Casino under construction Laos Image:R. Unnikrishnan

Dr. R. Unnikrishnan
Jul 25, 2019,

The endearing name ‘Golden Triangle’ is a misleading phrase for a region that invokes fear among visitors as well as residents.


"River Mekong gets its English name surprisingly from its Cambodian name Mekongk. In Khmer, the Cambodian language that dominates the root of most Stoutheast Asian languages, ‘mé’ means ‘mother’ and ‘Khongk’ is a form derived from Ganga. So, Mekong started as Mother Ganga celebrating the deep Indian influences and spiritual connections the region has had with India for centuries."

"In Cambodia alone, each year, billions of fish of all shapes and sizes embark on one of the most incredible animal migrations on the planet. These migrations are just as majestic as the other animal migrations that take place on land, like the animal migrations in Africa, the epic journeys of the monarch butterflies seeking mountain shelter in Mexico or songbirds traveling thousands of miles to reach their tropical wintering gardens."

"The museum claims that it exhibits “every angle of the opium story, starting from the history of the Golden Triangle, the origin of opium, the opium war, opium warlords, drug smugglers, opium effects, the battle against opium and poppy growing, to rehabilitation of living conditions of the people who live in the central of the Golden Triangle, the former worldwide infamous drug trading zone"

"Southeast Asia’s Mother Ganga is continuing to sob softly. Let us hope that the recent major structural failure of the dam will provide a much needed pause in the hurried projects around this mighty river that waters many valleys, harbors an unparalleled biodiversity in its belly and feeds millions.

Full https://english.mathrubhumi.com/travel/ ... -1.3986105

Laos and Xayaburi dam deny responsibility for dry Mekong River
.thaipbsworld.com
July 22, 2019


Representatives of the Lao government and the builder of the Xayaburi dam have dismissed allegations that water retention at the dam, for the trial run of electricity generators, is one of the reasons for the sharp lowering of the water level in the downstream stretches of the Mekong River.

The denial was made in the presence of a group of Thai reporters, invited by builders of the dam CK Power Company, a subsidiary of Ch Karn Chang.

The water in the reservoir, 30 meters above the river, is about 2.75 metres deep.

Mr. Anuparb Wonglakorn, deputy managing director of CK Power Company, said that the company raised the water level in the reservoir for technical purposes once in October last year.

He pointed out that the influence of El Nino this year was largely to blame for the lowest amount of water flowing into the Mekong River in a century. He also criticized the Jinghong dam, in China’s Yunnan province, for releasing less water downstream, causing as much hardship to Lao people as to Thais, who rely on the Mekong for water for consumption, fishing and navigation.

Mr. Anuparb suggested that the Mekong River Commission, which is made up of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, should invite Myanmar and China for talks about sustainable water management in the Mekong River.