In Laos, a Contested Dam Project Moves Ahead

The Thai company hired to build a massive hydroelectric dam for Laos on the Mekong River announced Jan. 23 that it was pushing ahead on construction of the project, which has drawn severe criticism from Laos' neighbors and could contribute to regional tensions. Downriver countries such as Cambodia and especially Vietnam fear that the 1.2 gigawatt dam will cause ecological damage and change agricultural patterns that will affect tens of millions of people in the Mekong Basin. Though Vietnam has called for a halt in the dam's construction, it also wants to avoid a rift with Vientiane and does not want to give other potential patrons, including China or Thailand, an opportunity to undermine Vietnamese influence in Laos. Hanoi will find it has few ways to exert pressure on Laos without damaging bilateral relations.