Le 1 Septembre 2001

• 'Ya ba' labs shift to Laos to beat crackdown -- Golden Triangle drug bases are moving across the border, says official (The Nation or BBC MS/FT)--Drug trafficking along the Mekong River is likely to increase significantly as more clandestine drug labs along the Burmese border shift to Laos... A significant number of methamphetamine labs belonging to Thai nationals
• 88 new Americans show love of adopted country -- Ceremony kicks off annual celebration (Journal and Courier)--They came from all corners of the globe. From as far away as Laos and Uganda and as close as Mexico and Canada, about 88 men and women gathered Friday afternoon at Morton Community Center in West Lafayette

Le 2 Septembre 2001

• SEA Games soccer: Singapore crush Laos 4-0 with Indra hattrick (Yahoo! Singapore/Channel NewsAsia)--Singapore overcame a goalless first half to crush Laos 4-0 in a Group A football match of the 21st SEA Games at the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council Stadium in Kelana Jaya on Saturday night. The Lions finally roared
• Leader urges Hmong to preserve culture (AP/Star Tribune)--The Hmong must work to preserve their culture in America even as they embrace this country' s way of life, a Hmong leader urged. Gen. Vang Pao said he is glad to see the Hmong' s progress in America. "It pleases me that
• Former general urges Hmong youth to preserve their culture (Green Bay Press-Gazette)--The future of the Hmong lies in the ability of their youth to honor & preserve their history & tradition, a Hmong & Laotian national leader said Saturday. Gen. Vang Pao, former commander of the Loyal Laotian Military & the U.S.
• Funeral home is upsetting neighbors (Pioneer Planet)--The Hmong Funeral Home in St. Paul's Frogtown is a place where the religious rites of passing are observed, but some of the issues surrounding the traditions have become a focal point for neighborhood complaints.

Le 3 Septembre 2001

• Play looks at subject sensitive for Hmong (Pioneer Planet) --The title of the play is "Hush-Hush," but the reaction likely will be anything but when the production exploring domestic violence in a Hmong family takes the stage. The play, opening in October at the Great American History
• Three million illegal workers could register under new Thai law (Australian BC) --As many as three million largely manual workers from Laos, Cambodia and Burma have registered in the last few days... while Thailand's borders have been secured to prevent a flood of foreigners taking advantage of the offer.
• Apprentices tackle stadium construction (Seattle Times) --There's carpentry apprentice Keodala Volavong, 21,from Tukwila via Alaska, California, New York, Oregon & Laos, who's become self-sufficient... Volavong got into a pre-apprenticeship program
• Laos: 'Bt200,000 corpse' on the move (The Nation)--A dead body is usually not something you want lying around the back yard... But for local villagers here and in Savannakhet province in Laos, this particular corpse was unusual in that it carried a price tag of Bt200,000.

Le 4 Septembre 2001

• Laos: Mystery man shot (The Nation) --The body of an unknown man originally thought to carry a Bt200,000 reward was buried in Laos' Savannakhet province, local officials said. Authorities concluded it was not the corpse of a Caucasian man as previously believed
• Laos: Thai-bashing CD (Bangkok Post)
  Ubon Ratchathani _ Lao cultural authorities have produced a music compact disc on the July 3, 2000 attack on a Lao immigration and customs checkpoint at Wang Tao, opposite Chong Mek, by a group of about 60 insurgents.
• Ho City steps up economic ties with Lao partners (Vietnam NA)--Triet said that through his fact-finding tour of Vientiane, Champassak and Savanakhet provinces, he found that HCMC could share expriences with Lao localities and help them in training personnel and developing a commodity economy

Le 5 Septembre 2001

• Laos: Prime minister presides over monthly government meeting ( BBC MS/FT)--During the meeting, the govt reviewed & endorsed the draft reports on the implementation of the socioeconomic development projects & the state budget plan for fiscal year 2000-2001. The meeting reviewed & endorsed
• Hmong New Year celebration turns 10 (Stevens Point Journal)--The New Year is coming a little earlier for the Stevens Point Hmong community. To take advantage of the warm weather, the Hmong community is having a pre-New Year celebration at Lake Pacawa, Plover.
• Mekong road network would spread AIDS (Reuters/AOL)--"The movement of vehicles transporting goods, passengers & tourists will significantly increase," the U.N. said in a report released at a signing ceremony between China, Laos, Thailand & Vietnam to collaborate on AIDS
• Southeast Asian parliamentarians call for anti-crime measures (AFP/Yahoo! Asia)--Southeast Asian parliamentarians wrapped up a meeting in the Thai capital with a call for ASEAN countries to fight transnational crime & introduce reforms to boost economic growth. Some 250 lawmakers from the ASEAN
• SEA Games: S'pore beat Cambodia 5-0 in soccer match; Myanmar beated Laos 4-0 (Channel NewsAsia/Yahoo! Singapore)--In day five of the SEA Games men's football competition in Malaysia, Singapore beat Cambodia 5-0 in their men's Group A football match on Wednesday...In an earlier game, Myanmar thrashed Laos 4-nil.

Le 6 Septembre 2001

• Communist Laos to hold municipal elections in 2002 (Reuters/AOL)--Laos said on Thursday it would hold municipal elections in 2002 for the first time in the country's 26-year communist history as part of reforms pledged to foreign donors last year. Kayyoun Yossayviboun told Reuters he had sent
• A Place for Heroes: Laotian American creates a neighborhood memorial (Asian Week)--“It’s going to be great to see the kids climbing up on this thing,” said Kettavong, 29, who at age 8 escaped with his family from Communist-led Laos in a canoe in 1980. After 2 years in a Thai refugee camp, they found
• Laos purchases electricity from China (BBC MS/FT)--Under the agreement, the Chinese side will sell electricity from 2,000 to 6,000 kilowatts, at the rate of 0.45 yuan per kilowatt-hour, to Louang Namtha Province in accordance with the latter's actual consumption.
• Chinese delegation leaves for Laos & Vietnam (Xinhua NA or backup)--A delegation of cadres from the Communist Party of China (CPC) left Kunming Thursday for a goodwill visit to Laos and Vietnam. The delegation, headed by Liu Peng...is paying the visit at the invitation of the Lao PRP
• Leader Luo Gan addresses China-Laos-Burma-Thailand drugs conference (BBC MS/FT)--State Councillor Luo Gan addressed a narcotics control forum in Beijing attended by senior officials from Thailand, Laos and Burma. Luo affirmed China's commitment to stamping out the drugs trade within its own borders
• AIPO meeting: Free-trade efforts and reform backed but support needed -- Some ASEAN members need help to change laws (Bangkok Post)--The parliamentarians also saw the need to enhance legislative capacities particularly for new ASEAN members -- Burma, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam. They were worried about political, economic, legal & institutional

Le 7 Septembre 2001

• Laotian in SEA Games: Young Sanasith holds his own in men’s game (The Star)--The only bright spark in winless Laos in the ongoing men's SEA Games football competition is the presence of Sanasith Anolack. The 13-year old Sanasith did his country proud when he stepped onto the field last night as
• Lao/Thai cuisine: Get the best of both worlds (Seattle Times) --A message on a popular restaurant discussion Web site caught my eye. The author praised the fare at Viengthong, a venerable Lao/Thai restaurant at the foot of Beacon Hill, but doubted it was the kind of place that would
• Laos province enlists SAJH to improve water supply system (The Star)--Water management company SAJH Holdings Sdn Bhd has been invited to take part in the development of the water distribution system in Laos' northern province of Phongsaly. The province...wanted the company to
• Asians see big hurdles for new world trade round (Reuters/Yahoo! Singapore or backup)--While Southeast Asian countries back the launching of a new trade round they see major hurdles that need to be overcome if that is to happen in Qatar in November, Thai and Philippine officials said on Friday.

Le 8 Septembre 2001

• TOT to offer Net calls to region (The Nation) --The TOT board approved charge rates for the state agency's planned service to Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia & Burma. Calling between 7am & 6pm, users will be charged Bt10 per minute, and Bt6.50/min for calls..

Le 9 Septembre 2001

• Religious persecution in Laos (Lao Human Rights Council)--Communist Lao government has arrested and imprisoned more than 250 Hmong and Lao religious leaders, pastors and believers and closed down more than 60 Christian churches and religious institutions and organizations
• Hmong struggle for acceptance (Stevens Point Journal)--People in central Wisconsin need to learn more about the Hmong culture to help bridge a gap between communities, attendees at a cultural event said Saturday. "The general population doesn't know about us," said Xao Chia
• St. Paul prayer walk brings people together (Star Tribune)--In the parking lot of First Hmong Assembly of God in east St. Paul, a group of about 30 people -- Hmong from the church and white congregants from Mount Olivet Assembly of God in Apple Valley -- talked together under

Le 10 Septembre 2001

• ADB to invest up to US$5 MLN in SME Fund for Indochina (Asia Pulse/Yahoo! Singapore) --The Asian Development Bank said it had approved an investment of up to US$5 million in a fund to support small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. ADB will invest up to US$5 million, or 25%
• Editorial: Continuing denial helps AIDS spread (Bangkok Post/FT or backup) --First, those with somewhat open minds: Vietnam & Laos. AIDS has started taking hold in those countries, crossing their borders from China & Cambodia. Officials in Hanoi & Vientiane pleaded they have little money to

Le 11 Septembre 2001

• Thailand to grant GSP rights to three neighbours (Reuters/Yahoo! Singapore)--Thailand would soon give preferential tariff treatment for products imported from Laos, Vietnam & Myanmar...Reduced tariff rates under Thailand's GSP of zero to five percent would be adopted mostly for agricultural products
• Japan: Recession culls volunteer field for JICA (Yomiuri Shimbun)--As of the end of last Feb., JICA had dispatched about 21,000 volunteers from around the country to 71 developing nations since it first sent its first team of volunteers to Laos in 1965. In principle, volunteers sign up for
• Editorial: How to turn off the refugee flood (Bangkok Post)--Less than 20 years ago, Thailand provided shelter for more than one million refugees from Indochina, China and Burma. That emergency has ended. Although the country still houses tens of thousands of unfortunate people

Le 12 Septembre 2001

• ASEAN economic ministers meet with Japanese economic minister (Vietnam NA)--The ministers exchanged views on commerce and investment relations between ASEAN and Japan, noting that ASEAN's exports to Japan in 2000 increased by 38.1 percent year on year to USD 52 billion.
• ASEAN, Japan look to enhance economic cooperation (BBC MS/FT)--The ASEAN & Japan formally decided Wed. to launch a group of experts with a view to exploring ways to accelerate economic co-op & integrate their economies. "We have decided to establish the ASEAN-Japan Closer
• 4th ASEAN Plus Three consultation meeting held in Hanoi (BBC MS/FT or backup) --Ministers at the meeting stressed the need to increase foreign investment and persistently exercise outward-looking policies. They spoke highly of the implementation of the regional economic integration programme
• ASEAN-EU consultation press briefing opens with statement on U.S. attacks (BBC MS/FT or backup) --The ministerial statement said: "ASEAN Economic Ministers and the EU Commissioner strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001 and underlined the need for

Le 13 Septembre 2001

• S Korea Daewoo Eng sells Laos power plant stake to Dutch Co (Dow Jones/Yahoo! Singapore)--South Korea's Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. (Q.DWR) said Thursday it sold all of its 60% stake in a hydro power plant project in Laos to Belgelectric Finance B.V. of the Netherlands for $30 million.
• Korea Daewoo Const says sells 197 bln won in assets (Reuters/Yahoo! Singapore) --South Korea's Daewoo Engineering and Construction said it had sold a hydroelectric power plant in Laos for 166 billion won ($129.2 million) and a hotel in Bulgaria for 31 billion won to secure liquidity.
• Wellstone attaches Hmong provision to bill (AP/Star Tribune)--Sen. Paul Wellstone has added an amendment to an appropriations bill that would extend the Hmong Naturalization Act by 18 months. The original law allows Laotians recruited by the CIA for covert military actions during
• Asia-Pacific patent office chiefs agree to support LDCs (Kyodo NS/AOL)--Heads of patent offices from 23 Asia-Pacific nations concluded their 2-day gathering in Tokyo on Thursday with a statement calling for closer co-op & a special emphasis on the needs of less developed countries (LDCs).
• Vietnamese radio reports outcome of ASEAN talks with EU, dialogue partners (BBC MS/FT)--At the meeting on ASEAN-EU trade and investment relations, the ministers agreed on the urgency of intensifying ASEAN-EU economic co-op and expressed support for further reducing non-tariff barriers so as to facilitate

Le 14 Septembre 2001

• Tractebel buys 80 pct of Laos hydro project (Reuters/Yahoo! Singapore, backup or BBC MS)--Tractebel said it had agreed with its Thai partner MCL to acquire an 80% stake in a hydroelectric dam project in Laos. Tractebel and its partner agreed to acquire the controlling stake -- including 100 percent of the debt
• SEA Games: Laos, Cambodia celebrate first golds (AP/CNN Sports Illustrated or backup) --Cambodia & Laos celebrated their first Southeast Asian Games gold medals Friday... Laotian teen-agers Soulasid Khamvongsa & Saysamone Sengdao beat Thailand's Thaleungkiat and Ardhaphon Kanthaphalee 13-8 for women
• 21st SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (XXI SEA Games official site) --Medal tally for Laos: 1 gold; 2 silvers (Phetsamone Chantani, petanque) , 7 bronzes; total: 10; Laos is ranked 8th in medal counts out of 10 countries in ASEAN (ahead of Brunei & Cambodia)
• ASEAN economic ministers meet in Hanoi (AFP/Australian BC)--Southeast Asian economic ministers say they are on track to meet a series of trade tariff reductions by 2002. The ministers from the 10-nation ASEAN met in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi to discuss progress in the tariff
• ASEAN cuts investment deadline (News 24 or Reuters/Yahoo) --The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Friday to speed up the removal of barriers to investment, saying uncertainty after the terror attacks in the United States made this more urgent.

Le 15 Septembre 2001

• Lao president sends condolences to George W. Bush (BBC MS/FT)--The message reads: The Lao government, the Lao people, & I have learned of the unprecedentedly destructive attacks of the World Trade Centre & the Pentagon, which have caused great loss of life and property damages.
• DTI asked to review tariff duty on fabrics (Manila Bulletin) --In ASEAN, the Philippines has the lowest tariff rate on spun yarn at 3% compared to 5% of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos and 15% of Vietnam. On the other hand, even the country's tariff rate on spun yarn to
• ASEAN ministers told global slowdown leaves no room for complacency (AFP/Yahoo! Asia) --The worsening global slowdown means southeast Asia cannot afford to be complacent in its efforts to win back lost investment, Viet PM Phan Van Khai told regional economy ministers Saturday as they launched annual talks
• ASEAN: Terror attacks add uncertainty to already murky economic outlook (AP/The Star or backup) --Southeast Asian economic ministers said Saturday the terror attacks in America thrust major uncertainty into global financial markets, clouding the region's outlook for growth at a time when it already is facing challenges
• World changed forever after attacks, Singapore says (Reuters/Yahoo!) --Singapore warned Southeast Asean partners on Sat. that the terror attacks on the U.S. had changed the world forever and called for a galvanizing of energies to prepare for an uncertain future. "The world has changed

Le 16 Septembre 2001

• Suspicious death: Police say Pipat is in Laos (The Nation) --A former lecturer at Bangkok's National Institute of Devt Administration, wanted for questioning after his wife died in suspicious circumstances, is in Laos. Police say Pipat Lueprasitsakul fled from Thailand to Laos to avoid
• SEA Games: Thais help out Laotian archers (The Star) --THE Thais and Laotians may be rivals in archery but they are almost one team. After all, the Thais are paying for Laos’ participation in the Games. The National Archery Association of Thailand not only paid for the Laotians'

Le 17 Septembre 2001

• Viet, Lao and Thai provinces promote trade cooperation (Vietnam NA) --Prospects of economic, trade and investment cooperation of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand's seven central provinces sharing Laos' Road No. 8 were discussed in Nong Khai province of Thailand.
• Sixty-two Viet experts to help Congo and Laos in agricultural production (Vietnam NA) --Vietnam will send 62 experts to Congo and Laos to help these countries in agricultural production under an agreement reached between Vietnam, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Congo and Laos.
• Belarusian president sacks ambassador to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand (BBC MS/FT)--Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, by his decree, has relieved Aleh Chakunkow of the post of ambassador to Vietnam. He was also ambassador at large to Laos and Thailand. There are no details yet about
• Southeast Asia cautions U.S. on retaliation (Reuters/Yahoo!) --Southeast Asia has urged the U.S. to investigate thoroughly before ordering retaliation for last week's terror attacks, Thai FM Surakiart Sathirathai said. "Every country, including all in ASEAN , would like to see the U.S. obtain
• ASEAN & Australia agree to enhance trade relations (Asia Pulse/Northern LT) --The Australian has government hailed an agreement reached by ASEAN, Australian and New Zealand economic ministers to establish a CEP to boost the economic integrity of ASEAN's 12 member countries.

Le 18 Septembre 2001

• ASEAN agree to cooperate in IT standardization (Korea Herald or backup)--Korea, Japan, China & the ASEAN agreed Monday to strengthen cooperation through joint efforts to adopt standards for information technology (IT), according to the Ministry of Information & Communication.

Le 19 Septembre 2001

• Japanese loan for Mekong bridge (Bangkok Post) --The loan carries a 1% annual interest rate, to be repaid in 20 years with a 10-year grace period. A similar deal was also concluded in Vientiane. The Thai & Lao govts will share the cost of building the bridge to Savannakhet
• Judge commits mother accused of killing children (AP/Star Tribune)--The civil commitment order by Ramsey County District Judge Michael T. DeCourcy sends Mee Xiong, 27, to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter for 60 days, said Stephen McLaughlin, an assistant county attorney.
• Judge commits woman (Pioneer Planet)--The ruling came after psychiatrists testified that Mee Xiong was in the grip of hallucinations and delusions that included ghosts and spirits threatening her and voices commanding her to harm herself and others.
• Big investors skipping ASEAN (Straits Times/FT or backup)--North-east Asia has considerably surpassed ASEAN countries in terms of foreign direct investments generated last year, with Hong Kong's US$64bn alone dwarfing the combined total of US$14bn in 10 ASEAN countries
• New Zealand to build up links with ASEAN countries (News Room)--New Zealand would work with Australia and 10 south-east Asian countries to increase regional integration, Trade Minister Jim Sutton said today. New Zealand, Australia, & the ASEAN countries had taken a significant step
• China's WTO entry escalates pressure on other Asian economies (AFP/Yahoo! Singapore)--As the global community welcomes China's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), regional policymakers are nervously assessing how they can cope with the Asian giant's irreversible economic ascendency

Le 20 Septembre 2001

Le 21 Septembre 2001

• Vietnam, Laos, Thailand in boost highway cooperation (Asia Pulse/Yahoo! Singapore)
  Trade officials of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have agreed to boost co-operation along the National Highway 8. National Highway 8 is a major trade artery that runs through seven provinces in the three countries.
• Mekong countries look at global crime (Bangkok Post, or FT)--Five Mekong subregional countries have been working out legal strategies to combat transnational crime. Officials from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China & Thailand looked at law enforcement
• Battered wife’s body cremated by relatives (The Nation)
  The remains of the wife of a former university lecturer, whom police believe unintentionally killed her & later fled to Laos, was cremated by her relatives on Saturday. Wanna Sakulthong said her older sister’s body was cremated
• Viet & Lao Friendship Associations to promote co-op (Vietnam NA) --Both sides reviewed the two associations' activities and agreed upon their coordination in organising activities in 2002 to mark the 40th anniversary of both countries' diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the signing
• Philippines to raise anti-terrorism front at ASEAN summit (AFP/Yahoo! Asia)--Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said Friday she would push for the creation of a regional anti-terrorist front at the annual meeting of Southeast Asian leaders in November. The Philippines put forward the idea as

Le 22 Septembre 2001

• Vietnam helps train Lao management cadres (Vietnam NA)--A refresher course on State management knowledge, the fourth of its kind, was opened by the National Administrative Institute in Hanoi on Sept. 21 for 20 Lao provincial & district-level cadres. The students will study 24 subjects
• Alien workers registration: More than 500,000 likely to apply for their papers -- Permits to be issued in just three hours (Bangkok Post)--The labour ministry expects more than 500,000 alien workers to turn up for
  registration running from Monday to Oct 13. The ministry said it hoped to process applications and issue work permits within three hours.
• Manila: ASEAN may form anti-terror front (Sun Star/Yahoo! Singapore)--President Arroyo said Friday she would push for the creation of a regional anti-terrorist front at the annual meeting of Southeast Asian leaders in Nov. The government put forward the idea as Washington called for a global war

Le 23 Septembre 2001

• Hmong want to build $1.5 million complex -- New cultural center would serve growing Southeast population (Charlotte Observer or backup)--Leaders of the state's Hmong community plan to build a $1.5million complex near Newton as a base for their fast-growing group. The ambitious project would be the first of its kind in the Carolinas for the Laotian natives and will
• Thailand to launch drive to register migrant labour (Reuters/Yahoo! Singapore)
  Thailand's government will launch on Monday a campaign to register around two million illegal immigrants in the latest attempt to stem the tide of workers from impoverished Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Le 24 Septembre 2001

• Fighter pilots recall decorated past during Durango reunion (Durango Herald) --The Sheraton Tamarron Resort was the reunion headquarters for the Misty Forward Air Controllers, an all-volunteer group of F-100 Super Sabre pilots who flew missions over North Vietnam and Laos from 1967-70.
• From Laos to America: an organic farmer's tale (Christian Science Monitor or backup)--On a small plot of land in a rural community east of Seattle, Kao Lee Cha considers her labor as an organic farmer... Ms. Cha once lived high in the picturesque mountains of Laos
• Controlling the weather (The Guardian)--For five years Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were sprayed during the monsoons, and military intelligence claimed that rainfall was increased by a third in some places. It only came to an end in March 1971 when journalist

Le 25 Septembre 2001

• Foreign labour: Delays mar first day of registration -- Problems blamed on staff shortages (Bangkok Post) --In Chiang Rai, Vinij Niyomkul said a total 1,163 employers had expressed their intention to have 5,052 Burmese, 103 Laotians & 1 Cambodian worker registered. There are an estimated 6,000 foreign workers in the province
• Thailand allows illegals to register for work permits (Australian BC) --More than one million migrants from Cambodia, Laos and Burma are believed to work in farms, factories and households in Thailand, doing jobs Thais don't want. They usually earn less than half the Thai minimum wage. 
• Thousands flock for work permits (The Nation) --PM Thaksin Shinawatra decided to allow illegal migrants from Burma, Laos & Cambodia to apply for work permits by paying Bt4,450 for registration, a health examination & other fees. The fee is payable in two instalments

Le 26 Septembre 2001

• Valley Hmong raise $68,284 for new homeland (Fresno Bee)---They know war. They fought for their own country in the 1970s alongside U.S. soldiers. After losing their homeland of Laos, members of Fresno's Hmong community of 31,000 need no words to show the love they have for
• Southeast Asia drug flow up as Afghan border closed (Reuters/Ledger Inquirer or Reuters/Yahoo!) ---The notorious "Golden Triangle,'' where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos converge, now monopolizes the Asian drugs trade as supply from Afghanistan - the world's leading supplier of opium - has effectively stopped
• UN drugs warning for Asia (BBC News) ---The Reuters news agency quoted an official as saying the 'Golden Triangle' of Burma, Thailand & Laos will now monopolise the Asian drugs trade. The warning was delivered in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, by Sandro
• Foreign workers can toil legitimately (Bangkok Post)---The registration of illegal migrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia got off to a shaky start on Monday. Malfunctioning computers and digital cameras and a shortage of staff, among other things, caused unnecessary
• Have toque, will travel (Anchorage Daily News) ---So when the opportunity arose, she & her husband took off for two years to travel the world. Toward the end of the trip, they settled in Laos for several months, & she taught English & helped a woman set up a small restaurant.

Le 27 Septembre 2001

• ASEAN won't lose to China -- Issue not that simple, says US expert (Bangkok Post) --American investment in Thailand and other countries in ASEAN will not shift to China as a result of Beijing's membership of the WTO, an economics expert says. This is because ASEAN and China offer different choices
• Analysis: Singapore, Malaysia pact seen spurring ASEAN (Reuters/AOL or Reuters/Yahoo!) --A rekindling of ties between Singapore and Malaysia could breathe life into flagging ASEAN nations if their recent accord on various issues including water and airspace use is more than just a narrowing of differences.

Le 28 Septembre 2001

• ADB and Laotian Govt form poverty alleviation scheme (Asia Pulse/Yahoo! Singapore, backup or ADB)--The agreement, signed by the Laotian Deputy PM Thongloun Sisoulith and ADB Vice President (West) Myoung-Ho Shin, aims to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty to 10 per cent from the current 39% by 2010.
• ADB to extend up to $60 mln/yr for Laos programme (Reuters/AOL)--The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Friday it and the Laos government signed a poverty reduction programme in which the agency would provide annual low-interest loans of $45-55 million per year.
• Working group to be setup to implement transport agreements with Laos, Thailand and ASEAN (Vietnam NA)
  A working group will be set up to implement the Viet-Lao & Viet-Thai agreements on facilitating cross-border passenger and cargo transport and the ASEAN framework agreement on facilitation of goods transit.
• Last chance for Thai-Lao boat racing (The Nation) --If you are up in the Northeast, don't miss the first "Chao Lam Nam Kong" boat racing festival between Thailand and Laos. The event, which wraps tomorrow, is being held along the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom
• Terrorist attacks move Hmong; some say they would fight again (Green Bay Press-Gazette)
  Some are ready to again take up arms & fight for the U.S., as they did in Laos in the early 1970s. Bao Xiong’s father called her while she watched the attacks in New York & Washington, D.C., & told her he would go to war
• Second murder strikes same Oroville family (Oroville Mercury Register)--An autopsy was conducted on Oroville resident Mike Vang, 30, on Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001. The cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to an updated press release by Sgt. John
• China eyes Mekong River for development (AP/Las Vegas Sun)--Critics warn that China is ignoring potentially disastrous effects on farms & fisheries in the other 5 countries that share the Mekong - Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Burma. "China acts like it doesn't need to care about
• Glitches in signups of illegals ‘over’ (The Nation)--In the first 3 days of registration, 39,160 illegal immigrants had registered: 32,558 from Burma, 3,787 from Laos, & 2,181 from Cambodia. About 10,000 registered workers were employed in plantation works.

Le 29 Septembre 2001

Le 30 Septembre 2001