MRC Countries Debate Hydropower Management

By Vientiane Times



(Latest Update September 26, 2008)

More than 200 representatives from member countries of Mekong basin, domestic and international organisations along with the private sector are discussing how to sustain the development of hydropower dams in the Mekong region.

The discussion in Vientiane is hosted by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat for regional multi-stakeholder consultation on its hydropower programme. The meeting is taking place from September 25 to 27.

"Hydroelectricity has long been recognised as one of the cleanest, most sustainable and, in the long run, least expensive methods of generating power," said MRC Joint Committee member for the Lao PDR, Mr Chanthavong Saignasith.

He acknowledged there could be negative impacts associated with hydropower and said it was important the Lower Mekong countries were able to study the benefits and costs associated with dam construction before making decisions.

The MRC provided decision-makers in the four Lower Mekong countries with a sound knowledge platform, enabling them to assess the gains and impacts of each hydropower proposal in a basin-wide context, he said.

This included scientific input from many different fields and sources across the Mekong region and beyond, from village-level fisheries research to international navigation experience. The MRC sources and provides such data, and also assesses plans for various power-generating scenarios through integrated modelling tools.

"The MRC hydropower programme is being designed to assist this decision-making process, and to help set up mechanisms that can make sure countries' concerns are addressed as approved projects are implemented, " said Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat Jeremy Bird.
He said the creation of a framework for regional and cross-sector cooperation on hydropower gives great impetus to sustainable development in the Lower Mekong Basin .

"The MRC believes that developing cooperation and dialogue between countries, at multiple levels of society, can help ensure the growth of the hydropower industry is managed in a way that conserves environmental resources and the livelihoods of the people that depend on them," he said.

Acting MRC Communi-cations Officer Aiden Glendinning stressed the importance of consultation in the decision-making process.

"It is very important to understand that if a country wants to build a dam on the Mekong , it needs to write a letter to the MRC which we can pass on to other members for discussion and agreement," he said.

Mr Glendinning said at a press conference yesterday the MRC's role was to arrange meetings for the four members of the lower Mekong countries - Cambodia , Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam - to discuss the development of hydropower dams. China and Myanmar are dialogue partners of the MRC.

He said regarding the contribution to flow, 16 percent of water came from China, two percent from Myanmar , 18 percent from Cambodia , 35 percent from Laos , 18 percent from Thailand and 11 percent from Vietnam . The volume of water in the Mekong is about 475 cubic kilometres a year, which equals 6,500 cubic metres per person per year.

"Dams will block fish migration and create an unnatural situation for fish, but dams can also provide protection from flooding, store water during the rainy season for use in dry season agricultural activities, and produce electricity, " Mr Glendinning said.

"Meanwhile, you have to share the benefits. That means not only benefits for people near the reservoir, but you have to plan for the sustainability of hydropower and consider ways to help people who live downstream to benefit as well."

Presentations were made by participants from all stakeholder sectors, including national electricity enterprises from the MRC member states, environmental advocacy groups, developers, and national Mekong committees.

Hydropower industry experts from China and outside Asia also attended the consultative meeting. Various different perspectives emerged, and these will help inform the MRC hydropower programme and encourage wider consultation, thus contributing to development outcomes.

The 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness

The Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) is pleased to announce the 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness, from November 24 to 26, 2008.

The conference will focus on themes related to GNH such as psychology, environment, community relations, education, health, living standard, governance, culture, time use and economy, and their indicators. Interested individuals, including government officials, academics, and NGO representatives, may attend the conference. Those who wish to present papers should submit abstracts and the paper by the end of October 2008.

The participants will have to make their own travel arrangement till Paro airport. CBS will be responsible for local transport from/to airport, and food and accommodation for four days, that is, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of November. Gratis visa will be granted to participants. International participants will have to pay a fee of US $ 300, and discounted fee of Nu. 5,000 for the SAARC nationals.

Inquiries about the conference may be directed to Dorji Penjore at 975-2-335872 or dorpen71@gmail. com. for more information please visit: http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/main/highlight_detail.php?id=41

[LaoFAB] Border trade: China-Laos-Thailand

Quote: "The Chinese government has rented from Laos more than 90,000
rai of land in Ban Ton Phueng in Huaysay, the capital of Bokeo
province, for 99 years. China plans to send about 100,000 people to
settle in the area" Really?


*PORT OF NO RETURN*

Chiang Saen project snags as Chinese investment streaks ahead in Laos,
write Subin Khuenkaew and Naowarat Suksamran in Chiang Rai

Bangkok Post, 13 Sep 2008

View of Chiang Saen port and the Golden Triangle, which is being
developed into a transportation and trade hub in the Mekong sub-
region. A casino and hotel under construction on the Lao side of the
Mekong river, scheduled for completion next year. The properties are
being built on land rented by Chinese investors.

A shuttle boat service can take passengers, including Thai gamblers,
to and from Burma. Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district is crowded with
tourists, but local business operators say more is needed to promote
business in the area.

Boontham Thipprasong, vice-president of the Chiang Rai Chamber of
Commerce and president of the Mae Sai Chamber of Trade. Workers
unload goods from a Chinese cargo vessel at Chiang Saen port. — Photos
by TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Thailand has yet to make its northern port of Chiang Saen on the
Mekong river ready for the rapid development enjoyed by other areas
around the Golden Triangle.
Cebu Pacific Air Click Here!

While Chinese businessmen have invested in more than 30 business,
housing and entertainment projects on the Lao side opposite Chiang
Rai's Chiang Saen district, the atmosphere in Thailand is described by
local entrepreneurs as quiet.

"We want the government to pay more attention to the second Chiang
Saen port project and speed up work," said Pagaimas Viera, owner of
Mekong Delta Travel Agency.

Local firms and a conservation group share the same worry that the
remote district may miss an opportunity to become a major tourist
destination in the Mekong sub-region and a transport hub linking
southern China with Thailand, Laos and Burma.

The existing Chiang Saen port is considered too small to support
growing economic activities around the Golden Triangle, an area where
the Thai, Lao and Burmese borders meet.

The port is made up of floats, which are inadequate for ships with
goods to load and unload.

According to port officials, goods vessels made 2,500 trips to the
port last year, carrying fruit, vegetables, palm oil and vehicles.

The government has approved construction of the second Chiang Saen
port.

However, according to Tawit Tiyakwang, secretary to the Wiang tambon
administration organisation, other large development projects near the
port are finding it hard to acquire land, which cannot be traded due
to its Sor Por Kor 4-01 title status, which restricts its use to only
agricultural purposes.

The Chinese government has rented from Laos more than 90,000 rai of
land in Ban Ton Phueng in Huaysay, the capital of Bokeo province, for
99 years.

China plans to send about 100,000 people to settle in the area, which
will house new communities, parks, hotels, shopping centres, casinos
and golf courses.

All the projects are expected to be finished in the next year. So far
more than 30% of the work is done and construction proceeds at a rapid
rate.

"Development in Chiang Saen is slower than on the other side of the
river," said Chiang Saen conservation group's Nikorn Laowanit.

Officials in charge of planning should take care of provincial
historic sites, and promote them as tourist spots.

Some business properties in Chiang Saen such as the Golden Triangle
shopping centre and its river transport station were built only to be
abandoned for nearly 10 years. Electricity has been cut and roads
inside the centre are now covered with grass, Mr Nikorn said.

Local businessmen want the second Chiang Saen port built as soon as
possible.

This would complete Chiang Rai's transport systems, including an
international airport.

The port will make the province a water transport centre, said Chiang
Saen port manager Paiboon Podi.

"Then other big development projects would follow," he said.

But the government needs to think of the social impact as well. Chiang
Saen district police chief Pol Col Tirachai Tianchai, for example, is
worried about a possible increase in crime.

URGENT: Call for ASEAN Volunteers in Myanmar Deadline: 25 September 2008

Dear Colleagues,

I am currently deployed to the coordinating office for the ASEAN
Humanitarian Task Force in Yangon,Myanmar for the initial 3 months as
part of a longer arrangement towards establishing an ASEAN-ADPC
partnership.

Following the devastating Cyclone Nargis, the Tripartite Core Group
(TCG) was established as a working mechanism for coordinating,
facilitating and monitoring the flow of international assistance into
Myanmar.

The TCG is urgently looking for ASEAN volunteers to implement
Community Based Early Recovery (CBER) projects in selected villages in
the affected areas of the Delta. One such project is currently being
implemented in Seik Gyi village. Participation in these project will
involve the volunteers staying at the village for a period of at least
three months and helping the village community to implement the
projects.

Volunteers will be given a sufficient amount of allowance to cover
their living expense in Myanmar. This opportunity is extended to
individuals with ASEAN nationalities only preferably with relevant
experience in (but not limited to) the following: disaster management,
humanitarian action, community development and development studies .

If you are interested, please send your updated CV on or before 25
September 2008 GMT 5:00pm to

Dr. Anish Kumar Roy, Special Representative of the ASEAN Secretary
General: aroy.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

copy to:

Ms. Adelina Kamal, Head of Office, Coordinating Office for the ASEAN
Humanitarian: akamal.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

Mr. Philipp Danao, Technical Specialist for Strategic Support for the
ASEAN Humanitarian: phildanao.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

Don Sahong Photography Exhibition

16-27 September 2008 at Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
(#64, St. 200, Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

GNH3 Newsletter - Announcement of 'GNH4' on 24-26 November 2008 in Thimphu, Bhutan

You did not hear from us for a long time. We are happy to be back with some good news.

The Center for Bhutan Studies (CBS) announced the dates of the 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness! The conference will be held 24-26 November 2008 in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Information and Call for Papers are available at www.bhutanstudies.org.bt and the contactperson is Dorji Penjore dorpen71@gmail.com telephone 975-2-335872.

Shortly after 'GNH4', a unique gathering will take place in Thailand: the second conference of the Buddhist Economics Research Platform will be organized 5-7 December 2008 in Ubon Ratchathani. At the university (5 Dec.) and a Buddhist meditation centre in the nearby forest, founded by the famous Ajarn Chah. Gross National Happiness will be one of the workshop topics during this pioneering event. Information: www.buddhist-economics.info and Linda Nowakowski at lindern@gmail.com

Later the same month the ASEAN People's Forum will be held in Bangkok 13-15 December including a workshop on GNH and the parallel Green Fair Thailand '08. For the ASEAN People's Forum contact Somkid M. Mahitaya at somkid_tvs@yahoo.com and for the Green Fair: Wallapa van Willenswaard wallapa@suan-spirit.com

We have started updating our website www.gnh-movement.org again with among others reports on the heartwarming Planet Diversity conference in Bonn, Germany; the Paradiso workshop (on ICT and changing social paradigms) organized in Brussels by the EU, Club of Rome and Oriones ; as well as announcements on our new GNH movement project.

Planet Diversity initiator and environmentalist Vandana Shiva will speak at the ASEAN People's Forum. She will address the food crisis with the question 'Can Organic Agriculture Feed the World?'.

For information on the GNH movement project of Suan Nguen Mee Ma (the organizer of GNH3) please visit our GNH movement website. The aim of this 'research development' project supported by Thailand Research Fund (to be confirmed) is to explore an effective multi-stakeholder approach to social transformation inspired by Gross National Happiness and a synthesis of similar movements towards change 'beyond GDP'. In the first year 2008-2009 six bi-monthly brainstorming workshops will be organized in order to shape a longer term action-research programme, probably including international comparative research.

Your participation in the process will be very much appreciated. If you are not living in Thailand our website and the internet will be the way. We are preparing a special interactive communication portal for this purpose to be launched in 2009.

The first workshop of the GNH movement project will take place Tuesday-morning 26 August 2008, SASIN business school Room 502, Bangkok. Resource persons will include Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa from the perspective of engaged spirituality, Magsaysay Awardee and media-activist Jon Unghpakorn, business leader Prida Tiasuwan and senator Rosanna Tositrakul. The theme will be 'Today's Crisis: Hidden Opportunities for Change in the Next Decade'.

Information:
Hans van Willenswaard hans@gnh-movement.org ,
Wallapa wallapa@gnh-movement.org
Sajee 086-8373846 sajee@gnh-movemnet.org
Parkpume 086-5640564 pakphum@gnh-movement.org
GNH3 website: http://www.gnh-movement.org

Hear the Voices of Peace from Thai Youth

CYM/TVS is bringing 4 Thai youth representatives from different groups and organisations to join the International peace conference on the topic 'Peace, Justice and Reconciliation' in Angkor, Siam Riep, Cambodia from 18th-25th September 2008. At the conference there will be country presentation, workshops, cultural performances, art exhibition on NGOs experiences and International Peace's Day march in public. This conference will bring together 300 youth participants from Rwanda, Guatamala, Peru, Morrocco and Southeast Asia (most of them are Cambodian youth). Before the four of them are landing on the land of Angkor, below is the opinion and expectation from this upcoming conference. Hear their voices below!

Watcharin 'Rin' Sungkara, from Tonkla Institute

The conference topic is so contemporary. Today society has faced many recently conflicts that started even in family unit, village, state and worldwide. And many conflicts end shortly through violence that cause people sadness, angry emotion and yes even death. So reconciliation is a need for us who still have to live and start the harmony society again and again. But how should we deal and learn from our past conflict so that we can protect people from any kinds of violence that we don’t want.

So I hope to learn about ‘post-conflict-process’ that you set up during this meaningful conference and wish that we could maybe implement or try to do something for our relevant issues of ‘Preah Vihear’ together. And also for others many conflicts in Thailand as well.
I think this would be great opportunity for me to share about conflict issues with other participants from different countries and each conflict must come from different problems. And I believe that solving problems about the conflict in any country needs the same goal which is building reconciliation or peace.

Khumkhao Songsomboon, 27, TVS laywer full-time volunteer

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
I think this would be great opportunity for me to share about conflict issues with other participants from different countries and each conflict must come from different problems. And I believe that solving problems about the conflict in any country needs the same goal which is building reconciliation or peace.

Nowadays, we talk about ‘peace’, most people may think of the country without war. But at the same time, we think of the country that the war is just over, it does not always mean that the country will be peaceful.

Losing lives, love ones or even properties that the survivals have experienced after the war is a learned lesson that I would really like to learn from other participants who have been through this experience.

I believe that this would be a good opportunity among the participants to share learned experience about peace building within their own countries to other participants. And I hope I can adapt what I have learned during the conference in my own country.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
I would like learn about Cambodian cultures and their way of lives, especially the lived of survivors whose lives had been affected from previous genocide. Besides that I would like to listen to the opinions of Cambodian youth towards the post-conflict situation in their country and learn how their historical knowledge has been passed on to their generation.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I believe that correctly learning about the true cause of mass-killing problem in Cambodia will help benefit me and others. I would pass on this knowledge to group of my friends and my colleagues. This will encourage me and the rest of my people back home to realize that the history of genocide in Cambodia is not only a problem in Cambodian, but it is also a problem happened in our world society to all human races.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
I think the experience that I will get from this conference is to learn about the history of conflict and the history of wars – learning in the right way, not just to remember the dates, years or persons in the history, but remember how important the event in the history is about, what caused the problem and think about it by using critical thinking.

This will open my views of main purpose of learning history and implementing the lesson learned from the conflict or the war and putting it in the school curriculum.
And it will be very useful for me to be a part of working on improving about social study and history courses in school curriculum in my country.

If the Thai students learn how to analyze the historical knowledge in their history or social study courses, it will be very useful to them, they will realize that they are learning not only to remember but also to analyze and get involve in what they have learned at school.

Wanmai Chaiyarin, 22, a political science student from Rajabhat Yala University

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
I would like to learn about the post-conflict situation in Cambodia and learn more about the situation on politics, education, economic and other interesting issues. And I also would like to share my experience and ideas about voluntary projects on peace building and as well as learning experiences from other participants.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
I am already eager to learn everything from this conference.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I would like to present and share my ideas about peace building from my perspectives to everyone in the conference – if there are chances.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
I think I would bring my made experience in this conference to adapt in the projects that I am working on and on the other hand, this will help me to analyze about the current unpeaceful situations in the country to see what the insiders and outsiders think about this situation.

Jaruwan Supolrai, 25, an intern at CYM of Thai Volunteer Service

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
Last year I was helping CYM/TVS as a volunteer interpreter with their GNH project, which was very interesting to me at that time, since then I’ve been interested in NGO social activists’ projects in Mekong region. And last month, I had attended the Thai-Malay Dialogue meeting in Penang, Malaysia, organized by AMAN (Asian Muslim Network) and ARF (Asian Recourse Foundation).

The idea was about peace-building in the southern part of Thailand. And I’ve come to understand and learn more about peace study and the importance of peace in Thailand and Southeast Asian regions. And I am recently working for CYM as a coordinator. So I believe that joining this conference will give me more experience on peace-building activities and hopefully I will get more networks of friends who share the same interests of peace project t make a world a better place to live.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
During my time in Cambodia, I would like to learn and experience about peace building projects from other participants in Southeast Asia region and other part of the world like Rwanda, Peru and Guatemala. Hopefully, we will come up with the initiative ideas to build up peace movement within our own region and other part of the world.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I am not sure I am able to contribute something to the post-conflict process in Cambodia, since my work is not only focusing on peace building, but other issues as well. But I hope I can partly work and cooperate with the youth group of peace in Cambodia.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
After I bring home with the experience made in this conference, I hope I can keep working on peace issue with the youth group in Thailand – just to be a small part of this big issue in today’s society. Let’s give it a try! And one more thing, I will write a feature article about this conference for an English local magazine for teenagers

In Search of Peace

The Follow-up GNH3 Conference 2007 in Asia : Role of Thailand

CYM team just had a chance to join the first workshop of the GNH movement project which was taken place last Tuesday-morning 26 August 2008, SASIN business school Room 502, Bangkok. Resource persons included Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa from the perspective of engaged spirituality, Magsaysay Awardee and media-activist Jon Unghpakorn, business leader Prida Tiasuwan and senator Rosanna Tositrakul. The theme will be 'Today's Crisis: Hidden Opportunities for Change in the Next Decade'.

Join the ASEAN People's Forum (AFP): 13-15 December 2008 Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

The ASEAN People's Forum is a People-to People platform to be held prior to the 14^th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok. Civil society organizations and social movements from all ASEAN countries are invited to join the forum to discuss issues confronting peoples in the region and to articulate and strategize around people's aspirations for ASEAN and the ASEAN people.

The APF will have plenary sessions on people-centered alternatives, the food and energy crisis in the region, and people's participation in ASEAN. There will be independently-organized parallel workshops on different issues such as labour rights, disaster risks reduction, free trade agreements, youth, Gross National Happiness, migration, human rights, and many others.

A Call for workshop proposals will be posted shortly.

The APF is jointly organized by The Thai Working Group on APF and Regional Organizing Committee for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference IV (ACSC4).

For further information contact: apfthailand@gmail.com or apfthailand@hotmail.com