Laos and China have commenced the country’s first build-operate-transfer power grid project for the China-Laos railway.
The project, running along the China-Laos railway through five provincial administrative regions in northern Laos, will build 20 circuits of 115kV transmission lines with a total length of 268 km and extend 11 bays in 10 substations, according to Xinhua News Agency.
It is designed to supply power from Electricite du Laos (EDL)’s grid to 10 railway traction substations.
Laos-China Power Investment Company, co-sponsored by China Southern Power Grid (CSG) and the EDL, was established in November in Vientiane to invest, construct and operate the power supply project.
Xinhua quoted the CSG as saying that the project is required to be completed by the end of March 2021 to guarantee the scheduled operation of the China-Laos railway in December of the same year.
The China-Laos Railway is a strategic docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos’ strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.
The 414.332-km railway, with 198-km tunnels and 62-km bridges, will run from Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.
The Chinese government subsidize 70 percent of the cost of the railway, while Laos pays for the remaining 30 percent with loans from Chinese financial institutions.
In March, it was reported that the construction was almost half complete, putting it on schedule to begin service in December 2021.
The National University of Laos (NUoL) is to develop e-learning content with help from a South Korean university.
NUoL and Wonkwang Digital University signed a memorandum of understanding last week and agreed to jointly develop e-learning content, nurture necessary talent, and conduct joint research in various areas.
The university was chosen by the South Korean government in 2016 as a member university for the government’s project to promote distance learning in Southeast Asia.
Since then, the South Korean university has worked closely with NUoL through exchanges in talent and knowledge for online education.
Actor Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker, has announced plans to build a school in rural Laos after a round of fundraising.
Meadow Walker has been raising funds for the Pencils of Promise Foundation, a New York-based charity that raises funds for education, health and sanitation, and infrastructure projects for disadvantaged communities in developing countries.
The late Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Conner in the hit franchise, The Fast and the Furious, was known for his philanthropic efforts prior to his death in 2013. The actor formed Reach Out Worldwide in 2010, a foundation dedicated to providing relief for countries struck by natural disasters.
Daughter Meadow Walker, now 21 years old, has inherited this humanitarian quality. She recently announced plans to build a school in Laos with Pencils of Promise via a post to her Instagram account, sharing photos of smiling children at a school.
Her image was captioned, ‘today, I am launching a campaign with @pencilsofpromise to build a school. This is the season of giving and my biggest wish is to provide a space for these children to learn.
‘Everyone deserves a good education. We are dedicating this school to my dad, Paul Walker.’
View this post on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5_kWv2JBRd/
According to Meadow’s fundraising page, she has already raised $19,170 of the required $50,000.
Pencils of Promise has already constructed 518 schools in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos, accommodating 108,000 students.
Lao national baseball team has won in the latest friendly matches held in Vietnam.
The Lao team participated in matches with Vietnam National University and Korean International School in Hanoi on December 27 and 28, respectively.
The team scored 14-10 victory against Vietnam National University and beat Korean International School at the score of 17-6.
The matches were sponsored by two South Korean firms, namely NH Nonghyup and KL Global.
Laos saw its first baseball team formed in 2013 and participated in the 2018 Asian Games, the first time that the country dispatched its baseball team to an international match.
The team is currently led by Kwon Young-jin, a former coach and supervisor at South Korea’s Daegu High School baseball team.
The country formed a government-backed baseball federation in 2018 and began in April this year to build its first baseball stadium in Vientiane.
The Laotian Times revisits the top news stories of the year 2019.
For Laos, the year of 2019 was marked by the impact of natural disasters, including severe and long-lasting drought, as well as flash flooding caused by a succession of tropical storms. Additionally, an earthquake in northern Laos caused damage to several structures and upset the livelihoods of local people, while those in the capital dealt with a prolonged, hazy smog.
With climate change in the global spotlight, Laos has faced its fair share of challenges and continues to adjust and adapt, most recently by finally banning open burning in urban areas of the capital.
Tourism has been a big driver of news over the year, with the Visit Laos-China Year 2019 being hailed a success, and several new air routes opening, as well as the announcement of the first direct flight between Laos and Japan.
Luang Prabang, in particular, caught the world’s attention by being ranked 11th in the Architectural Digest Top 20 Places to Travel in 2020. Meanwhile, the province’s Kuangsi Falls was named in a list of best places for Japanese tourists to travel, created by TripAdvisor.
Here are the top 10 stories of 2019:
10. FLOODING
The northern provinces of Laos were hit by floods and landslides in late July, with villages in Nan District, Luang Prabang heavily flooded after the Nan River burst its banks.
Several southern provinces in Laos were then hit by severe floods in September after two consecutive tropical storms lashed the region.
Affected areas included Champasack, Salavanh, Sekong, Attapeu, and Savannakhet provinces. Residents of these regions were been completely devastated, and desperately fought to defend their homes, livestock, and crops.
Thailand arrested an alleged money-launderer in Mukdahan Province, bordering Savannakhet in September. The arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation into the money trail generated by a drug ring based in Laos, which had been smuggling drugs into Thailand’s northeastern provinces.
Police found THB 1.5 million in cash and LAK 55 million (USD 6,240) in his possession, along with four bank account books and five ATM cards. Other items seized included a pickup truck, five mobile phones, a gold necklace, a 1.8-carat diamond ring and other items.
Mr. Watchaphum denied all of the charges, however. He told police he ran a currency exchange business in Outhoumphone, in Savannakhet Province in Laos, and he would often withdraw THB 500,000 to 5 million at a time upon customers’ requests.
Mr. Watchaphum is well known in certain Lao circles as the husband of a Savannakhet-based net idol named “Jae Nang,” famous for her rants and critiques released on Facebook.
8. LAOS AND SK ENGINEERING CLASH OVER DAM COLLAPSE
South Korean construction firm SK Engineering dismissed the findings by the Lao government cited as the reason for a fatal hydropower dam collapse last year in Laos.
SK Engineering & Construction said in a press release on 29 May that the company could not agree with the findings as they lack scientific basis and data.
The South Korean firm’s announcement came after the National Investigation Committee (NIC) formed by the Lao government said on 28 May that the dam collapse as not a “force majeure” event and it could have been prevented by adequate treatment measures.
The NIC’s conclusion was based on the result of the investigation by a panel of professional and independent experts (the Independent Expert Panel, or IEP).
The South Korean firm said it conducted an analysis based on location, methodology and third-party analysis designated by the IEP, and the final data did not support the panel’s conclusion, as quoted by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
The company also noted that teams sent by both the South Korean government and by a group of leading engineering firms to investigate the cause of the disaster, at the behest of the government of Laos, have different opinions from those included in the IEP report.
7. NINE BORDER CHECKPOINTS DISCONTINUE VISA SERVICES
Nine of Laos’s border checkpoints have discontinued providing visa on arrival services to tourists after a notice was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was tasked with coordinating the closure of the visa units to ensure that no disruptions are caused at border checkpoints.
The full list of closed checkpoints is available in the original article here.
6. KIWIPAY LAUNCHES VISA PAYMENT SERVICES IN AFRICA
KiwiPay, a Laos-based payment solution provider, is set to launch its cashless visa payment system in up to seven African countries, in a move to tap into a growing number of Chinese visitors to Africa.
KiwiPay is currently providing its cashless visa payment solutions to Vientiane’s Wattay International airport for Chinese tourists using Alipay’s facial recognition feature.
Over the past few months, Kiwi Group has signed several partnership agreements with local banks and government organizations to provide a cashless solution for visa processing at Laos’s border checkpoints.
The company has begun testing the solutions with governments in several other frontier markets in South-East Asia and up to seven countries in Africa.
5. PETANQUE TROPHY INCIDENT
In one of the biggest stories of the year, despite winning a silver trophy at the World Petanque Championships in Cambodia, athletes from Laos came home hurt by the actions of the President of the International Petanque Federation.
Ms. Bolivak Thepphakan took her team to second place in the Women’s World Championships, earning a medal for herself in the women’s shooting event, and a trophy for the Lao team.
Celebrations were stifled, however, by a bizarre incident in which the trophy for the Lao team was not presented directly to Ms. Bolivak, but instead left on the floor at her feet, mystifying and upsetting both the athletes and the audience.
The president of the International Petanque Federation contacted the Laotian Times to clarify the trophy handover incident, explaining that traditionally the protocol of the World Championships designate the presentation of medals at the podium, in line with that of the Olympic Games and the SEA Games. However, the Cambodian hosts of the championship made a sudden, last-minute change to the schedule, requesting that trophies be presented at the podium.
Other teams did indeed place their trophies on the floor, however, the photograph of the Lao team receiving the trophy at their feet was misunderstood and, taken out of context, quickly went viral.
4. E-VISA SERVICES
Laos officially launched electronic, or e-visa, services in July this year, allowing visitors to apply for a tourist visa online prior to arrival in the country.
According to the e-Visa website, payments can be made with VISA, MasterCard, JCB and UnionPay, while the e-visa will be available for use at two international ports, namely Wattay International Airport and Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge 1, using the official website.
3. MISS UNIVERSE LAOS
A lot of hype surrounded the Miss Universe contestant from Laos this year, Vichitta “May” Phonevilay, who was greeted with fanfare and applause from a crowd of primarily Lao-American fans when she arrived in Atlanta, USA, to participate in the beauty pageant.
May Vichitta, a 23-year-old native of Bolikhamxay, took to the stage at the Miss Universe Competition on December 9, becoming the third contestant from Laos to participate in the prestigious and internationally-recognized Miss Universe Competition.
2. FIRST PENAL CODE PUBLISHED
Laos officially published its Penal Code earlier this year in a move to strengthen the rule of law and access to justice in the country.
A penal code, or a criminal code, is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction’s criminal law. The code typically contains offenses that are recognized in the jurisdiction, penalties which might be imposed for these offenses and some general provisions.
The enactment of the penal code means that it not only provides amendments to the Penal Law of 2005 but also incorporates the criminal provisions of twenty other laws including the enterprise law, preventing and combating violence against women and children, protection of the rights of children, healthcare law, and environmental protection law, into one code.
Many of these laws have seen increased penalties or have stipulated additional acts that constitute offenses. The penal code also includes a section that criminalizes the abuse of animals.
1. EARTHQUAKE HITS XAYABOURY
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Laos in Xayaboury Province, close to the border with Thailand, in the early hours of the morning on November 21.
At approximately 4am, the magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Laos 38km from Xayaboury town in Xayaboury Province, close to the border with Thailand, according to the US Geological Survey.
Hongsa District saw the heaviest damage, with the quake causing considerable damage to property in the district. Many villagers spent the night under makeshift tents, afraid to re-enter their homes.
Hongsa Power Company reported that their power plant located in Hongsa District was mostly unaffected, however, systems were taken offline temporarily as a safety precaution.
Tremors from the earthquake were reportedly felt as far as Vientiane and Bangkok.
The Laotian Times brings our readers a round-up of some of the most shared topics this past Christmas week, based on reach and engagement on Facebook. From armed robberies and drug busts to high pork prices and new and “bad” teachers, this is the final list of 2019 of the types of content that are commonly shared on Lao social media.
Ten-Wheeler Truck Prevention
A status update post that writes “Guys, how can we prevent these fatal accidents involving ten-wheeler trucks?” has gone viral last Sunday, due to the high number of accidents that involved large transport vehicles in recent weeks.
Drug enforcement authorities raided a house suspected of being a base of drug operations in Oudomxay, according to a report by Lao Security News. Illegal contraband and drug production equipment were confiscated and five people arrested.
Sonethep “Sern” Phommathep won over the social media crowd by winning first place and second place in the Class C and Class B divisions, respectively in the PTT Station BRIC Drift Attack 2019 in Buriram, Thailand.
Quota Set at 2000 New Employees for Government Jobs in 2020
A prime ministerial order was released this past week announcing that the government will accept a further 2000 new employees. The majority of the quotas will go to the Ministry of Education as it prepares to accept 1040 new public school teachers.
An unknown video of an ad-hoc musical band playing the tune of Jingle Bells using traditional Lao instruments surprised social media users on Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas everyone, from Lao rice field.(I don't know who made this video, received from sister Duangmala Phommavong, who owns one of Laos major tour companies EXO, via messenger and could not trace back to the origin, and I thought it's just fantastic and just wished to share.)
In the spirit of giving, digital praise was showered upon generous individuals who donated cash, winter jackets, socks, and educational supplies to a disadvantaged school in Meuang Feuang, Vientiane Province.
Mahosot Hospital issued a notice informing the public that Mahosot surgeons and experts from the Netherlands’ Bridge the Gap Foundation will be organizing a free clinic that aims to perform surgery to help people affected by cleft palate, noma (a mouth disease caused by poor dental hygiene), and other disfigurations of the face and mouth on January 12-17 of 2020, starting at 8am at Mahosot Hospital (Vientiane Capital). Another clinic will be held on January 19-23 of 2020 in Xieng Khouang Provincial Hospital, starting at 8am.
ເຮົາຢາກແຈ້ງຂ່າວດີເລື່ອງການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ ດ້ານການຜ່າຕັດຂອງມູນນິທິ Bridge the Gap Foundation, ປະເທດເນເທີແລນ…
The Vientiane Department of Industry and Commerce has ordered that the prices of food items, especially during the New Year celebrations, should not exceed the following:
Authorities are on the lookout for an unidentified person who robbed multiple internet gaming shops. CCTV footage of the armed robbery of one shop can be seen here.
Finally, the last story on the list could easily be Lao social media’s biggest controversy this year. The latest official story based on the written MOU testimony from the village head is as follows: a primary school student in Champasak was accidentally struck with a meter stick during a cleanup session organized to clear the school grounds after the previous evening’s festivities. The stick happened to have a used nail attached to it. The student suffered a bloody eyebrow and was taken to the hospital where she was vaccinated to prevent tetanus. The school’s management and parents have confirmed that it was an accident and both apologies and reparations have been made. All parties are on good terms.
A few days before the official statement, several Facebook Pages and anonymous accounts posted that a teacher had struck a child because the latter was exhibiting mischievous behavior. Another post vehemently refuted the story and dismissed it as fake news, claiming that the teacher was based in Luang Prabang while photos of the injured child were taken in Champasak.
The teacher who suffered this libel publicly posted on her Facebook account that she had no connection to the incident whatsoever, arguing that screenshots depicting heated conversations between her and several users were either completely doctored or resulted from Facebook hacking.
When the “news” first broke out, social media users were extremely quick to judge and lash out at the supposedly ill-tempered teacher through horrendous namecalling. Shares of the incident garnered thousands of emotionally charged shares and comments, testifying to the reality of misinformation and emotional manipulation on social media.
Interestingly, while the origins of this particular social media frenzy remain unclear, there is evidence to believe that the digital scandal was deliberately being leveraged by certain actors with agendas that go beyond personal reputation destruction and click-baiting. This could very well be the beginning of coordinated disinformation campaigns in Laos.
Japan’s Okinawa-based Co-Op Okinawa is to import and sell Lao-Lao (Lao rice whisky) brand “Chura Lao” in Okinawa from as early as the beginning of next year.
Co-Op Okinawa aims to sell about 7,000 bottles in 2020. Each 500ml-bottle will be sold at JPY 1,000 (USD 9).
The Japanese firm plans to donate part of its profits to local Lao communities to help overcome poverty.
Co-Op Okinawa established a group dubbed “Lao-Lao Alcohol Co-op” in Laos in 2017 that consists of 39 Lao women to produce Chura Lao.
Later in 2018, the Japanese company set up a factory in Laos for mass-production of the alcohol brand and trained a total of four Lao women to manage and oversee the Lao operation. About 8,000 bottles of Chura Lao was sold at restaurants and hotels across Laos so far.
Japanese energy and chemical firm Air Water is to launch a Ho Chi Minh City-based unit through acquisition of major shares in a domestic firm, in a move to make a foray into Vietnam’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market as well in Cambodia and Laos.
Air Water will acquire 51 percent of shares in Pacific Petroleum Import and Export Trading on December 27. The rest will be controlled by Vietnamese energy giant Pacific Petro, the company announced on December 19.
The Japanese firm’s move is aimed at benefiting from fast-growing LPG consumption in Vietnam and neighboring countries, including Laos.
According to a forecast given by PetroVietnam Gas in 2018, Vietnam will see exceptionally strong LPG demand growth within the next three years. LPG demand is expected to increase from 2.3 million tonnes in 2019 to 3.46 million tonnes by 2022.
In Laos, the consumption of LPG has also steadily grown in recent years. LPG consumption for commercial use increased from 1,431 tons in 2010 to 1,944 tons in 2015. That for residential use also jumped from 883 tons to 1,264 tons during the same period, according to the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines.
