Emmy win for HCM Trail Documentary: Mountain Bike champ Rusch traverses Laos in Blood Road

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October 4, 2018

Traversing the mountainous spine of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, three-time world mountain bike champ, US mountain cyclist Rebecca Rusch’s eye-opening 2017 documentary Blood Road has won an Emmy, one of US televisions highest honors.

The documentary film brings the less adventurous and athletic of us on a ride to learning more about the trials and tribulations of remote and rural Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia post-Vietnam War (also known as the 2nd Indochina War or American War).

The film won the prize for Outstanding Graphic Design and Art Direction at Tuesday evening’s 2018 39th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, helping audiences to understand the ongoing impact of war on Laos. The film was screened at the Luang Prabang Film Festival 2017.

The daughter of a military airman shot down in war, in 2015, Rusch set out on a journey to find her father’s crash site with a film crew.

Pairing up with Vietnamese cross-country mountain biker Huyen Nguyen, the pair retrace the 1,200-mile Ho Chi Minh Trail, a historic secret network through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos that the Northern Vietnamese used to supply forces in the south.

On their journey, they receive insights and assistance from many locals, keen to welcome and share their stories to create a better future. The film also received logistics support from local and international experts on the ground in Laos and beyond.

The endurance test brings the pair and the audience to face the past and to look to make a positive impact on the present and future.

Blood Road had its BC Premier earlier this year at the 2018 VIMFF.

The American author and ultra-endurance athlete was 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Champion in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Rebecca Rush celebrates Emmy win for Blood Road with followers on Twitter.

The film attracted warm reviews from the press upon release, including the LA Times, ESPN and more.

Climate, Peace, Development Desires Aired as Laos Meets World at Annual UN Assembly

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October 2, 2018

Mr Saleumxay Kommasith — Laos' Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith addresses the UN General Assembly.

Between US President Donald J. Trump’s signature America First rhetoric and self-appraisals generating “spontaneous murmurs” and the attendance of New Zealand’s first baby and mum Jacinda Adern, you might be forgiven for missing Laos’ Foreign Minister in the international news reports generated at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly this weekend.

Yet crucial issues of climate change, support for vulnerable communities and countries, sustainable development, peace on the Korean peninsula and beyond and the unilateral imposition of sanctions were among those issues raised by Laos when it had the opportunity to speak directly to the international community.

Laos’ Foreign Minister Saleumxay told the UN General Assembly on Saturday in New York that Laos supported and urged the international community to uphold and further strengthen multilateralism. “This remains one of the core values of our only universal organization, the United Nations,” he said.

Realizing the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at a time of a changing climate requires national governments and the international community to work “hand-in-hand’ with extra thought to the vulnerable, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. “Against this backdrop, it is more crucial than ever for world leaders to honour the commitments pledged in the Paris Agreement.”

Laos also highlighted the critical importance of peace and security for socio-economic progress in all nations. “Past experiences have shown that settling disputes by peaceful means is the best way to ensure durable peace that is essential for sustainable development of a nation.”

The international community must help build mutual trust and confidence among countries to support them overcome challenges between them and resolve disputes peacefully, he said.

As such, Minister Kommasith welcomed the thawing of relations in the Korean Peninsula and between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States.“We hope that such positive momentum will be strengthened, thereby, contributing to the maintenance of peace and stability, and denuclearization in the region as a whole.”

He also called for the end to the economic blockade of Cuba, given that the enforcement of isolation and sanction measures imposed on any country may not bring about benefits to the international community. “On the contrary, it will cause a loss for all and lead to increasing hostility,” the minister said.

The Lao minister expressed his country’s concern on the continued lack of progress on the Isreal-Palestine front.“We hope that this long overdue issue on Palestine will be resolved by peaceful means in order to achieve a two-state solution where Palestine and Israel can live side by side in peace, security and within internationally recognised borders as stipulated in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions,” Minister Saleumxay said.

Mr Kommasith also underlined the need to address the scourge of transnational crime, at all levels, noting Laos’ commitment with regional countries at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community in the fight against illicit drug trafficking, illegal wildlife trade, human trafficking and other serious crimes.

Dr Phetsamone Indara is Lao PDR’s first Eye Health Hero

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Laotian Times

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October 2, 2018

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has recognised Lao PDR ophthalmologist Dr Phetsamone Indara as an Eye Health Hero.

Dr Indara, who performs eye surgery and treatments in partnership with international development organisation The Fred Hollows Foundation, is the first ophthalmologist from Lao PDR to receive the honour.

The Fred Hollows Foundation CEO Ian Wishart received the award on behalf of Dr Indara at an IAPB conference in India this week.

Mr Wishart said Dr Indara was one of only 22 global Eye Health Heroes for 2018.

Since 2005, Dr Indara has headed the Eye Unit of Oudomxay Provincial Hospital in northern Lao PDR and in 2008, he was appointed as the secretary of Lao Ophthalmology Society.

“Over the past 10 years, The Fred Hollows Foundation has been proud to partner with Dr Indara and the Oudomxay Provincial Hospital as we work together to end avoidable blindness in Lao PDR,” Mr Wishart said.

Dr Indara has 16 years of experience as an eye doctor. In his first five years of practice, he has already screened 35,325 patients and conducted 3,069 cataract surgeries.

Dr Phetsamone Indara and two of his staff at a mobile eye camp in Nam Ngeun Village, Namor District, Oudomxay Province.

In addition to screenings and eye operations, Dr Indara has played an active role in eye health research and training and has played a leading role in producing Lao PDR’s first hand book for primary eye care. The hand book is an essential national resource to train volunteer health workers in primary eye care.

Dr Indara said he was humbled to be named Lao PDR’s first Eye Health Hero.

“I love to see people empowered to lead independent lives. I am very happy to be a partner in helping the poor, and treating those who are blind to improve their vision and their quality of life,” he said.

“I also hope that future generations of eye health doctors, nurses and workers in Lao PDR can one day be eye health heroes and help end avoidable blindness in our country.”

The Fred Hollows Foundation is an international development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide in more than 25 countries around the world. In Lao PDR, The Foundation is active in 10 provinces, including Oudomxay.

For the past 10 years, The Fred Hollows Foundation has helped more than 106,000 people in Lao PDR see again, thanks to the commitment and tireless work of eye health heroes such as Dr Indara.

Swiss Horn, Lao Khene, Fanglao Whip Up A Storm for the Ages at Lao National Circus

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October 1, 2018

Winds & Musics — National Circus with Swiss horn player Eliana Burki with Lao dance troupe Fanglao.

With a horn blazing, local and international folk were drawn out of Vientiane’s homes, guesthouses and hotels like the children in the fabled tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin as “Winds and Musics”, a traditional x modern Lao-Swiss music/dance collaboration, descended with much fanfare upon the capital Friday night.

Out front from the beginning was the incredible swiss horn and saxophone of Switzerland’s own Eliana Burki, ably backed on guitar.

The outsized intruments were hard to miss, and the sounds they created well-adjudged sublime.

The attendees were entranced further when the swiss sounds were joined by the sound of the Lao khene pipe and drums.

Things went up another notch with the addition of dancers, expressing the sounds in the physical form, much to the selight of the crowd of many ages and nationalities.

The intimate yet inclusive Lao National Circus space once again proved a phenomenal locale within to enjoy live music, with the city’s denizens counting down the days until the next chance to enjoy each other’s company in the Lao capital.

Thank you to all including the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation the Winds & Musics Swiss-Lao ເຂົ້າຊົມຟຣີ event, Eliana Burki and all artists for a great Friday night experience in Vientiane, Laos!

Check out more images at @Laos Briefly.

One dollar charge awaits travelers, foreign residents returning to Laos

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September 29, 2018

Vintage US$1 — Vintage $US1 as visitors to Laos dig for change.

All travelers entering Laos on foreign passports, including residents, will have to reach into their pockets for an extra US$1 bill in the form of a tourism development levy when entering via international border immigration checkpoints from October 1.

The tourism fund was set up in line with the government’s decree No 119 issued on April 2017.

“Tourists (travelers) who hold all passports and border-passes will be charged US$1 to the tourism fund from October 1 in order to collect funds for tourism development,” Deputy Director General of the Planning and Finance Department of the Information, Culture and Tourism Ministry, Ms Khammay Phengsavanh was quoted as saying in state-run daily Vientiane Times.

The move comes as Laos seeks to raise more revenue to fund ongoing upgrades to the tourism and sector, a crucial one for the country, at a time of major demands on the country’s budget for flood disaster recovery efforts as well as infrastructure investment.

The effects of the imposition of such a charge (and the implementation of the levy collection regime) on border processes and the relative competitiveness of Laos’ tourism industry, vis a vis its competitors, remains to be seen.

Xaysana’s Second Life Sentence, Cooperation With Police Avoids Capital Punishment

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September 27, 2018

Arresting Xaysana — Arrest of Xaysana at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

Millions of pills smuggled across borders have resulted in a court in Bangkok delivering a second life sentence Wednesday to Lao citizen and convicted drug criminal Xaysana Keophimpha.

Bangkok’s Criminal Court originally handed Xaysana Keophimpha a death sentence for smuggling 1 million methamphetamine pills from Laos to southern Thailand and Malaysia, news organisations with reporters based in Thailand have reported, including The Bangkok Post.

The sentence was reduced to life in prison for cooperation with ongoing police investigations.

The same court in March had delivered Xaysana a life sentence over the smuggling of another 1.2 million methamphetamine pills from Laos after being incriminated as the leader of a smuggling network.

Known for his links to various celebrities, photographs of Xaysana with public figures and police officers were widely shared on social media.

The case has long drawn attention on both sides of the Lao-Thai border and beyond ever since Xaysana was arrested on Jan. 19, 2017.

Xaysana Keobimpha — Xaysana Keophimpha FaceBook Profile

High Profile Case with Celebrity, Powerful Links

A handy explainer was published by The Laotian Times earlier this year entitled The Xaysana Case: What We Know So Far.

The Laotian Times then reported in March this year that Thai and regional media brought to light stories of rumored connections to powerful and influential factions that had allowed him to conduct the illegal operations.

“Images of his ostentatious lifestyle have gone viral on social media in Laos where the majority of the public have condemned his actions.”

Two life sentences certainly provide ample time to consider the end results of his own actions and redeem himself in a way a death sentence does not allow.

Perhaps another positive to come from the case might be an example to the misguided to think twice (or thrice) before risking their freedom in the pursuit of illicit-drug-financed and similarly ill-gotten fair-weather friends, fame and riches.

Laos’ economic growth rate revised to 6.6%, floods dampen prospects

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September 27, 2018

Anyone who has been flicking on screens to news of floods in Laos, extreme weather-related disasters in the region and trade frictions beyond will not be surprised to hear that such developments have subdued economic growth somewhat.

Multilateral lender Asian Development Bank agrees. Its update of its flagship annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2018 has economic growth for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is expected to moderate in 2018.

ADB projects Lao PDR’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6.6% in 2018 and 6.9% in 2019, revised down from its April estimates of 6.8% for this year and 7.0% for next.

According to the bank’s analysis, weather-affected sectors like agriculture and mining outputs are forecast to underperform, with growth set to trend lower than previously forecast in April.

Agriculture is expected to grow by just 2.0% this year and mining outputs projected to decline by 2.0%.

Economic expansion related to electricity generation, construction, and services will partially offset these adverse effects, the bank asserts.

Electricity generation is expected to increase by 8%.

According to the ADB, construction is benefiting from foreign direct investment in hydropower and transport projects.

These include the railway line from Vientiane to the border with the People’s Republic of China now under construction.

A sharper depreciation of the Lao kip against the US dollar in the open market, compared with the official exchange rate from January 2018 to July, points to continued vulnerability to stress in external payments, the Bank states.

Inflation is forecast to be 2.5% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019, about half a percentage point higher than ADO 2018’s projections.

The current account deficit in percent of GDP is projected at 13.8% in 2018 and 13.0% in 2019, lower than the April estimates of 14.9% and 13.7%, respectively. Despite Lao PDR’s expected improvement in the current account deficit, net international reserves are forecast to remain below $1 billion by December 2018, covering only 1.5 months of imports due to a large trade deficit weighing on the balance of payments.

Downside risks to the outlook in the near term include external payments vulnerability and the possibility of recurrent natural disasters.

With a stated commitment to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty, ADB was established in 1966. The multilateral lender is owned by 67 members including 48 from the region.

In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in co-financing.

Looking North: Opportunity has Laos’ Young Entrepreneurs Eyeing China

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September 26, 2018

Lao Young Entrepreneurs Delegation — Lao Young Entrepreneurs delegation heads to China

Partners from China willing to invest in business opportunities in Laos to supply outsized demands in their giant home market are in the sights of a delegation representing Lao Young Entrepreneurs Association that departed Vientiane’s Wattay Airport yesterday bound for a meet that follows the China-ASEAN Expo held earlier this month in the same city.

Mr Khamsene Sisavong, President of the Young Entrepreneur Association of Laos, is leading a group of young businesspeople that will join regional counterparts to attend a conference in Nanning from September 26-27.

On offer are opportunities to produce goods and services in Laos or the Chinese market, one of the largest in the world with a population of 1.3 billion people.

“We have to find our business potential.”

Transportation between Laos and China will no longer be an onerous barrier with the commissioning of the Lao-China Railway due in 2021.

Khamsense said Asean and China have signed a free trade agreement that aims to end tariff barriers, meaning exports and imports in the region will be easier, both to and from Laos.

However, Laos needs partnerships with Chinese firms to produce goods and value-add to Lao products for this vast, complicated and nuanced market. “Laos has the policies and the potentials to produce goods for the Chinese market. However, these policies will not be possible without the participation of Chinese businesses.”

He said Chinese firms have access to finance and technology that can be utilised with Lao partners so that they will be in a fine position to produce for the Chinese market when the railway is operational, he said.

Opportunities in Agribusiness

Agribusiness is a sector that can help make the most from Laos’ vast tracts of fertile land and youthful rural labor force to supply clean, safe food products and agricultural inputs to the vast and fast-moving Chinese market.

Yet no matter the sector, he said young entrepreneurs from Laos ought to be aware of growing competition in Asean and China, and it is time for them to explore business opportunities and take calculated risks so that they and their country can become successful.