"Lao Villagers Demand Investigation of Polluting Chinese, Vietnamese Farms", 4 November 2020

Villagers in southeastern Laos’ Sekong province are voicing alarm over the use by Chinese and Vietnamese farms of heavily polluting chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and are calling on government authorities to inspect the farms, cancel contracts, and take back the land.

Sources in Laos say the foreign-invested concessions are ignoring regulations banning the use of chemicals on large banana and sugarcane farms and orchards, and put in place after years of reported illnesses and deaths caused by the chemicals’ use.

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Investors from China and Vietnam have recently come to Sekong’s Tha Teng district in large numbers to start farms and are polluting local land and rivers, harming people’s livelihoods, a district villager said.

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Also speaking to RFA, an official from Sekong’s Department of Planning and Investment said that authorities will begin soon to investigate local concessions, and will fine or cancel the contracts of investors found not to be following the rules.

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