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As Laos is building dams, local communities are sacrificed in the process!
🇱🇦Laos is building dams but sacrificing local communities in the process! As countries in SEA are seeking more sustainable sources of energy, many are showing increasing interest in Lao hydropower. The Lao government's reckless plan to build over 100 dams along the Mekong river is nothing to brag about - they're dubbing themselves the 'Battery of Southeast Asia', but at what cost? The reality behind Lao dams is far from being all green.
To make way for the numerous dams dotting the country, countless local communities needed to be relocated. Forced eviction, inadequate compensation of villagers, loss of livelihoods, threats and harassment of activists are the hidden costs of Lao hydropower.
The Lao government’s carelessness in the way it conducts social and environmental assessment impact, or the lack thereof, is greatly increasing the risk of man-made disasters. Ultimately, the Lao people are bearing the brunt of the Lao government’s negligence. For instance, following the collapse of the Attapeu dam in 2018, at least 71 people were killed and more than 7000 people were displaced.
The need for Laos to adopt mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation (mHREDD) has never been more pressing. Only through effective mHREDD regulations can businesses be forced to prevent and mitigate the risks resulting from their activities and be held accountable for any harm caused!
At Manushya, we refuse to accept any more dams in Laos. Why? Because they're not the clean energy solution they claim to be. Sustainable dams? They simply don't exist! All they do is wreak havoc on the environment and the precious lives of the Lao people. Let's stand together and say no to any more destructive dams. We want a real #JustEnergyTransition.
Do you still think that Lao hydropower is all green?
#WeAreManushyan ♾ Equal Human Beings
#Laos #environment #renewables #energy #cleanenergy #justenergytransition #DamCollapse #LaosDamCollapse #XePianXeNamnoy #Justice #SeekForCompensation #SeekForAccountability #Solidarity #WhatsHappeningInLaos #CorporateAccountability #ClimateJustice #JustTransition #PeopleOverProfit #BizHumanRights #HumanRights #FreeMuay #sustainability
References
RFA, As Laos builds more hydropower dams, citizens say electricity rates remain too high, (15 March 2023), available at:
RFA, Villagers in the dark even as preparations start for building the Pak Lay Dam in Laos,
(2 February 2023), available at:
Bloomberg, Singapore Imports Clean Power for First Time, Buying From Laos, (23 June 2022), available at:
DW Documentary, China’s helping hand in Laos, (14 March 2023), available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7HsDKAa-CI
While you are here…
➡️ All you need to know about Manushya Foundation’s previous work on Laos, the Attapeu dam collapse and our campaign to #FreeMuay from jail:
News Release: Responsible governments and implicated companies must ensure safety and effective access to information of communities living near the Nam Theun 1 dam in Laos, 23 August 2022
News Release: Lao Government and Implicated Companies Must Deliver Justice for Survivors of 2018 Attapeu Dam Collapse, 26 July 2022.
Follow-up UN Complaint to seek Justice for the Survivors of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Dam Collapse, in Attapeu Province, Laos, 28 February 2022.
Joint Individual Complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) concerning the case of Houayheuang (“Muay”) Xayabouly, 15 December 2020.
Joint Complaint to the United Nations on the Human Rights Violations faced by Ms. Houayheuang Xayabouly (Muay), Lao Woman Human Rights Defender, 30 March 2020.
#Freemuay from jail in Laos: Campaign to Free Lao woman human rights defender Ms. Houayheuang Xayabouly (Muay) and stop the human rights violations against her.
Manushya’s Foundation UPR Factsheet to inform Lao PDR’s Third UPR: Overview of the Human Rights Situation in Lao PDR - Legal Framework, Challenges, Case Studies & Community-led UPR Recommendations, January 2020.
Joint Statement: One year after the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam collapse, civil society from Korea and the Mekong call for immediate accountability and redress, 23 July 2019;
Joint Submission with the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) to the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for Lao PDR Third UPR Cycle, 21 July 2019;
Manushya Foundation's Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights on the situation in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), March 2019;
Statement of the Thai Business & Human Rights Network on the Lao Dam Collapse, 20 August 2018;
News release: Laos must undertake a transparent and independent investigation to ensure effective remedies for the victims of the dam collapse – and Thailand should also bear responsibility, 20 August 2018.