to conduct their own environmental impact assessment and to invest an additional US$400 million to revise the dam’s design in order to address the issues of fish migration and sediment, two of the main concerns raised during the prior consultation.

From learning lessons from the previous cases, the MRC has reviewed various aspects of the PNPCA to improve its application, including adequacy of documentation and early sharing of information.

Source: Vientiane Times

President of Ireland to Visit Laos

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Irish President Michael D. Higgins will visit Laos on November 14-16 to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation between Laos and Ireland, the Presidential Palace said in a press statement.

The scheduled official visit is in response to an invitation from President Bounnhang Vorachit.

President Higgins was born on April 18, 1941, in Limerick. He studied at University College Galway, the University of Manchester and Indiana University. He was formerly a lecturer in political science and sociology at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

President Higgins is married to Sabina Higgins, and they have four children.

He was a member of Dáil Éireann for 25 years and a member of Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate) for nine years.

Mr Higgins was elected as Lord Mayor of Galway on two occasions from 1982-1983 and 1991-1992. He became Ireland’s first Minister for the Arts in 1993-1997.

Mr Higgins has been President of Ireland since 2011.

Source: Vientiane Times

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