Six years ahead, still no justice!

Lao authorities must compensate the victims of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Dam collapse!

💥 #AttapeuDamCollapse - On 23rd July 2018 a human-made tragedy struck the Southern Province of Attapeu, Laos, changing communities lives forever. 

⏲️ Six years after the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Dam collapse on July 23, 2018, which claimed 71 lives, thousands of people displaced, and destroyed 1,700 hectares of agricultural land, justice is still denied. 

⚖️ Manushya has been advocating for the affected communities, submitting a UN Complaint in February 2022. As a result, in July 2022, UN experts urged the Lao government to provide remediation for impacted communities. While the operator of the dam provided $91.2 million for compensation,  around 70% of the funds went to the government and not the affected people.

Following Manushya’s advocacy work to the UN to denounce corruption in Laos, in January 2024, the governor of Attapeu Province admitted that 4.2 million USD allocated for the victims of the Attapeu dam collapse were missing.

💰 Victims continue to struggle while government officials profit from their suffering. Muay, a human rights defender who criticized the government’s slow and inadequate response following the dam collapse and flooding in August 2019 was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced two months later to 5 years in prison. We demand her immediate release and adequate compensation for all victims. This is not what a Just Transition looks like. 

#JusticeForAttapeu #FreeMuay #PeopleOverProfit #Laos #LaosPDR #WhatsHappeninginLaos #Dam #JustTransition #HydroelectricDam #HumanRightsDefenders #HRDs #JustTransition