14/12/2011
Bangkok Post
Concerns are mounting that the US$3.7-billion Xayaburi Dam cannot proceed after the four-member Mekong River Commission delayed the project pending further environmental study.
Analysts said the decision at last week's MRC meeting disappointed the Thai market and raised concerns about the outlook of Ch. Karnchang (CK), Thailand's No. 3 construction company by value and the project's developer.
In a joint statement released after the meeting, the commission said Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand would ask the Japanese government and other international partners to help assess the impact of planned hydropower dams on the Mekong.
Chaiyatorn Sricharoen, an analyst at Bualuang Securities, sees the possibility of cancellation.
"Although the management of CK has remained confident that the project can go ahead," he said, "we have started to see that the ecosystem and sustainability of the lower Mekong have more weight than the benefits of selling the electricity from the dam."
According to Bualuang, the US Congress, which has influence on the MRC, seems to be opposed to Xayaburi for its possible impact on the environment.
More than 90% of the electricity from Xayaburi, with its capacity of 1,285 megawatts, would supply Thailand. The project is scheduled for commercial operation in early 2019.
CK owns a 57.5% stake in Xayaburi, with PTT Plc and Electricity Generating Plc holding 25% and 12.5%.
Nat Panassutrakorn, an analyst at KGI Securities, said the MRC resolution surprised the market and raised uncertainty about the viability of the project.
"Although the Laotian government has the final say," he said, "there is a political effort behind the scenes and development of Xayaburi is critical to the rest of the planned dams along the Mekong River."
The Xayaburi Dam, in northern Laos, is the first of 11 dams planned for the lower Mekong. Some 60 million people depend on the river and its tributaries for food, water and transportation.
"Currently, it depends on how much the information to be found by the Japanese side can back up the project," Mr Nat said.
CK executives could not be reached for comment. But SouthEast Asia Energy, the company overseeing the engineering works, reaffirmed that the possible impact to the environment was taken into account in CK's study presented to the Laotian government.
"It seems to me that the MRC decision does not directly mention further study of Xayaburi, but the general Mekong River," said Somkuan Watakeekul, SEAN's managing director. "The study we did covers all the concerning aspects, and we invest a lot to minimise environmental impact."
CK shares closed Tuesday at 7.70 baht, up 5 satang, in trade worth 41 million baht.
6 comments:
Thank God for the delay and hopefully terminated altogether. Like the article said, environmental destruction is far greater than a few benefits for one regional consumption.
Please keep the Mighty Mekong River from further development.
we know the thai company backed the laos dam on the mekong. it means the thai company and the laos gov't don't care about the impact it will have on cambodia, a down stream country with millions of people depended for their livelihood from the international river, the mekong which flow mostly through flat cambodian landscape. i hope thailand and laos consider the impact the dam have on cambodia down streams. if they build the dam anyway, it will say a lot about them toward cambodia. so, for diplomatic sake, i hope they take cambodia's concerns into consideration, etc...
Approximately 400 000 Cambodians are living in America and even though some of them are can't speak Khmer but they are still American origin from Cambodia. They must also participate in help Cambodia such as support more democracy in Sros Khmer like USA.
So if we all donate $1 per week to help improve Cambodia democracy activities in Cambodia that will be great help. This is the spirite of America, $1 per week from each Cambodian in American will be approximately $ 300 000 to $ 400 000 per week to promote democracy in Cambodia.
In Canada, Australia and New Zealand, approximately 200 000 Cambodians are living there too. They can help too.
In Europ, Approximately 300 000 Cambodians are living there too. They can help too.
Only $1 per week from each Cambodians oversea, that is not much to improve Khmer Voices to be more heard in UN, America goverment and the world to know our suffering and what are really happen in Cambodia today.
The question is Can we as Cambodian origin help this come true?
That money will use to make real Khmer people voices to be heard in UN and in America goverment and the world.
Khmer oversea should have independent TV channel and Radio station in Cambodia to educate Cambodian people in Cambodia to know the true histories of Khmer.
Can we all make these come true for $1 per week only to help our khmer nation?
i think for overseas khmer people to contribute, people like this srp political party have to prove to the people their effectiveness and their unity, not division, not run away and hide overseas when they stir up problems in cambodia, not incompetent, etc... that's why people don't support political party like srp. i think srp members are biased and unfair to cambodia. i think people like to see unity, not division, not bickering, not disunity, etc, you know! don't tell me that srp never heard the phrase: unite we will stand! maybe srp people need to go back to school of logic, etc, really!
srp uses too much hate and jealousy and race card, etc, that it distracted them from real focus as in the interest of cambodia's national interest! maybe they are stupid and ignorant like the primitive KR regime themself. everyone will see to it!
Hey Dumb Vietgooks and Vietgook lady Ms. Soap, Smart Asses/Clever Killers! Khmer people are not dumb, but Khmer people are very peaceful people who don't create warm. You Dumb Vietgooks like to make wars and play games with other. It is too late for your Vietgook to play the dirty tricks like your Vietgook had done in the past like the Vietgook War with Americans. Then You Vietgook the create the secret and dirty plan in the blind eyes of International communities and you have tried to fool foreigners as much as you can. However, you, Vietgooks can't because Khmer people all over the world and international communities caught your bad and evil acts, playing to be smart ass to kill Khmer and Laotian people to spread ugliest Vietgookization that has ugly culture and ugly tone.
Go ahead to spread the Vietgookization, Ms. Vietgook Lady, Ms. Soap. You are very good to deceive men to show some cock for you, but no man want to fuck your ugly Virgina even though you are so pretty Vietgook lady and because you are a very bad lady to cause a lot of problem in Cambodia and support your illegal Vietgooks living in Cambodia. What a mess, Ms. Vietgook lady Ms. Soap. You are no different as Vietgook secret agents hiding among Khmer society to quietly kill innocent Khmer people who are very peaceful people who did not like to make wars. You Ms. Soap and your Vietgooks try to kill innocent and peaceful Khmer people who live there where you ugly Vietgook bitch and your illegal Vietgooks living in Cambodian on purpose in order to steal land by your committed evil murderous acts and overtake everything from Cambodia. You Ms. Soap and your Vietgooks are the same as secret Vietgook/Yuon agents hiding among Khmer Rouges Regime that murdered innocent and people Khmer people, trying to accuse Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, and every Khmer Rouges as Killers instead. How clever and smart your Vietgooks and you Vietgook lady (named yourself Ms. Soap) are today. Stop playing the trick and dirty game or plan with Khmer people and foreigners or International Communities. You Vietgook lady and your Vietgooks always think the U.S. to ignore or that the U.S. does not know about your dirty secret plan to wipe out Khmer people and your Vietgooks manipulate the U.S. to hate innocent and peaceful Khmer people with no reason. Your Vietgooks keep fooling the U.S. and Europeans and International communities. We, Khmer people, have a lot of things to say how bad and evil you Vietgook lady and Vietgook folks are in everywhere around the globe.
If something occur badly between Yuon/Vietgook and Khmer people in the U.S., there will be a lot of noise about Vietgook country and folks that are dog eaters and eat everything animals and creatures until they are not existed anymore. Bad Vietgook dog eaters.
Please Khmer people in the U.S. and abroad let's make noise and chant on the street or protest against Vietgook folks like Ms. Soap and her evil Vietgook government in Cambodia and Laos to change and manipulate other foreigners in the blind eyes of International Communities.
Vietgook lady named herself Ms. Soap, tries to spread her dirty and unreliable comments to fool young Khmer, Vietgook children to confuse and be brainwashed to kill Khmer people, believe wrong and rewritten history about Vietgookization. Vietgook culture and language are very ugly and boring. Vietgook copied the ideas of how to make Khmer food everywhere their Vietgook restaurants. For example, fresh spring roll, rice mercelli, all kinds of Khmer food to be Vietgook food.
Please Khmer people make noise about Vietgook and don't wait until the world know how bad Vietgook fooks are because of the manipulation and accusation of this Vietgook Bitch named herself Ms. Soap.
Then the people in the world will stop Vietgook folks and government to kill Khmer people including Laotian people before Vietgook folks and their ugly government to take over the lands and make their ugly and disgusted Vietgookization/Vietnamization.
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