Radio Free Asia
14 January 2014
An international body which oversees development on the Mekong River will hold a special meeting this week to evaluate the impact of the controversial Don Sahong dam proposed by Laos for construction on the river’s mainstream, an official said Tuesday.
The discussion will be held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Thursday by the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) Joint Committee, made up of representatives from member nations Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, MRC spokesperson Surasak Glahan told RFA’s Lao Service.
“All four countries will discuss what the next step in the Don Sahong project will be because three countries—Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand—had earlier requested that the project first pass a consultation process before Laos notified [MRC] member countries that it would proceed.”
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand—which share borders with Laos on the Lower Mekong—have voiced objections to Vientiane’s September announcement to the MRC that it would proceed with construction on the 260-megawatt hydropower project without taking into consideration the concerns of its neighbors.