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Well after flying over Laos before touching down I saw first hand of the clear cutting. Very sad. I will say my stay in Laos has been extremely enjoyable but the clear cutting is a sad reminder of the corruption.
Jun 06, 2016 01:00 AM
Reply to this commentIf the Lao Government is serious, all they need to do is arrested Asang Laoly, Sisavath Keobounphanh, Khamtai Siphanhdone, Somsavath Lengsavath and their cronies---I bet these issues will be disappeared in days! But, sadly this is just to show to the world that the Lao Government is serious about illegal logging. In reality, the Lao Government is just a paper tiger trying to capture real Lions.
Oct 30, 2015 09:14 AM
Reply to this commentThese Lao officials are not investigating, they are trying to get a piece of the pie for themselves.
Oct 26, 2015 09:58 PM
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I recently had first hand experience with this issue when my wife (Lao National) was offered the opportunity to fell and remove some timber from a protected area of forest in southern Laos. Incredulously, the offer came from the commander of a small military detachment that was tasked with monitoring and protecting the forest in that district. Out of curiosity, we went out to have a look and I was amazed to see an area of at least 200 Ha that had been completely razed by a Vietnamese "horticulture" company. Once past this destruction and in the forest, there were tracks everywhere and the ever-present sound of chainsaws in every direction! Clearly, we were not the only party that had been offered access to the forest. When the authority charged with protecting the forest is "on the take", it is a fair bet that the corruption goes up the ladder by an ever-increasing scale. It will not be long until Laos is stripped of its forests and resembles a wasteland. I have photos and GPS references if anyone can use them effectively to stop this carnage of the forest.
Aug 05, 2016 09:32 AM
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