Vientiane Times

tuesDAY march 8, 2016

The First National English Language Newspaper

ISSUE 57

Govt vows to improve

healthcare services for women

Dr Inlavanh Keopbounphanh
addresses the meeting.

Times Reporters

The government has reaffirmed

its commitment to work closely
with the agencies concerned to
improve healthcare for women
around the country, as Laos
celebrates International Womens
Day today.
This was the main message
of an address by the President
of the Lao Womens Union, Dr
Inlavanh Keopbounphanh, at a
meeting held yesterday to mark
the 106th International Womens
Day.
Dr Inlavanh said the meeting
also aimed to encourage women
to better manage health issues
for themselves and their children.
The theme for Womens Day
this year is Planet 50-50 by 2030:
Step It Up for Gender Equality.

The United Nations

observance of the day will reflect
on how to accelerate the 2030
Agenda, building momentum for
the effective implementation of
the new Sustainable Development
Goals.
It will equally focus on
new commitments under UN
Womens Step It Up initiative,
and other existing commitments
on gender equality, womens
empowerment and womens
human rights.
The meeting in Vientiane
encouraged women to work
together in achieving Laos
socio-economic strategy plans,
especially for poverty reduction.
Participants learned about
nutrition, cervical cancer, the
effects of the menopause,
improving sanitation and the
prevention of communicable
diseases. Papers were delivered
by ministry officials and UN
agencies.
We hope women here will
use what they learn to improve
their quality of life and the
daily living conditions of their
families, Dr Inlavanh said.
She told participants the Lao
Womens Union planned to hold
activities such as a trade fair,
dancing, textile exhibition, and
various contests, to celebrate
Womens Day.
Each year on and around
March 8, the world joins in
celebrating Womens Day.

This year marks 106 years of

campaigning for change for the
women of the world, she said.
Dr Inlavanh also said the
day recognised and honoured
the progress made by women,
especially remembering those
who continued to suffer as victims
of oppression.
This day is also about greater
appreciation of the status and
situation of women in Laos,
and those in other developing
nations, she added.
UN agencies are committed
to supporting programmes
that contribute to achieving
targets centred on womens
development, with the United
Nations Development Fund for
Women playing a special role in
keeping the focus on these targets.
UNICEF globally addresses
gender equality in all of its
programming including in Laos.
Today the country celebrates
UNICEF partnerships with the
Lao government in achieving
great strides in the promotion
of gender equality and the
empowerment of women
Women and girls in many
countries continue to suffer the
majority of the burdens caused
by difficult living conditions,
including the task of collecting
water.
More than 300 women from
line ministries, the public
sector and NGOs attended
yesterdays meeting.

Civil service management

update a challenge for ministry
Times Reporters

Even though details concerning

civil servants are now available
online, the information is
unclear and does not allow the
introduction of online accounting
methods for salaries and other
payments.
The comment was made at
a meeting held in Vientiane last
week to review the management
of the civil servant database over
the past year.
According to the Ministry
of Home Affairs, as of today
a civil servant database has
been installed in 46 government
bodies and agencies. The system
records basic information
relating to more than 24,000
civil servants, or 13.5 percent
of all civil servants nationwide.

Mr Vixay Phandanouvong speaks

at the meeting.

The system allows the

ministry and other central level
agencies to access and check
statistics and the number of civil
servants employed by the 46

bodies and agencies at any time.

However, there are some
deficiencies, notably a shortage
of places to install IT equipment,
databases and network
administrators and programmers
at the Ministry of Home Affairs,
as well as at other ministries and
agencies.
Checks on civil servant
numbers and other information
are made four times a year in
every quarter before allocating
salaries and allowances.
Deputy Minister of Home
Affairs Mr Vixay Phandanouvong
said the database was directly
related to the budget so precise
information was needed.
For the system to function
efficiently, the ministry needs a
list of civil servants who move
Continued page 2

4500 kip

Road upgrade on the cards as

northern travellers suffer

A section of Road No. 13 North on the way to Vangvieng district, Vientiane province.

Times Reporters

While bus and minivan

passengers put up with a rough
ride on the potholed Road No.13
North to Vangvieng district in
Vientiane province, officials are
considering its upgrade.
An official from the Ministry
of Public Works and Transport,
who asked not to be named, told
Vientiane Times on Monday parts
of Road No. 13 North through
Vientiane province are breaking
up following damage during last
years rainy season but there
were plans afoot to remedy the
situation.
We have a plan to alter parts
of Road 13 North and Road 13
South to make them into twoand four-lane highways starting
from Vientiane, he said.
Right now, a study on tollway development has finished
and the ministry is assessing the
pros and cons of upgrading the
arterial highway to cater for the
increasing traffic volume.
Road 13 North may be
rebuilt from the Sikeut junction
in Vientiane to the bus station in
Vangvieng district, a distance of
142 kilometres.
Under consideration is
a plan to make 57km of the
road, running from the Sikeut

junction to Phonhong district in

Vientiane province, into a fourlane highway, followed by an
85km two-lane stretch from there
to Vangvieng, all of which would
be asphalted.
On Road 13 South, the
starting point is identified as
the Dongdok intersection in
Vientiane with redevelopment
all the way to Sivilay village in
Borikhamxay province, a total
length of 141km.
Meanwhile, a 100-km section
between the Phoupha area in
Phonhong district and Kasy
district in Vientiane province is
proving quite problematic for
motorists.
The poor condition of the road

is causing distress to travellers,

who are jolted unpleasantly as
they pass over the many bumps.
Every year sections of
various roads and bridges around
the country are damaged by
floods and landslides as a result
of torrential rain.
Roads also rapidly deteriorate
due to the frequent passage of
heavy trucks carrying timber,
cement, rocks and other loads.
According to the Vientiane
provincial Public Works and
Transport Department, the
current problem has occurred
because of the age of the road. It
was also built to withstand only
loads of 9 tonnes per axle, but
many trucks carry heavier loads.

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2 Home news

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Ministry embarks on
nutrition programme

Times Reporters

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is

gearing up to implement four priority measures
to support a practical plan for 2016-2020 and a
national strategy on nutrition until 2025, with
a focus on agriculture.
Deputy Head of the ministrys Planning
Division, Ms Phimmasone Xaymontry, told a
multi-sectoral nutrition workshop recently that
officials were working hard to implement these
measures.
The first objective is to increase the production
of food that has a high nutritional value. This
includes garden vegetables, medicinal plants, seeds
that provide oil, mushrooms and other forest foods.
The necessary equipment and infrastructure will be
provided, such as small-scale irrigation systems,
along with services to advise on appropriate

farming methods.
The second measure requires the ministry
to promote the production of animal meat for
family consumption. This includes poultry,
fish and other aquatic creatures. The provision
of basic infrastructure and the necessary
equipment, including small-scale irrigation
systems and agricultural services, are again
important for the success of this initiative.
The third measure will require support for
post-harvest production. This includes the use
of machinery to dry crops so they can be stored
and provide a source of nutrition for families
year-round.
The last objective will see the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry promote activities that
earn an income. These include the sale of crops
and forest products such as mushrooms and
medicinal plants, through sustainable processes.

Schoolchildren learn how untreated

water harms the environment

Teachers and students from

Khualuang Prim ary School
have been visiting drainage
canals to learn firsthand about
the negative effects of pollution
on the capitals waterways and
community.
The environmental education
activity is part of the Project
for Urban Water Environment
Improvement in Vientiane
with students visiting several
drainage canals accompanied
by the projects water and
environmental consultant, Mr
Tatsuya Tobe.
The project is targeting
primary schools in Chanthabouly
district: Khualuang,
Nongbuathong, Phonsimuan
and Sihorm.
Head of the Project for
Urban Water Environment
Improvement in Vientiane, Mr
Khammone Chommanivong,
last week explained the project
to the media.
From this activity today
students can see how water
quality in the drainage canals and

Petrol station attendant dies

after tanker catches fire

Times Reporters

Vientiane provincial police are

trying to determine the cause of a
fire involving two fuel tankers on
Saturday in Phonsavang village,
Phonhong district, Vientiane
province.
Police believe the fire started
when the two fuel tankers were
offloading petrol but do not know
what caused the fire to ignite. The
explosion produced flames that
killed a young attendant named
as Mr Toy, 19.
He grew up in Dongnakham
village, Kaysone Phomvihane

Mr Khammone
Chommanivong
(second left)
and students
from Khualuang
Primary School
visit a drainage
canal in
Chanthabouly
district.

Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth

A blackened fuel tanker stands at the petrol station in Phonsavang village, Phonhong district, Vientiane
province, after catching fire on Saturday.

marshes has been getting worse

due to the increasing discharge of
domestic wastewater from urban
areas, he said.
He said a strategy was
needed for the construction of
wastewater treatment facilities
in the future with viable financial
mechanisms for wastewater
treatment maintenance to
deal with the polluted canals
and reduce odour due to the
increasing discharge of domestic
and industrial wastewater in the
city.
The improvement of a proper
wastewater management system
including the formulation of a
management plan, establishment
of monitoring systems for
pollution sources and river
water quality was essential, Mr
Khammone added.
He said most of the untreated
wastewater produced in the city
centre came from factories,
hotels, hospitals, restaurants and
government offices.
Mr Khammone also revealed
that the biochemical oxygen
demand of water in all the main
drainage channels, except the

Hongxeng channel which flows

normally, was at dangerous
levels.
He noted that the construction
cost of a treatment plant would be
triple that of a water supply plant.
Meanwhile, the authority had
considered building dispersed
treatment systems before the
public waste treatment plant
could be realised.
The three-year Project for
Urban Water Environment
Improvement in Vientiane
started in 2014 with support
from the Japanese government
through the Japan International
Cooperation Agency, aiming
to build the capacity of Lao
officials from central to local
levels.
According to 2012 statistics,
Vientiane has about 800,000
residents. Although the city
has received support from
numerous development partners
for drainage improvement since
1990, sewage has increased in
water channels and marshes due
to the increased discharge of
waste following economic and
population growth.

Civil service management... from page 1

from one workplace to another, their retirement allowance and pension, the reason for leaving the job,
and other information concerning retirement.
Mr Vixay said despite concerted efforts to modernise the system, its development and the methods
used to determine civil servant numbers remains slow. In the meantime, figures relating to the increase
and decrease in numbers cannot be considered reliable.
He said changes to names, dates of birth, and the date that people entered the civil service were
issues that needed constant improvement, and the management of civil servants personal history needed
to be modernised.
Use of the internet and information technology remains weak in many ministries and organisations,
which is an obstacle to the modernisation of civil servant database management.
According to an official at the ministrys Civil Service Management division, most information
relating to civil servants is in hard copy form. The translation of this information into soft copies stored
on computers was a hard task for the ministry.
A plan is in place for an online link between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of
Finance, which should help to ease the situation.

district, Savannakhet province,

but had recently moved to
Huaython village, Phonhong
district, to stay with his relatives.
A senior official with the
provinces Fire Prevention and
Protection Police Department,
who asked not to be named, said
the petrol station was owned by
Mr Khamphouvone, 55, who
lived in Phonsavang village and
had operated the facility for a
long time.
Two pick-up trucks nearby
were also damaged in the fire.
Four fire engines were
called to the scene to subdue the

flames and ensure the tankers

were safe.
The fire started at about
2:30pm but firefighters
remained at the scene until after
2am to make sure there was no
risk that another fire would be
ignited. It took them a long time
to fully control the fire and to
pump water inside the burning
tankers to quell the flames.
The police officer said it was
the first incident of its kind in
Vientiane province.
Police are now investigating
the cause of the blaze and
assessing the cost of the damage.

Japan funds livelihood

improvement project
Times Reporters

The government of Japan has

provided grant assistance worth
over US$100,000 to the Japan
International Volunteer Centre
(JVC), a Japanese non-profit
organisation.
The funding will support
livelihood improvement in
13 villages in Savannakhet
province through the
Project for food security
and livelihood improvement
through sustainable
agriculture and communitybased natural resource

management (phase 3).

A grant contract for the
project was signed last week
at the Japanese Embassy in
Vi e n t i a n e , b e t w e e n t h e
Ambassador of Japan to Laos
Mr Takeshi Hikihara and JVC
Representative Ms Masahito
Hirano.
The grant will fund activities
in the third year of this three-year
project.
Through this project, about
1,500 households in 13 villages
of Phin and Atsaphon districts
will enjoy benefits such as shared
knowledge and farming methods

Lao Press in Foreign Languages

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to increase the productivity of

rice cultivation and reduce risks
from agriculture through the
diversification of produce and an
insurance scheme.
This project also aims to
improve access to safe drinking
water and the conservation of
forests.
JVC has been working in
Laos mainly in agriculture and
rural development since 1989.
It initiated similar projects in 17
villages in the same province
from 2008 to 2010, and this
phase is covering the remaining
13 villages.
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Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Asean mourns passing

of last founding father

Times Reporters

Foreign Ministers from the 10 Asean member

countries have expressed condolences in a
statement on the death of former Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the
Kingdom of Thailand, Dr Thanat Khoman,
the last surviving Founding Father who signed
the 1967 Bangkok Declaration to establish
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean).
The statement reads We, the Asean Foreign
Ministers, are saddened to learn that H.E.
Dr Thanat Khoman, former Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister of the Kingdom

of Thailand, the last surviving Founding Father

who signed the 1967 Bangkok Declaration,
passed away at the age of 102.
His immeasurable contribution and
dedication to the establishment of Asean laid
a solid foundation for the Asean Community.
On this sorrowful occasion, we would
like to express our deepest sympathy and
sincere condolences to his family through the
Government of the Kingdom of Thailand.
The Bangkok Declaration is the founding
document of Asean. It was signed in Bangkok
on August 8, 1967, by the five Asean founding
members - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand.

Police break up gang

of weapons dealers

Twelve suspects arrested by the Vientiane Police Headquarters last November on weapons-related
charges appear at a press conference on Friday.
--Photo SilikandaSouliyavong

Times Reporters

Vientiane police are pursuing

their investigations into a
network of people allegedly
selling weapons in Laos.
Addressing a press
conference on March 4,
Vientiane Police Headquarters
Deputy Chief, Lieutenant
Colonel Khampheng Xayalath,
said officials would step up
efforts to track down other
suspects involved in weapons
dealing and would seek to
obtain more information from
those already in police custody.
Police held the press
conference to inform the public
that they had broken up a gang
of weapons dealers and had
impounded a number of items
they were using as evidence
against the suspects.
Headquarters officials
reported they had arrested 12

people last November and

after carrying out further
investigations had arrested eight
more suspects later that month.
Officials have so far
arrested 20 people including
five women, and another group
of nine people from Thailand
including four women.
Police displayed items
seized as evidence, including
17 rifles and 11 pistols, 24
grenades, 693 bullets, three
knives, money and other
weapons-related items. They
had also confiscated crystal
methamphetamine and
amphetamines.
Lieutenant Colonel
Khampheng said they had
obtained a lot of useful
information from their sources
and then assigned officials to
carry out further investigations.
He said they wanted to
ascertain the truth of the

reports they had received

before submitting the case to
the Vientiane Administration
Office and the Ministry of
Public Security and asking for
authorisation to make arrests.
Police subsequently arrested
12 people on November 24,
2015, before expanding their
operations and arresting another
eight people over the next four
days.
Lieutenant Colonel
Khampheng said they had carried
out the wishes of the Vientiane
Administration Office to make
Vientiane a safe and peaceful
city, and had played their part in
ensuring stability in the capital.
Officials plan to continue to
protect the public from destructive
elements and said this case was
important in giving them leads to
pursue investigations into other
suspects connected to the trade
in weapons.

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Home news

Experts mull
development indicators

Dr Khamlien
Pholsena and
Ms Kaarina
Immonen
co-preside
over the
consultation
workshop.

Times Reporters

Experts from the Ministry of

Planning and Investment are
seeking to identify the best
indicators of monitoring and
evaluating the outcome of the
Eighth National Socio-Economic
Development Plan (NSEDP) and
sustainable development.
The ministry held a meeting
yesterday to discuss the issue
with stakeholders under the
Monitoring and Evaluation
Framework.
A total of 165 indicators have
been identified for the Monitoring
and Evaluation Framework over
the next five years. Of these, 55
indicators are in the areas of
economics, 87 relate to cultural
and social issues, seven concern
the environment, and another 16
indicators are cross-cutting.
Some 61 indicators relate to
the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs),

covering 37 percent of all

indicators in the monitoring and
evaluation framework.
Co-presiding over the
meeting, Deputy Minister of
Planning and Investment Dr
Khamlien Pholsena said We
are looking for indicators that
reflect the true circumstances in
Laos, so they must be those that
show whether the target of each
group of works in each sector is
achieved.
And of course, they should
be collectable and countable
indicators, he added.
According to Dr Khamlien,
lots of indicators have been
proposed by the UN but many of
them would not be countable so
they would be ruled out.
However, some indicators
that were not mentioned
internationally, such as the
indicator relating to the clearance
of unexploded ordnance,
would be included in the Lao

framework.
The indicators that will be
included in the Monitoring and
Evaluation Framework as an
annex to the 8th NSEDP will
be presented at the inaugural
session of the 8th National
Assembly, which will be held
soon after this months election
of the assembly.
Also speaking at the meeting,
UN Resident Coordinator Ms
Kaarina Immonen praised
the governments initiative to
establish the monitoring and
evaluation framework, while
attaching significance to carrying
it out in an equitable and inclusive
manner.
She also praised the
governments commitment
to integrate the relevant
SDG indicators as highly
commendable, as this would
move forward the global
sustainable development agenda
to the Lao context.

Weather forecast

4 Home news

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Asean nations debate benefits of

effective auditing practices

Dr Padapphet
Sayakhot (right)
co-chairs the
audit meeting
with Mr Paul Chai
Sin Ngee.

News in Brief
Man arrested with 500 amphetamine pills, gun

Xayaboury provincial police recently arrested a man after confiscating

more than 500 amphetamine pills, a gun with 24 bullets, a motorbike, a
mobile phone, 16 million kip and 30,000 baht from his house.
The man was named as Mr Yenglao, 40, of Longpor village, Xayaboury
district, according to the Khuamsangob Newspaper.
Elsewhere, Khammuan police arrested a drug dealer with 116
amphetamine pills in his possession. He was named as Mr Souksakhone,
35, of Laophoxay village, Thakhaek district.
He told police he had been a drug user since last year and bought pills from
people in Nongbuangern village which he sold to local youths.

Chinese govt builds new school for Oudomxay

Times Reporters

Laos is one of many countries in the

region that face increasing demands for
services by the public in an environment
of limited resources.
By effectively managing tax and
revenue systems, the government is
able to maximise revenues and fulfil its
responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of
its citizens. In this way, the government
can manage the economy to bring about
growth and development.
Vice President of Laos State Audit
Organisation, Dr Padapphet Sayakhot,
made this statement during the 1st
Focus Group Meeting of Revenue
Audits which took place in Vientiane
from March 2-4.
Representatives from the Asean
nations gathered for meeting, which
was attended by members of the
AseanSAI (Asean Supreme Audit
Institution).
Dr Padapphet, who chaired the
meeting, said he was delighted and
honoured to be entrusted by the members
of AseanSAI to host the Knowledge

Sharing Committee programme on

revenue audits.
The meeting is a venue for
useful and constructive interaction
and dialogue that will positively
contribute to the vision, and provide
an opportunity to consolidate the ideas
and perspectives of everybody with a
common objective, he said.
Dr Padapphet explained that
the meeting would provide a full
opportunity to learn about individual
SAI experiences and challenges in
auditing state revenue. This activity was
led by SAI Malaysia and other groups.
Only through constructive
partnerships, friendship, frankness and
objectivity would the deliberations
render a successful outcome, Dr
Padapphet added.
The meeting was co-chaired
by Knowledge Sharing Committee
representative Mr Paul Chai Sin Ngee.
The AseanSAI was formed on
November 16, 2011, in Bali, Indonesia
as a professional organisation that is
autonomous, independent and nonpolitical.

The initiative comprises the

Supreme Audit Institutions of the 10
Asean member states as members of
the AseanSAI. The Myanmar SAI is
also a member.
The body was founded in line with
the objectives of the Asean Community,
which came into being at the end of
2015.
Among the objectives of the
AseanSAI is the desire to build
capacity and promote cooperation and
understanding among the members
through the exchange and sharing of
knowledge and experiences in the
field of public sector auditing, so as to
strengthen audit institutions.
Another goal is to provide a
conducive environment and facilities
that promote research, training and
continuous education among members
through the sharing of best practices and
exchange of lessons learned.
The AseanSAI also serves as
a centre of information and as an
Asean link with other international
organisations and institutions in the field
of public sector auditing.

The government of China has provided US$90,000 to build Chomaong Lower Secondary School in Xay district, the Education and Sport
Newspaper reported recently. The school will have six classrooms, four
toilets, furniture and electricity and water connections. Construction began
in February and will take 90 days.

Gang of motorbike thieves nabbed in Champassak

Eleven men were arrested in Champassak province after police tracked
down 17 stolen motorbikes, according to the Khuamsangob Newspaper.
Police said they received a tip-off from people in Nongsa village
concerning recent thefts, after which police investigated the matter and
made the arrests.
The thieves confessed they stole the motorbikes from Champassak and
Soukhouma districts, had them modified and sold them on.

Luang Namtha National Assembly members donate

to needy schoolchildren

The National Assemblys Seventh Legislature caucus in Luang Namtha

province recently donated clothes, blankets and other items to poor and
orphaned students in boarding and lower secondary schools in the province
worth more than 26 million kip, according to the Education and Sport
Newspaper. Meanwhile the Social-Economic Newspaper reported that the
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare donated 100 million kip and 300
blankets to poor families in Oudomxay province.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

A representative of the Supreme Peoples Prosecutor Office, Mr Bounthanh Bounthavilay (right),

donates consumer goods to a representative of the Lao Red Cross, Dr Kaviphone Southi, for
distribution to needy families in remote areas.

Staff from
the Tobacco
Control
Fund of the
Ministry of
Health on
Saturday
provide
free health
checks and
information
on the
dangers of
tobacco and
alcoholic
drinks in
Hadxaifong
distinct,
Vientiane.

Photo news

The winners of a golf tournament held in Vientiane on Saturday to raise funds in aid of dengue
prevention stand alongside the wife of the Lao President, Ms Keosaichay Sayasone (fourth right),
after she presented the prizes.

Vientiane Times staff present school and sports supplies to children at the Vangvieng Ethnic
Boarding school in Vangvieng district, Vientiane province. The donated items were contributed
by individuals and organisations to mark International Womens Day, which falls on March 8.

Trade Facilitation: Improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Handling of

Greater Mekong Sub Region Trade Project
ADB Grant No. 0296-LAO and ADB Loan No. 2874-LAO
THE INVITATION FOR BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF ICT EQUIPMENT
The Government of Lao Peoples Democratic Republic has received a Grant from the ADB
(ADB Grant No. 0296-LAO) and a Loan (ADB Loan No. 2874-LAO) towards the cost of Trade
Facilitation: Improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Handling of Greater Mekong Sub Region
Trade Project, and it is intended to apply part of the proceeds of these, to eligible payments
under the execution of the Procurement goods as given below:

S. No. Name of package

1.
Procurement of ICT Equipment

Bid Reference No.

SPS/Shop/G/17

1. Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry now invites
sealed bids from eligible bidders from member countries of ADB for the supply of above
goods.
2. Bidding will be conducted through Shopping Method in accordance with the guidelines
of ADB and the Government of Lao PDR.
3. Interested eligible suppliers may obtain further information and inspect the bid documents
at the address given below during office hours.
Project Management Unit, Trade Facilitation: Improved SPS Handling of Greater
Mekong Sub Region Trade Project, Sithan Neua Village, Sikhottabong district,
Vientiane, Capital, Lao PDR, Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, Ban Sithan Neua, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane Capital,
Lao PDR, E-mail: kinnaly.sps@gmail.com, Tel: +856 21 255 086/ Fax: +856 21 255 087.
4. A complete set of bid documents can be obtained by any interested eligible bidder at above
address and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of 200,000 Kip.
5. All bids are valid until 90 days from the date of submission of bid. All bids should be
submitted before 10:00 AM on 23/03/2016 at Project Management Unit, Trade Facilitation:
Improved SPS Handling of Greater Mekong Sub Region Trade Project, Sithan Neua
Village, Sikhottabong district, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. Public opening of all bids
will be conducted immediately after deadline for submission at Meeting Room of Project
Management Unit, Trade Facilitation: Improved SPS Handling of Greater Mekong Sub
Region Trade Project, Sithan Neua Village, Sikhottabong district, Vientiane, Capital, Lao
PDR in the presence of the Bidding Committee and the bidder representative who choose
to attend at this address.
6. The Supplier shall submit one original (mark Original) and two copies (mark Copy)
of bidding documents along with CD of Technical Specification. The envelope containing
bidding document MUST be clearly marked the Name of goods, Contract reference number
and the correct name of the firm which is the same as specified in the registration document
and the bank account.
7. Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will not be
responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by bidders in connection with the preparation
or delivery of bids.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Region
In brief from Asia
News Network
Safety overhaul
promised following
commuter boat blast

THAILAND (The Nation,

ANN) -- The Marine
Department plans to require
the owners of commuter boats
to check the engine and fuel
system of vessels twice a year
in the wake of the explosion
on a commuter boat on
Bangkoks Saen Saeb Canal
on Saturday that left dozens
of people injured. Previously
boat owners were required
to do the check once a year.
An investigation is underway
to determine the cause of
the explosion, which left 71
people injured. Of them, 19
remained hospitalised on
Sunday including four people
in intensive care. Police have
not pressed charges against
anyone yet.

Hanoi air pollution

hazardous

HANOI (Vietnam News,

ANN) -- Hanoi air pollution
is at hazardous levels,
threatening the health of those
with respiratory diseases and
endangering public health
in general, according to Air
Quality Index statistics.
The index is published on
the website and provides
real time air quality and
pollution monitoring of cities
worldwide. The pollution rate
in Hanoi is also measured by
the United States Embassy
in Hanoi and by the Vietnam
Centre for Environmental
Monitoring under the Ministry
of Natural Resources and
Environment. last week, the
pollution rate was measured
at the US Embassy on Dong
Da districts Lang Ha Street
and at the United Nations
International School of Hanoi
in Tay Ho district.

Govt heads roll in

mining probe

MYANMAR (The Eleven

Media Group, ANN) -According to Zaw Htay,
director of the Presidents
Office, two directors from
the Ministry of Finance and
Revenue and the Ministry
of Commerce have been
forced to retire due to their
involvement in the illegal
import of heavy Chinese
mining machinery to Hpakant
region in Kachin State. Zaw
Htay confirmed that director
Htun Thein from Ministry
of Finance and Revenue and
Nyunt Aung from the Ministry
of Commerce had been
punished with early retirement
under direct orders from
President Thein Sein.
Under the presidents orders,
a group led by union minister
Win Htun was dispatched
as soon as news was heard
about Hpakants machinery
and mining issues. After
initial reports from Win Htun,
a committee was formed
led by finance minister
Win Shein with the deputy
minister of home affairs as
well as other ministers.
Detailed investigations were
conducted and from their
reports we took action.

Pakistan releases 86
Indian fishermen
ISLAMABAD (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Sunday released 86
Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture amid tensions over an
Indian airbase attack, officials said.
The fishermen, who had been detained over illegal fishing
in Pakistani waters, were released from a jail in the port city of
Karachi, jail officials said.
The group of freed fishermen boarded buses to travel to the
eastern city of Lahore where they are expected to be handed
over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah Border on Monday.
Pakistan and India routinely catch fishermen who cross water
boundaries for illegal fishing.
Groups working for the welfare of such fishermen said the
fishermen mistakenly enter others waters as the two rivals have
not yet reached an agreement on maritime boundaries.
The fishermen were set free at a time when relations between
Pakistan and India are at the lowest ebb again after a group of
militants attacked an Indian airbase in early January.
India blamed a Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad
for the attack that prompted action by the Pakistani authorities
against the outfit.
India postponed official talks with Pakistan that had been
scheduled to be held in mid-February.

Afghan president urges

Taliban to renounce violence,
join peace process
KABUL (Xinhua) -- Afghan
President Mohammad Ashraf
Ghani on Sunday called on
Taliban to renounce violence and
join the countrys peace process.
Addressing the joint session
of parliament here on Sunday,
the Afghan president said
bringing peace and stability in
Afghanistan would benefit all
sides including Taliban.
We are determined to
achieve peace, lasting peace
in our country and would spare
no efforts to achieve the noble
objective, Ghani said.
I am calling on Taliban
to give up fighting and let us
resolve our differences on
negotiating table, the Afghan
president said in his speech.
Describing al-Qaida, IS
and other extremist groups
as the reason for the ongoing
militancy in the country, Ghani

said Taliban should prove

they are Afghans and have no
relations with terrorist groups.
The Quadrilateral
Coordination Group, including
Afghanistan, Pakistan, China
and the United States, met
on February 23 for its fourth
session, announcing direct
talks between Taliban and
Afghan government might
take place in the first week of
March.
Taliban however rejected the
offer in a statement on Saturday,
terming the peace efforts as
meaningless and the armed
outfits leadership has yet to
decide on peace talks with the
government.
The Afghan president
warned that his countrys
security and defense forces
would continue to fight all those
opposing the peace efforts.

International drug supply

busted in New ZealandThailand investigation
WELLINGTON (Xinhua) -- The Authorities in New Zealand and
Thailand said on Monday they had arrested a major international
drugs supplier after a joint investigation.
The supplier, who had been sending methamphetamine from
Thailand to New Zealand, was arrested at the end of last month,
according to a statement from New Zealand Customs and New
Zealand Police.
The two agencies and liaison officers based in Bangkok had
worked closely with Thailands Office of the Narcotic Control
Board, the Police Narcotic Suppression Bureau, and the Thailand
Customs Department to identify the supplier.
Last year, New Zealand Customs and police conducted
two joint investigations involving multiple seizures of
methamphetamine couriered from Thailand, which led to the
arrest of five New Zealanders.
The drugs had been concealed using a range of methods,
including in clutch purses, a flower vase, and car shock absorbers.
The Thai authorities had also stopped a number of packages
containing methamphetamine in Bangkok that were destined
for Auckland.
This is the result of focused efforts behind the scenes over
a long period of time. We worked together from the outset, with
the shared goal of cracking down on the entire supply chain to
halt the trade, New Zealand Customs investigations manager
Maurice OBrien said in the statement.

Police Tactical Group officers walk on a cordoned off street of an industrial section of Ingleburn, in
suburban Sydney.
--Photo AP

Two dead in shooting at

business in western Sydney

SYDNEY (AP) -- A man who

police say fatally shot one person
and wounded two others inside
a western Sydney business was
found dead inside the building
after a six-hour standoff on
Monday that brought the area to
a standstill.
Heavily armed police
moved into the sign-making
business after spending hours
positioned around the factory in
an industrial area of Ingleburn, a
suburb 40 kilometres southwest
of Sydney. Once inside, they
found a 33-year-old man dead
of an apparent self-inflicted
gunshot wound, said New South
Wales police Detective Inspector

Mark Brett. Police also found

three other people hiding inside
the building and escorted them
outside, Brett said. It was not
clear whether they had been held
inside by the shooter or had been
hiding the whole time while they
waited for the standoff to end.
Police were called to the
business after receiving reports
of gunfire. When they arrived,
they found three men suffering
gunshot wounds. One 43-yearold man died at the scene, and two
others were taken to a hospital for
treatment.
Police do not know what
prompted the shooting, Brett
said. He would not say how

long the suspected shooter had

been dead, or say whether police
negotiators had been in contact
with him at any point during the
standoff. Brett declined to specify
what kind of firearm was used,
beyond saying it was a long-arm
weapon.
One of the shooting victims
was undergoing surgery, while
the other had superficial wounds
to the lower part of his body,
Brett said.
The standoff brought the
suburb of Ingleburn to a standstill
throughout the day. Staffers at
nearby businesses were told
to stay inside and roads were
blocked off in the area.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016 Region

China says nearly 300,000

punished for corruption in 2015
BEIJING (AP) -- Chinas ruling Communist
Party said on Sunday that it punished nearly
300,000 officials for corruption last year.
The partys official watchdog body said that
200,000 of those were given light punishments
and 82,000 handed severe penalties, including
demotions within the bureaucracy.
The body known as the Central Committee
for Discipline Inspection rarely explains its
methodology or what evidence it considers,
and no other details were given in the brief

statement posted on its website.

President Xi Jinping has pressed a massive
nationwide probe of corruption among officials
of all ranks, including those in the party,
government, military and state-run industries.
Hundreds of thousands of officials have
been interviewed in the campaign, but only
a small number have been identified. An
independent database lists 1,567 as having
been investigated, expelled from the party or
sentenced.

Families of missing Flight 370

press for search to continue

Govt says Filipinos should stay

alert but calm amid Zika virus
PHILIPPINE (The Philippine
Daily Inquirer, ANN) -Malacaang on Monday
allayed fears of a Zika outbreak
after an American woman who
visited the Philippines tested
positive for the virus.
Secretary (Janette) Garin
has pointed out this is a single
case and that there is no
epidemic and no outbreak,
Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a
text message.
M o s t i m p o r t a n t l y,
the DOH (Department of
Health) is prepared in terms
of detection, isolation and
treatment of those who could
possibly be infected by the

virus, he added. Hence,

the public should stay alert,
informed and calm.
Health Secretary Garin
earlier said that the woman
was not pregnant. Such is amid
the linking of the Zika virus to
a neurological disorder called
Guillain-Barr syndrome
(GBS) and microcephaly, a
severe brain defect in infants.
The virus infection was
detected when the woman,
who visited parts of Luzon,
returned to the United States.
She reportedly experienced
fever, rashes, conjunctivitis
(pink eye) and joint and
muscle pain.
It is the second known case

of Zika virus in the Philippines.

The first patient in 2012 was a
15-year-old boy from Cebu
who had never been out of the
country.
The Zika virus is acquired
f r o m t he Aedes aegypti
mosquito, which is also
responsible for dengue fever.
There is no specific treatment
or vaccine yet against the Zika
virus, which was first recorded
in Africa.
The Philippines is among the
countries that are classified by
the World Health Organisation as
those with reported or indication
of Zika virus transmission but
without reports of GBS and
microcephaly.

Two Indian sailors die in

vessel fire off Yemen

Jacquita Gomes, wife of Patrick Gomes, the in-flight supervisor on the ill fated Malaysia Airlines Flight
370, prepares balloons with names of those on board during a remembrance event in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
--Photo AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

(AP) -- The families of those
who were aboard Malaysia
Airlines Flight 370 appealed
to authorities on Sunday to
continue searching for the
plane, saying that one of
aviations great mysteries must
not be left unsolved.
An ongoing search in the
southern Indian Ocean has
found no trace of the Boeing
777, which vanished two years
ago with 239 people on board,
though a wing part washed
ashore on Reunion Island in the
western Indian Ocean last July.
The search is expected to end
in June.
At a commemorative
event on Sunday to mark the
second anniversary of the jets
March 8, 2014, disappearance,
family members released white
balloons tagged with the names
of everyone aboard the plane
and the words: MH370: Always
remembered in our hearts.
Jacquita Gomes, who
lost her husband, inflight

supervisor Patrick Gomes,

when the plane disappeared
en route from Kuala Lumpur
to Beijing, said the families
are fighting for the search to
continue because our loved
ones are not home yet, so how
can we say its the end?
Gomes, standing on a stage
at a shopping mall in a Kuala
Lumpur suburb with more
than two dozen relatives of
passengers, said the families
are united in fighting for the
cause.
I think we are done with
all the sobbing and wailing.
We do cry in silence. We
have faces full of smiles, but
behind the smiles, there is
also sadness. ... We have not
reached closure, she said.
Other family members
paid tribute to their loved ones
during the three-hour event,
which included songs, poems
and dances. A big backdrop on
the stage showed a picture of a
plane and read: Search On 2.0.
Re-investigate, re-evaluate, re-

start. Never give up.

We may never recover
from this if its classified as an
aviation mystery and the case
is then closed, the families
said in a statement. If this is
left unsolved, then how will
we prevent it from happening
again?
Authorities have said that
the search will not be expanded
in the absence of fresh clues.
Jiang Hui, a 41-year-old
Chinese man, said his life has
been in limbo since he lost
his 62-year-old mother, Jiang
Cui Yun, who was aboard
the plane. He said he lost his
job as an IT engineer a few
months after the tragedy due
to depression.
He said he filed a lawsuit
in China on Friday against
Malaysia Airlines, not for the
money but in the hope that it
will bring some answers to the
mystery.
I want to let my mother
know that I will not give up,
said an emotional Jiang.

More signs of dual elections in Japan

Representational image.

INDIA (The statesman, ANN) -- Two Indian sailors were killed

in a fire on board a vessel off Yemen while three Indians injured
in the fire have been admitted to a hospital in Oman, External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.
Sushma Swaraj tweeted: Yemen - We have lost two Indian
sailors Mahesh Kumar Rajagopal and Deepu Lathika Mohan
due to fire in a vessel Al Sadaa. My condolences.

--Photo Getty Images

The three injured have

been admitted in a hospital in
Salalah, Oman. Our missions
in Djibouti and Oman are
providing all assistance, she
posted.
She later tweeted that one
of the injured is in critical
condition at the Sultan Qaboos
Hospital in Salalah and the
Indian mission in Oman is
providing him all help.
The three sailors injured
in Yemen are all Indians. They
are admitted in Sultan Qaboos
Hospital Salalah (Oman).
Alauddin (from Lucknow) s
out of danger. Tajveer Singh
(Ghaziabad) is stable, while
Atul Borker (from Chennai)
is critical. Our mission in
Oman is providing all help,
she posted.

JAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun,

ANN) -- Speculation is rife that
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
will choose to hold a House of
Representatives election on the
same date as that of a House of
Councillors election scheduled
for summer this year.
This is because Abe has said
and done many things that can
be interpreted as implying that
this may be the case.
For example, Abe recently
expressed his willingness to
amend the Constitution. To
achieve this goal, it is essential
to greatly increase the ruling
parties seats in the upper house
election. Also, Abe subtly
changed his remarks about the
next raise of the consumption tax
rate, which had been predicted
to work against the ruling camp.
Though Abe has denied
that he will dissolve the lower
house any time soon, levels of
alert have been rising among the
opposition parties.
At a session of the upper
houses Budget Committee on
Wednesday, Abe said, I wish
to realize [the amendment of the

Constitution] during my term in

office as the prime minister.
For the Diet to propose
constitutional amendments, at
least two-thirds of the seats in
both the lower and upper houses
must be in favor. Currently, the
ruling camp holds more than
two-thirds of the seats in the
lower house, but does not meet
the condition in the upper house.
Abes term as the president
of the ruling Liberal Democratic
Party is until September 2018.
An aide to Abe said, The upper
house election this summer is
the last chance for the prime
minister to increase forces for
revising the Constitution.
Therefore, some members of
the LDP have begun speculating
about simultaneous elections. As
a junior LDP member said, The
prime minister may step in to
hold dual elections on the same
date with the aim of increasing
the number of seats in the upper
house.
Concerning the scheduled
raise of the consumption tax
rate to 10 percent in April 2017,
some said they felt a change in

Abes attitude.
As a condition to further
postponing the tax rate hike,
Abe has stated that it will only
happen if extremely serious
incidents like the Lehman
Brothers collapse or a huge
earthquake occur. However,
Abe has recently also begun to
use the phrase, the shrinking of
the world economy.
When Abe dissolved the
lower house in November
2014, he made it a point of
contention whether to postpone
the previously scheduled raise of
the consumption tax rate.
Thus, a mid-ranking LDP
member said, He may dissolve
[the lower house] by postponing
the tax hike again.
Recently, the central
government reached an outof-court settlement with
the Okinawa prefectural
government over a lawsuit
regarding the relocation of US
forces Futenma Air Station
in the prefecture. Not a few
observers believe that it was
a strategic move for the dual
elections.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

World

Iranian business tycoon

sentenced to death over
corruption scandal
T E H R A N ( X i n h u a ) - - I r a n s
billionaire tycoon, Babak Zanjani,
was sentenced to death over financial
corruption scandal, Irans Judiciary
spokesman Gholam-Hossein
Mohseni-Ejei announced on Sunday.
The preliminary court has issued
the verdict for Zanjani and two other
defendants, Mohseni-Ejei was quoted
as saying by Press TV.
The sentence is yet to be approved
by the countrys supreme court.
Zanjani was arrested on December
2013 for an inquiry into his financial
activities.
Zanjani used a web of more
than 60 companies based in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey
and Malaysia to sell millions of
barrels of Iranian oil on behalf of the
government, generating billions of
US dollars of revenue, according to
earlier report by Tehran Times daily.
He also owned and operated
the UAE-based Sorinet Group, the
Iranian Qeshm Airlines and the Rah

Ahan Sorinet F.C. in Iran.

Zanjanis arrest came following
Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis
remarks that his government would
fight privileges of some people who
took advantage of sanctions against
the country.
Inside Iran, Zanjani has been
accused of withholding part of money
from oil sales. However, he said
that the international sanctions had
prevented him from transferring
money into the country.
Zanjani was blacklisted by the
European Union on the grounds
of what was stated as assisting
designated entities to violate the
provisions of the EU regulation
on Iran and is providing financial
support to the government of Iran.
His accounts were also frozen by the
US treasury in April 2013 for acting
to circumvent sanctions against Iran.
Zanjani was claimed to be a key
facilitator for Iranian oil deals and
transferring oil-related money.

EU looks to refugee-laden Turkey

to ease its migrant burden

A train passes as a woman walks with her children on railway track in the northern
Greek border station of Idomeni.
--Photo AP

BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union

leaders will be looking to boost aid to
Greece as the Balkan migrant route
is effectively sealed, using Mondays
summit as an attempt to restore unity
among the 28 member nations after
months of increasing bickering and
go-it-alone policies, according to a draft
statement on Sunday.
The leaders will also try to persuade
Turkeys prime minister to slow the
flow of migrants traveling to Europe
and take back thousands who dont
qualify for asylum.
In a draft summit statement
produced on Sunday and seen by
The Associated Press, the EU leaders
will conclude that irregular flows of
migrants along the Western Balkans
route are coming to an end; this route
is now closed. Because of this, the
statement added that the EU will stand
by Greece in this difficult moment and
will do its utmost to help manage the
situation.
This is a collective EU
responsibility requiring fast and
efficient mobilisation, it said in a
clear commitment to end the bickering.
It said that aid to Greece should center
on urgent humanitarian aid as well as
managing its borders and making sure
that migrants not in need of international
protections are quickly returned to
Turkey.
The statement will be assessed
by the 28 leaders after they have met

with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet

Davutoglu.
Late Sunday evening, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch
Premier Mark Rutte met with Davutoglu
to prepare for the summit.
At least 25 migrants drowned off
the Turkish coast while trying to reach
Greece on Sunday, Turkeys staterun news agency reported. The coast
guard launched a search-and-rescue
mission for other migrants believed to
be missing in the disaster.
Ankara is central to easing Europes
refugee pressures. More than 2,000
people arrive daily from Turkey to
Greece, where many have been stranded
as countries on the main migrant route
through the Balkans are aiming to stop
them moving north.
The bloc has offered several
sweeteners to get Turkish authorities
to crack down on migrant movements.
Some 3 billion euros (US$3.3 billion)
will be made available for Syrian
refugees. Turkeys long-coveted EU
membership process is being sped up, as
are moves to ease EU visa requirements.
Summit meetings like these are also part
of the package.
Ahead of the summit, the European
Commission trumpeted the availability
of tens of millions of euros to help
Syrian school children and provide food
aid. It said that a new road map on
visa liberalization for Turkey had also
been submitted.

People gather at the site where a suicide truck bomb hit a crowded security checkpoint in northern Hilla City, the provincial
capital of Iraqs central province of Babil.
--Photo Xinhua

Suicide attack kills at least

47 south of Iraqi capital
HILLAH, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide
bomber rammed his explosives-laden
fuel truck into a security checkpoint
south of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at
least 47 people and wounding dozens,
officials said.
The Islamic State group claimed
responsibility for the suicide bombing
in an online statement circulated by
supporters.
It was the third massive bombing
in and around Baghdad in a little over
a week, and appeared to be part of a
campaign by IS to stage attacks deep
behind front lines in order to wreak
havoc and force the government to
overextend its forces.
Crowds gathered at the scene,
picking through rubble and twisted
car parts in search of survivors. Smoke
rose from smoldering cars that had
been lined up at the main checkpoint
at the northern entrance to the city of
Hillah, located about 95 kilometres
south of Baghdad.
The blast has completely

destroyed the checkpoint and its

buildings, Falah al-Khafaji, a senior
security official in Hillah, said as
he stood at the edge of the blast
site. More than 100 cars have been
damaged.
IS has carried out scores of suicide
bombings against security forces and
the countrys Shiite majority. Hillah is
in the countrys mainly Shiite south,
far from the front lines of the war
against IS.
Among the dead were 39 civilians,
while the rest were members of the
security forces. The attacker struck
shortly after noon when the checkpoint
was crowded with dozens of cars, a
police officer said. He added that up to
65 other people were wounded.
A medical official confirmed
the causality figures. Both officials
spoke on condition of anonymity as
they were not authorized to release
information.
Iraq has seen a spike in violence
in the past month, with suicide attacks

claimed by IS killing more than 170

people. The attacks follow a string
of advances by Iraqi forces backed
by US-led airstrikes, including in the
western city of Ramadi, which was
declared fully liberated by Iraqi and
US-led coalition officials last month.
Such attacks force the government
and the militias to look back and
reallocate resources and reassess,
said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow
at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies, referring to the mainly
Shiite militias fighting alongside
government forces.
IS still controls large swaths of
Iraq and neighboring Syria and has
declared an Islamic caliphate on the
territory it holds. The extremist group
controls Iraqs second largest city,
Mosul, as well as the city of Fallujah,
65 kilometres west of Baghdad.
At least 670 Iraqis were killed last
month due to ongoing violence, of
whom about two-thirds were civilians,
according to UN figures.

Blast on bus kills 1, wounds

17 outside Guatemalan capital
In this photo
released by the
Guatemala City
Fire Department
(Bomberos
Municipales
Departamentales),
firefighters
stand around a
passenger bus
after a deadly
explosion
seriously wounded
over a dozen in
Santa Catarina
Pinula, Guatemala.
--Photo AP

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- An

explosion ripped through a passenger
bus on the outskirts of theGuatemalan
capital on Sunday, killing one person
and seriously wounding 17 more,
authorities said.
Firefighters spokesman Mario
Utum confirmed that one person died
and said emergency workers have
tended to victims with second- and
third-degree burns.

Interior Minister Francisco Rivas

said the blast is being investigated
as an attack and the incident appears
similar to a 2010 gang assault on a
bus that left nine dead, but there was
no immediate indication of possible
suspects or motive.
Bus companies and taxi drivers
are often extorted by gangs in
Guatemala and risk being attacked
if they dont pay up. Rivas said the

owners of the bus had not reported

receiving threats, however.
The vehicle was carrying dozens
of people between San Jose Pinula and
Palencia, just to the east of Guatemala
City, at the time of the explosion.
Photographs distributed by
emergency agencies showed people
with burns covering nearly their
entire bodies and the bus with a
gaping hole at the back end.

Business

Vientiane Times

Read more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Microfinance institutions
see assets grow
Times Reporters

Delegates from Asean member countries and the European Union link hands at the 14th AEM-EU Trade
Commissioner Consultation last week in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

EU trade experts advise

on AEC development
Times Reporters

he EU-Asean
Business Council
(EU-ABC) last
week presented
recommendations aimed
at speeding up the Asean
Economic Community (AEC)
and ensuring that its objectives
are felt more readily by all.
The recommendations
were made at the 14th Asean
Economic Ministers (AEM)EU Trade Commissioner
Consultation, held in Chiang
Mai, Thailand.
The EU-ABC also
requested more meaningful
and dynamic consultation
with the private sector to help
advance the Asean Economic
Community.
Commenting on the EUABCs presentation to the
Asean Economic Ministers,
the Councils Chairman
Francois Guibert said Asean
is a hugely important region
for European business.

The European Union is still

the largest source of foreign
direct investment in Asean,
providing more in 2014 than
the US and Japan combined,
and is also Aseans second
largest trading partner.
2015 was an important
year for the region leading to
the inauguration of the Asean
Economic Community, and the
EU-ABC is a strong supporter
of this crucial project for the
region.
The year 2016 takes on
special importance as the
advances made in the AEC
need to be bedded in and then
deepened further.
Today we presented
a number of short term
recommendations, with a focus
on trade facilitation, financial
services and investment issues,
that we believe could make
a tangible difference to the
Asean region and help advance
the achievement of the goals
set out in the AEC Blueprint
2025, Mr Guibert said.

Exchange rates as of March 7, 2016

Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public

Foreign Currencies

Buying

Selling

US Dollar 50-100

8,105

8,145

Thai Baht

229.63

231.35

Euro 50-500

8,889

8,934

Executive Director of the

EU-ABC Mr Chris Humphrey
said We have always said that
the AEC is a work in progress,
and it is a project that we at
the EU-ABC are delighted
to support and assist with.
Much work lies ahead if the
full benefits of the AEC are
to be realised throughout the
region.
For the benefit of
everyone in Asean we hope
to see rapid progress on
the removal of Non-Tariff
Barriers to trade in Asean, as
called for under the original
AEC Blueprint, as well as
measures that can spread
the benefits of the AEC to
all corners of Asean such as
increased support for SMEs
and the broadening and
deepening of the integration
of financial services in Asean,
enhancement in information
and communication
technology, protection of
intellectual property, and
improvement in the trade in
goods and services, he added.
We have therefore today
presented the Asean Economic
Ministers with a list of shortterm recommendations which
we believe will help advance
the AEC agenda.
These recommendations
have been designed so that
they could be achievable in a
relatively short space of time
and the benefits of them could
be readily felt by everyone in
the region, he added.
We stand ready to help
Asean in any way possible
with the work ahead, Mr
Humphrey said.

Non-Deposit Microfinance
Institutions (NDMIs)
increased their asset values
from 82 billion kip in 2014
to 107.3 billion kip in 2015,
or 32.2 percent, officials
announced.
The Financial Institutions
Supervision Department
(FISD) of the Bank of the
Lao PDR reported the figures
recently at the Non-Deposit
Taking Microfinance Forum
2015, which was organised
by the Bank of the Lao PDR,
and GIZs Microfinance
in Rural Areas-Access to
Finance for the Poor project.
The department showed
also that NDMIs credit
figure increased from 45
billion kip in 2014 to 60.7

billion kip in 2015, an

increase of 45 percent.
NDMIs announced
profits of 8.8 billion kip last
year, an increase of 6.73
percent over the previous
year.
NDMIs have continued to
increase since 2014 from 31
to 43 and their total capital
also grew by 28.7 percent,
from 36.2 billion kip to 46.7
billion kip.
These institutions
focus mainly on issuing
loans, developing credit
products and other service
improvements for their
customers, with the trading
and services sectors covering
60 percent of loans issued.
Meanwhile agriculture
covered 37 percent with 5
percent for households and

families.
According to a press
release, the FISD will
encourage borrowers to
access low-interest loans from
microfinance providers, as this
would help the institutions to
compete with potential foreign
entrants into the market.
The department will also
encourage microfinance
providers to improve their
services through human
resources development,
better credit management and
creating new service products
in response to customers
needs.
This would help grow
NDMI asset values and
stabilise profits against
higher competition from
the increasing number of
microfinance providers.

Chinas medium to high growth

critical to world economy
CHINA (China Daily, ANN)
-- China maintaining medium
to high economic growth
will be critical to the global
economy,Vice-Finance Minister
Zhu Guangyao said on Monday.
Zhu said that the coming
years guided by the countrys
13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20)
will bea crucial period for both
the Chinese and the global
economy.
China should attach
importance to the
commercialisation of scientific
research results toimprove the
growth potential and innovation
of its economy, said Zhu, who
is also a memberof the Chinese
Peoples Political Consultative
Conference National
Committee, on thesidelines of
the ongoing session of the top
political advisory body.
Meanwhile, Zhu warned
about the challenging external
environment could pressure
Chinasstructural reform.
Zhu said that the declining
global trade and the low
interest rate environment as

Chinas Vice-Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao is surrounded by

reporters as he arrives at the Great Hallof the People to attend
the opening session for the fourth session of the 12th National
PeoplesCongress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,

well as thedivergence in the

development of emerging
economies will pose challenges
to the Chineseeconomy.
The global interest rate
level has moved toward the
lowest level in 20 years and it
is likely tocontinue to fall. If the
euro zone and Japan continue
to adopt the policy of negative

interestrates, the global economy

will be under greater pressure of
deflation, he said.
When asked about
the progress of the Asian
Infrastructure Investment
Bank, Zhu said thatthe banks
development has been smooth
and it is preparing for the first
batch of investmentprojects.

Oil collapse hurts Houston nonprofits

in nations energy hub
HOUSTON (AP) -- The oil
downturn has many Houston
nonprofits scaling back as

donations plunge in the nations

energy capital. The Greater
Houston United Way has warned
member charities to expect a
possible 10 percent cut in grants.
The Pink Ribbon Project, which
for two decades had an annual
budget of about US$1 million to
promote breast cancer advocacy
and research, is blaming a loss of
major donors as a reason for why
it will close its doors in May.
Oil prices ended last week
at just under US$36 a barrel.
Falling profits, spreading layoffs
and the uncertainty about the
duration of the downturn has
wiped out usually reliable
donors left others unable to
maintain previous levels of
generous support, the Houston

Chronicle reported on Sunday.

We have lost some of our
major donors, or they may have
scaled back significantly, said
Kristi Okwuonu, executive
director of the Pink Ribbon
Project. Where they gave
us US$30,000 before, they
may only be able to give us
US$3,000. That happening
multiple times made us take a
hard look at our sustainability.
The budget squeeze has
affected larger nonprofits as
well. Although their survival
might not be in doubt, they are
being forced to cut programmes
and services they see as essential
to their missions, and the demand
for which may grow in tougher
times.

10 Business

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Asian stocks mixed after

China cuts growth target

The site for Mitsubishi Estate Co.s urban development project, located in front of a central railway
station in Yangon.

Mitsubishi Estate to build

Myanmars Marunouchi
J A PA N ( T h e Yo m i u r i
Shimbun, ANN) -- Major
real estate firm Mitsubishi
Estate Co. is planning to
start a roughly 50 billion
redevelopment project
featuring office buildings,
apartments and hotels in what
is now a run-down district in
front of a central train station
in Yangon, Myanmar.
Mitsubishi Estate plans
to draw on its experience
o f d e v e l o p i n g To k y o s
Marunouchi into a worldclass business district to
create a Myanmar version in
Yangon. The company is also
planning similar projects in
other Southeast Asian nations.
Mitsubishi Estate is
looking into a 40,000-squaremeter site in front of Yangons
central railway station, which
serves as a gateway to Yangon.
The district is currently filled
with dilapidated offices and
other buildings.
Mitsubishi Estate is
working with Mitsubishi
Corp. and a local real
estate firm in Myanmar for
the project, which is now
under way, to build multiple
high-rise buildings that will
house offices, commercial

facilities, apartments and hotel

accommodations. The total
project is estimated to cost
about 50 billion.
Myanmar is facing real
estate development woes,
including office shortages
stemming from its rapid
economic growth. The
landscape of the Marunouchi
district in front of Tokyo
Station, which was rapidly
developed from the Meiji
era (1868-1912) through
the rapid postwar growth
period, has been cited as a
good model for the Yangon
development project.
Marunouchi grew into
a town that attracts many
visitors as a gateway to
Japan, home to the offices of
leading companies as well as
retail stores, restaurants and
hotels.
Mitsubishi Estate is
aiming to work on similar
development projects in
other South Asian countries
by promoting its approach to
build complex facilities on
prime urban real estate.
We w i l l e x p o r t o u r
urban development system,
Mitsubishi Estate President
Hirotaka Sugiyama told The

Yomiuri Shimbun. The

Yangon project will be an
opportunity to introduce our
approach.
Investment rising sharply
Investment in Myanmar
has sharply risen since the
country made its transition
in 2011 from military rule
to a democratic government.
According to the Japan
External Trade Organisation,
foreign investment in fiscal
2014 stood at US$8 billion
(about 940 billion) twice
as much as the previous
fiscal year.
Japan-affiliated firms
have entered into business
in Myanmar one after
another during its economic
expansion period. There
are now more than 280
companies belonging to the
Japan Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, Myanmar.
Buildings are rapidly
sprouting up, concentrated
in the Yangon area. There
are also more and more
businesspeople visiting
M y a n m a r, r e s u l t i n g i n
expensive rent for office
buildings even for Southeast
Asia as well as relatively high
hotel charges.

Arab taxing to mitigate oil

slump effect
DUBAI (Xinhua) -- Simon
Kitchen, research director at
EFG Hermes, said on Sunday
that the introduction of taxes
by Gulf countries will stabilise
regional markets and Gulf
Co-operation Council (GCC)
firms must adapt.
Briefing the media ahead
of the two-day annual 12th
EFG Hermes conference,
theEgyptian investment
firm for the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region,
Kitchen said the planned
introduction of taxes similar
to the value added tax (VAT)
by 2018 will lend GCC oil-rich
Arab states increased fiscal
flexibility to continue investing
in infrastructure projects.
Nobody likes taxes,
however, if as a company
you are based in the GCC
youd be more assured that
additional roads, bridges and
infrastructure will be built in
the future during ongoing low
crude valuation and you may
consider it worth the cost,
said Kitchen.
The six GCC states of
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,

Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab

Emirates (UAE) and Oman
simultaneously decided to
introduce on February 22 a five
percent VAT for the very first
time since the Gulf monarchies
achieved independence.
Kitchen added that income
and corporate tax may also be
introduced, and as some GCC
have reduced spending through
cutting subsidies then taxing
income and corporations will
provide an ongoing fiscal
income.
Noteworthy is the decision
by both Saudi Arabia and the
UAE to cut subsidies on petrol.
Kitchen said EFG Hermes
does not foresee oil prices
significantly recovering
as Iran is now included in
the global market, Iraq is
producing more oil, and shale
oil is currently part of the
global supply.
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) expects that the
GCCs combined accumulated
budget surplus of 600 billion
US dollars in the last five years
will become a fiscal deficit of
US$700 billion in the coming

five years.
Kitchen also said that some
GCC states sell oil below
global market prices, for
example, Saudi Arabia sells
a barrel for 20 dollars, while
oil currently trades at prices
ranging between US$30 to
US$40.
Liquidity is in short supply
regionally and while GCC
reserves appear as affordable
as during the 2009 financial
crisis, stock recovery will
take longer this time around.
We wont see a sharp recovery
similar to the one in 2010,
Kitchen anticipates.
He added that GCC firms
with strong balance sheets,
pricing power and free from
subsidies will be the winners,
whereas inefficient low-cost
producers, firms dependent
on government spending, and
highly leveraged firms will
loose during the ongoing oil
price slump.
Corporations must adapt
to the new taxes, said Kitchen,
for the regional business
environment to remain
competitive.

BEIJING (AP) -- Most Asian

stock markets rose on Monday
after Beijing cut its growth
target for its cooling economy
and promised more marketopening reforms, while Tokyo
fell.
The Shanghai Composite
Index advanced 0.4 percent
to 2,886.31 and Hong Kongs
Hang Seng rose 0.1 percent
to 20,189.30. Sydneys S&P
ASX 200 gained 1 percent to
5,142.80 and Seouls Kospi
added 0.1 percent to 1,958.30.
Tokyos Nikkei 225 shed 0.6
percent to 16,912.75. Taiwan,
New Zealand and Bangkok
gained while Singapore and
Jakarta retreated.
Premier Li Keqiang
lowered Beijings official
growth target to 6.5 to 7
percent from last years about
7 percent and promised more
market-opening reforms. The
ruling Communist Party is
trying to promote more selfsustaining growth based
on domestic consumption,
reducing reliance on trade
and investment. The steady
decline in Chinas economic
growth over the past five
years has sent shockwaves
through its trading partners,
dampening demand for
industrial components
and raw materials. In an
address on Saturday to the
countrys legislature, Li
promised to open oil, power,
telecoms and other statedominated industries to
private competitors, though
he failed to say whether
foreign companies would
be allowed in. To stimulate
slowing growth, Li said

People stand with umbrellas in front of an electronic stock board

of a securities firm in Tokyo.

the government will boost

deficit spending.
Instead of a specific
target, setting a growth
range reflects the (Chinese)
governments desire for
policymaking flexibility as
they push for longer-term
economic reforms, DBS
Bank economists said in a
report. They noted Li also
abandoned Beijings target
for trade growth after exports
fell far short of last years
official goal. Amid a weak
global outlook, China may
also be wary of setting an
ambitious trade forecast
on concerns it might raise
expectations that Beijing
would boost exports via yuan
depreciation.
Stocks ended up for
the week after data on
unexpectedly strong hiring,
construction spending and
manufacturing suggested the
US economy is doing fairly
well. Mining companies made
the biggest gains as metals

prices climbed. On Wall Street,

the Dow Jones industrial
average rose 0.4 percent and
the Standard & Poors 500
index gained 0.3 percent.
The Nasdaq composite index
edged up 0.2 percent.
The Labor Department
reported employers added
242,000 jobs in February,
more than previously
estimated. Its data showed
construction, retail and health
care companies are still
hiring more workers. Energy
companies also rose with the
recovering price of oil. More
people also looked for work.
Benchmark US crude
gained 67 cents to US$36.59
per barrel in electronic
trading on the New York
Mercantile Exchange. The
contract jumped US$1.35 on
Friday to close at US$35.92.
Brent crude, used to price
international oils, added 72
cents to US$39.44 per barrel.
On Friday, it gained US$1.65
to US$38.72.

In brief

Honda Malaysia to replace batteries for 93,929 vehicles

KUALA LUMPUR (The Star, ANN) -- Honda Malaysia is changing the 12-volt batteries
for affected vehicles, which were manufactured between 2003 and 2016.
It said on Monday the product update would affect 93,929 units and it would depend on the
models and year of manufacture.
The models involved are the City (20032014 YM & 2016), Jazz (2009, 2012 & 2013,
2015 & 2016), Civic (2010, 2012 & 2013), Insight (2011-2013), CR-Z (2012-2013), Freed
(2010-2012) and CR-V (2013).
Honda Malaysia assures customers that safety and offering the best product performance
are the companys priority. Honda Malaysia ensures that other current selling models are
not affected, the company said.

New Zealand wholesale sales slip in December quarter

WELLINGTON (Xinhua) -- New Zealands wholesale trade sales fell in the quarter ending
December 2015, the government statistics agency said on Monday.
Total sales fell 0.2 percent from the September 2015 quarter, when they rose 3 percent
from the previous quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.
This quarters fall in total wholesaling was led by the basic material and grocery
industries, business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said in a statement.

Bangladesh earns over US$22bln from exports in first 8 months of

FY 2015-16

DHAKA (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshs total exports in the first eight months of the current
2015-16 fiscal year (from July 2015 to June 2016) reached over US$22 billion, up about 9
percent from the same period a year ago, official data showed on Sunday.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, Bangladesh fetched on 22,123.75
million from exports in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.
The EPB data showed export performance for February was on 2,854.22 million, 13.60
percent up from a year earlier.
Bangladesh export income in the 2014-2015 fiscal year grew at a moderate rate of over 6
percent year-on-year to on 31.21 billion.

Icelands trade deficit increases in February

REYKJAVIK (Xinhua) -- Iceland saw the deficit in its balance of trade in goods increase to
1.7 billion Icelandic krona (US$13.1 million) in February from 1.2 billion Icelandic krona
in January, Statistics Iceland said on Friday.
Preliminary figures show the value of exported goods amounted to 42.5 billion krona,
while the value of imported goods amounted to 44.3 billion krona in February.
Compared with January, the value of exported goods in February saw a decrease of 3.4
billion krona, while the value of imported goods saw a decrease of 2.8 billion krona.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Lao stock market report

Business 11

Asean Economic Community

Trade Summary
Trading at the beginning of the week before International Womens Day was quieter than
last week. Only BCEL shares were traded today for 2,000 shares, and the stock closed down
at 4,350 kip, worth only 8,700,000 kip of turnover. The rest saw no changing hands, closing
with prices unchanged. EDL-Gen finished at 5,900 kip; LWPC at 6,150 kip; PTL at 2,800
kip, and SVN at 3,400 kip. The LSX index fell 0.17 percent or 1.99 points to 1,165.57 points,
due to a trading volume of only 2,000 shares.
Daily Turnover by Investor Types (LAKm)

Deputy Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR Ms Vatthana Dalaloy (third left) cuts a ribbon alongside
other officials yesterday to officially open the Maybank Nongduang Branch in Sikhottabong district,
Vientiane.

New Maybank branch

opens in Vientiane to spur
economic growth

Last 7 days Trading Information

Bounfaeng Phaymanivong

M
BCEL-KT Securities Company Limited Email: Broker@bcel-kt.com

Rigorous campaigns on sustainable

palm oil needed in Europe: Bappenas

Rows of oil palms are pictured at an Indonesian plantation.

J A K A RTA ( T h e J a k a r t a
Post, ANN) -- Indonesia
should strengthen campaigns
on sustainable palm oil in
European countries to tackle
charges against the product
that could affect the countrys
palm oil industry and exports,
an official has said.
Indonesia needs to
intensify its campaigns on
sustainable palm oil and
nutritious substances, such
as vitamins, contained in the
commodity, the National
Development Planning
A g e n c y s ( B a p p e n a s )
director for trade,
investment and international
economic cooperation,
AmaliaAdininggarWidyasanti,
said on Friday.
She made the statement in
response to ongoing pressure
against the worlds palm oil
industry.
Recently, France reportedly

imposed a new palm oil import

tax of 403 (US$443.28)
per tonne, up from 103 per
tonne. The policy has drawn
sharp protests from oil palm
plantation communities in
Indonesia as it could set a
precedent for other countries.
Indonesia has undertaken
several initiatives, such as
Indonesian Sustainable Palm
Oil (ISPO) and the Roundtable
for Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO), to improve practices
in its palm oil industry. Still,
it is facing tough challenges
from Western countries, whose
concerns are mostly focused on
peatland fires.
We need to first change
their perspective, said Amalia,
referring to widespread views
that oil palm plantations are
responsible for environmental
damage, especially land and
forest fires triggered by forest
conversion and peatland

drainage carried out by the

plantation sector.
Supported by data, local
and regional scientists are
reportedly striving to introduce
the benefits of sustainable palm
oil to the public. However,
several significant scientific
institutions in Europe have
tended to dominate the
discourse, placing the palm
oil industry in a corner.
In their visits to Indonesia
and Malaysia, European civil
groups have never made any
comprehensive measurements
[of local conditions]. They
have always analyzed the
situation based on methods in
their countries. Tropical soil
is different, LulieMelling
from Tropical Peat Research
Laboratory (TPRL) Malaysia
told thejakartapost.com in a
recent interview.
Lulie commented that
research activities based on
local land characteristics
needed to be carried out
intensively. There should be
new methods for sustainable oil
palm plantations so they could
increase their bargaining power
against counterproductive
palm oil campaigns, she said.
Valid data is important for
us to argue but currently we
are dominated by European
perspectives. For example, of
14 peat congresses, all were
held in Europe. The upcoming
15th peat congress will be
the first congress to be held
in a tropical country, namely
Malaysia in August, Lulie
said.

any foreign banks

are now launching
banking services
in Laos as they
believe the country is one
of the strongest performing
economies in the region and
attracting an increasing number
of foreign investors.
The opening of a
second branch of Maybank
at Nongduang village in
Sikhottabong district yesterday
aims to serve the needs of
the local community as well
as customers from across
the region having trade and
investment links in the country.
Speaking at the opening
ceremony of the Maybank
Nongduang Branch, Deputy
Governor of the Bank of
the Lao PDR Ms Vatthana
Dalaloy said the new branch
would attract more Malaysian
companies to invest in Laos in
the years ahead.
In 2012, the first branch
of Maybank opened in Laos
and was successful, enjoying

an increase in assets and

capital, so the opening of a
second branch will enable
the banking sector in Laos to
supply the needs of customers
in providing funds, she said.
Ms Vatthana said the new
branch would also serve to
boost trade between Laos
and Malaysia in the years to
come.
Chairman of Maybank Tan
Sri Dato Megat Zaharuddin
Megat Mohd Nor, Maybank
International CEO Ms Pollie
Sim, and the Ambassador of
Malaysia to Laos Dr Than
Tai Hing were present at the
opening ceremony along with
other invited guests.
According to a senior
Maybank official, the newlyopened branch will further
s t r e n g t h e n M a y b a n k s
presence in the Indochina
region and enhance its ability
to meet the banking needs of
customers, particularly the
growing investor base.
L a s t y e a r, t h e L a o
economy saw strong inflows
of foreign investment

projects amounting to over

US$1.26 billion, mainly
in the hydropower and
transportation sectors.
Meanwhile Maybank
anticipates that this newlyopened branch will boost the
growth in loans and deposits
by over 70 percent and 100
percent respectively by the
end of this year and also
support the increasing trade
between Asean and Laos.
Two years ago, Malaysia
was ranked the ninth largest
foreign investor in Laos with
projects worth more than
US$382.2 million. However,
the latest update of investment
projects operated by Malaysian
investors has not yet been
released.
The establishment of the
Asean Economic Community
(AEC) last year offers great
potential for the development
of the Lao economy as many
investors from Asean countries
are seeking ways to boost their
support for Laos as one of the
regions fastest expanding
economies.

Car imports drop in February

HANOI (Vietnam News) -Vietnamese auto businesses
imported about 5,000
completely built-up unit
(CBU) cars, worth US$131
million, in February, 1,000 cars
less than the previous month,
the General Statistic Office
(GSO) said.
This was a sharp fall in car
imports this year, but had been
expected because of the nine-day
Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday in
February, during which business
operations and transactions were
suspended in the market.
In addition, the government
began applying a new calculation
of a special consumption tax
on January 1, 2016, which
caused the price of imported
cars to rise by an estimated
five percent. Therefore, many
people bought cars in the last
few months of last year, before
the new calculation came into
effect.

Workers assemble cars at the Huyndai Thanh Cong Factory in Gian

Khau Industrial Zone in the nothern province of Ninh Binh.

The turnover of imported

cars is predicted to increase
this year, but the auto market
will not experience a boom
as in 2015.
G S O s a i d Vi e t n a m

imported 11,000 cars in the first

two months of this year, worth
US$280 million, a decrease of
31.1 percent in quantity and
11.9 percent in value yearon-year.

12
12

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

CVs of NA candidates (Constituency 9) Xieng Khuang province

Candidate No. 1
Mr Bountonh Chanthaphone
Date of birth: September 6, 1957
Place of birth: Phosy village, Paek district,
Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Nam-ngam village, Paek
district, Xieng Khuang province
Qualifications:
Bachelor in teaching of Russian
Bachelor in business administration
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1983-1985: Deputy Principal of Phonsavanh Upper Secondary
School
1985-1989: Principal of Phonsavanh Upper Secondary School
1989-1999: Chief of external relations office of Xieng Khuang
province
2004-2006: Director of the Xieng Khuang Provincial
Department of Finance
2011-2015: President of Lao Front for National Construction
for Xieng Khuang province
2015-present: Deputy Secretary of provincial Party Committee
and President of National Assemblys Seventh Legislature
provincial caucus.
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Candidate No. 4
Dr Feuangsy Laofoung
Date of birth: May 1, 1956
Place of birth: Nameo village, Viengxay
district, Huaphan province
Ethnic group: Hmong
Current address: Thatkhao village, Sisattanak district,
Vientiane
Qualifications:
PhD in economic development
Elementary diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1982-2003: Worked at Ministry of Communications, Transport,
Post and Construction
2004-2005: Worked at Party Central Committee Office
2005-2010: Deputy Office Head of Ministry of Planning and
Investment
2010-present: Head of the Political Science Research Institute
of the National Social Science Institute
Nominated by the National Social Science Institute

Candidate No. 7
Mr Bounkhong Duangphachanh
Date of birth: February 20, 1971
Place of birth: Latngone village, Paek district,
Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Nam-ngam village, Paek district, Xieng
Khuang province
Qualifications:
Masters in education administration
Positions held:
2004-2005: Teacher at technical and vocational school in Xieng
Khuang province
2006-2010: Deputy Director of technical and vocational school
2011: Director of technical and vocational school
2015-present: Standing member of Xieng Khuang provincial
Youth Union and Director of technical and vocational school
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Candidate No. 9
Mr Phoukham Duangphachanh
Date of birth: March 8, 1969
Place of birth: Phonxong village, Viengkham
district, Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Nam-ngam village, Paek district, Xieng
Khuang province
Qualifications:

Candidate No. 2
Ms Vanpheng Keonakhone
Date of birth: March 18, 1957
Place of birth: Phonsavanh village, Paek
district, Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Sainam-ngeun village, Xaythany district,
Vientiane
Qualifications:
Bachelor in Russian literature
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1977-1980: Teacher at Vientiane Pedagogical University
1983-1988: Teacher at Vientiane Secondary School
1998-2004: Member of Vientiane Womens Union
2004-2014: Director of Vientiane Department of Information,
Culture and Tourism and member of National Assemblys
Seventh Legislature
2015-present: Member of National Assemblys Seventh
Legislature based in NA office and in charge of constituency
affairs
Nominated by Standing Committee of the National Assembly
Candidate No. 5
Lieutenant Colonel Vanthone Sonthavong
Date of birth: May 15, 1957
Place of birth: Phon-ngam village, Kham
district, Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Phonkham village, Paek district, Xieng
Khuang province
Qualifications:
Higher diploma in public security
Intermediate diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1974-1975: Teacher in the Bounthin area in Kham district,
Xieng Khuang province
1976-1978: Worked at Xieng Khuang provincial police
headquarters
1990-1993: Deputy Chief of public security office under Xieng
Khuang provincial police headquarters
1994-2004: Chief of Mok district police office
2007-present: Deputy Head of provincial Defence and
Security Office.
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Candidate No. 3
Ms Sengkham Xongsana
Date of birth: December 26, 1958
Place of birth: Phadaeng village, Hongsa
district, Xayaboury province
Ethnic group: Hmong
Current address: Phonsa-at Neua village, Paek district, Xieng
Khuang province
Qualifications:
Masters in economics management
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1989-2005: Worked at Xieng Khuang provincial Department
of Planning and Investment
2006-2010: Vice President of Xieng Khuang province
Womens Union
2010-2012: Deputy Director of Xieng Khuang provincial
Tourism Department
2012-2015: Head of National Assemblys provincial office
2015-present: Member of the Provincial Party Committee and
Head of NAs provincial office
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Candidate No. 6
Mr Vilaysouk Phimmasone
Date of birth: October 10, 1955
Place of birth: Vatchan Tha village,
Chanthabouly district, Vientiane
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Phonmixay village, Paek district, Xieng
Khuang province
Qualifications:
Masters degree
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1979-1980: Worked at agricultural mechanics school in Km
8 area, Vientiane
1987-1990: Teacher at Engineering and Architecture Faculty,
National University of Laos
1990-1991: Worked for a commercial state enterprise in
Vientiane
2011-2016: Member of National Assemblys Seventh
Legislature
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Candidate No. 8
Dr Maisy Viengvilay
Date of birth: March 16, 1961
Place of birth: Meuanglong village, Sobbao
district, Huaphan province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Yuan village, Paek district, Xieng Khuang
province
Qualifications:
PhD in road and airport construction
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1984-1990: Mathematics teacher at National University of Laos
2001-2012: Worked at Ministry of Public Works and
Transports Road Department
2012-present: Deputy Director of Xieng Khuang provincial
Department of Public Works and Transport
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Masters in water supply

Intermediate diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1995-1996: Worked at Vientiane Water Supply State Enterprise
1996-1998: Manager of water supply construction project in
seven northern provinces, based in Xieng Khuang province
1999-present: Director of provincial Water Supply State
Enterprise
Nominated by Xieng Khuang Provincial Administration Office

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

13

CVs of NA candidates (Constituency 10) Vientiane province

Candidate No. 1
Dr Somphou Duangsavanh

Candidate No. 2
Mr Bounpheng Sainorady

Date of birth: April 9, 1954

Place of birth: Phonsavanh village, Paek
district, Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Phuan
Current Address: Khamhoung village,
Xaythany district, Vientiane
Qualifications:
PhD in social development history and Partys political regime
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
2002-2006: Deputy Head of Administrative Office of the
National Assembly (Legislature V)
2006-2010: Member of the National Assembly (Legislature VI)
and Vice Chairman of Committee of Socio-Cultural Affairs of
the National Assemblys Seventh Legislature
2011-present: Party Committee member, Vice Chairman
of Committee of Socio-Cultural Affairs of the National
Assemblys Seventh Legislature.
Nominated by Standing Committee of the National Assembly

Date of birth: April 4, 1956

Place of birth: Poungluk village, Kasy district,
Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Thaineua
Current address: Phonmy Tai, village,
Viengkham district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Masters degree in Party building
Masters degree in political studies
Positions held:
2010-2012: Head of Personnel and Organisation Committee
of Vientiane province, Member of Standing Committee of the
Provincial Party Committee
2012-2015: President of Party Inspection Committee of
Vientiane province, Member of Standing Committee of the
Provincial Party Committee
2016-present: Deputy provincial Party Secretary, President of
National Assemblys Seventh Legislature constituency caucus.
Nominated by provincial administration

Candidate No. 4
Mr Somdy Keodalavin
Date of birth: April 6, 1961
Place of birth: Huaythua village, Paek district,
Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Khmu
Current address: Kham village, Phonhong
district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Masters degree in public administration
Masters degree in political studies
Positions held:
2006-2011: Member of the Party Committee of Vientiane
province, Governor of Feuang district and National Assembly
member (Legislature VI)
2011-present: Member of the Party Committee of Vientiane
province, National Assembly member (Legislature VII)
Nominated by provincial administration
Candidate No. 7
Ms Theo-ngeun Xamounty
Date of birth: April 27, 1963
Place of birth: Keunneua village, Thoulakhom
district, Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Keunneua village,
Thoulakhom district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Bachelor degree
Finished political studies course (basic level)
Positions held:
2004-2009: President of Womens Union of Thoulakhom
district, Vientiane province
2010-2014: Head of Personnel and Organisation Committee
of Thoulakhom district, Vientiane province
2014-present: Deputy Director of provincial Department of
Science and Technology
Nominated by provincial administration

Candidate No. 10
Mr Vanthong Sitthikoun
Date of birth: March 2, 1960
Place of birth: Chantai village, Chomphet
district, Luang Prabang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Thongphanthong village,
Sisattanak district, Vientiane
Qualifications:
Masters degree
Finished political studies course (basic level)
Positions held:
1992-1997: Director of Vangvieng Cement Factory I
1997-2012: Director of Vangvieng Cement Factory II
2012-present: Member of Executive Board of the National
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of Lao Cement
association.
Nominated by National Chamber of Commerce and Industry

To be continued next issue...

Candidate No. 5
Ms Buavanh Thammavong
Date of birth: March 15, 1963
Place of birth: Xiengmoung village, Kham
district, Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Phuan
Current Address: Thinkeo village, Keooudom district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Bachelor degree
Bachelor degree in political studies
Positions held:
2010-2011: Deputy Governor of Keo-oudom district, Vientiane
province
2011-present: Member of National Assemblys Seventh
Legislature constituency caucus
Nominated by provincial administration
Candidate No. 8
Dr Hongkham Souvannavong
Date of birth: October 28, 1964
Place of birth: Khangkhai village, Paek
district, Xieng Khuang province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Phonphanao village,
Xaysettha district, Vientiane
Qualifications:
PhD in business administration
Finished political studies course (basic level)
Positions held:
Current position: President of the National Young Business
Association and President of TV Lao.
Nominated by the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Youth Union

Candidate No. 11
Mr Somsanith Sengthong
Date of birth: February 14, 1958
Place of birth: Phonhong village, Phonhong
district, Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Phonhong village,
Phonhong district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Masters degree in economic planning
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1996-2004: Director of Planning and Cooperation Department,
Vientiane province
2005-2010: Deputy Head of Office, Vientiane province
2011-present: Head of National Assemblys Seventh
Legislature constituency office.
Nominated by provincial administration

Candidate No. 13
Mr Champathong Vongdeuan
Date of birth: January 10, 1960
Place of birth: Phonsavath village, Phonhong
district, Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Sengsavang village, Keooudom district, Vientiane province

Candidate No. 3
Brigadier General Khampharng
Kongchanseng
Date of birth: May 1, 1942
Place of birth: Nongbouathong village,
Sikhottabong district, Vientiane
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Thongsangnang village, Chanthabouly
district, Vientiane
Qualifications:
Higher diploma
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
1991-2002: Member of Party Standing Committee and Chief
of Military Command of Vientiane province
2002-2006: Military attach to Lao Embassy to Cambodia
2006-2015: Vice President of the Peoples Supreme Court,
President of the Military High Court
2016-present: Vice President of National Federation of
Veterans.
Nominated by National Federation of Veterans

Candidate No. 6
Colonel Khamkhen Outtama
Date of birth: August 15, 1957
Place of birth: Viengkeo village, Vangvieng
district, Xaysomboun province
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Nonsavang village,
Viengkham district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Higher diploma in military general staff command studies
Bachelor in political studies
Positions held:
2003-2006: Assigned to work at Xaysomboun Special Zone
2006-present: Head of Logistics Office of Military Command
of Vientiane province
Nominated by provincial administration
Candidate No. 9
Mr Khambong Khonsavanh
Date of birth: August 5, 1960
Place of birth: Natan village, Sangthong
district, Vientiane
Ethnic group: Lao
Current address: Namcheng village,
Phonhong district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Bachelor degree in metal processing
Higher diploma in political studies
Positions held:
2005-2008: Governor of Maed district, Vientiane province
2009-present: Director of provincial Department of Energy
and Mines
Nominated by provincial administration
Candidate No. 12
Mr Vongsamay Lengxongpao
Date of birth: January 13, 1960
Place of birth: Nong village, Hom district,
Vientiane province
Ethnic group: Hmong
Current address: Nonsavanh village,
Viengkham district, Vientiane province
Qualifications:
Higher diploma in personnel management
Bachelor in political studies
Positions held:
2011-2012: Head of Water Resources and Environment Office,
Vientiane province
2013-2014: Director of Natural Resources and Environment
Department, Vientiane province
2015-present: Vice President of Party Inspection Committee,
Vientiane province
Nominated by provincial administration
Qualifications:
Masters degree in electricity network and system development
Finished political studies training course (basic level)
Positions held:
2008-2010: Director of Electricite du Laos, Borikhamxay
province branch
2010-present: Director of Electricite du Laos, Vientiane
province branch
Nominated by provincial administration

14

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Vientiane Times

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

15

Women & Development

Seeds of empowerment: a rural womans

fight against poverty

hone is happy with her

crops. I come to my
garden every day to
water the plants, pull
out weeds and prepare the soil.
I love the work that I am doing
right now because it brings a
good income to my family,
she says.
My name is Phone, I am
43 years old. I have four children
and a husband. Primary school
is my highest level of education.
Three years after dropping out,
I got married - that was life in
rural areas. I have the lives of five
other people on my shoulders.
My husband falls ill every year
so I am responsible for working
and earning an income, says a
woman living in Thapangthong
district, Savannakhet province.
She has always planted
vegetables, but only enough for
her family.
Learning new techniques

In 2013, World Vision and

Thapangthong district authorities
conducted a study tour on home
gardens in the province of
Savannakhet.
It was used as an opportunity
to understand the needs of
communities and serve as a
learning tool.
Tr a i n i n g , e q u i p m e n t
and seeds were provided to
select families in villages
from the Thapangthong Area
Development Programme.
Families learned how to grow
and protect crops, prepare the
soil and make organic fertiliser.
Today, walking through
villages in Thapangthong, one
can see gardens full of long
beans, corn, eggplant, spring
onions, morning glory and so
much more.
Ms Phone was among those
chosen to participate in this
project and is now able to grow

crops twice a year, no matter the

season.
In just four months, I can
harvest the vegetables from my
garden and earn about 4,000,000
kip (US$500) from markets and
neighbours, Phone says.
This garden has changed the
way I earn an income. It gives
my family a better life. With
the money I have saved from
selling vegetables, I opened a
small shop in my house where I
sell some food and drinks, the
mother adds.
I had given up hope for
a better future. Working alone
and not having enough money
to support my family left me
questioni n g w h a t w o u l d
become of us. Today, I am
confident in what is yet to
come because of this income
generating garden, she says
with a smile.
World Vision has also

worked with Phones village

in other sectors to help bring
sustainable ways to alleviate
poverty. A clean water pump,
latrines, a village medicine

cabinet, development and the future.

vaccination funds and a school
Empowering a woman
library have all been initiated means empowering an entire
in this village for people to be community!
safer and better prepared for
--Source: World Vision

The rise of the Filipino romance in English

Today, more romances in English are being published and made available to Filipino readers than
ever before

Ruel S. De Vera

The Philippines ( Philippine

Daily Inquirer, ANN) -- The
Filipino romance is turning
over a new page. The word
romance in Philippine
publishing has always been
identified with the romance in
Filipino, those thin, inexpensive
books with covers featuring
men and women who bear just
the vaguest resemblance to
celebrities.
These extremely popular
books are passed around for
reading and part of a busy
multimillion peso industry.
But the Filipino romance in
Filipino has company. Looking
nothing like their Filipino
counterparts, the Filipino
romances in English are laid
out differently, larger, thicker
and more expensive. They also
represent a movement that has

been agitating for recognition

for over a decade.
Today, more romances in
English are being published
and made available to Filipino
readers than ever before. At
the heart of this revolution
is Mina V. Esguerra, who is
currently working on her 24th
romance. Esguerra is the brains
behind #romanceclass, a group
that are doing their mightiest
to popularise the romance in
English.
Esguerra points to the genres
beginnings to the Summit Books
of the early 2000s, naming writer
and editor Tara FT Sering as the
progenitor of the romance in
English.
Sering remembers that
chick lit was experiencing its
own boom at that time, and
Summit had decided to try
and enter that market. There
was room for books written

by Filipinos in this genre, she

says. Something that would
capture the life experiences of
this core audience of women in
the Philippines more accurately.
I was really excited about that
and where it could go.
Sering wrote what she
considered a sample and it
was distributed free with
Cosmopolitan in 2002. That
book, Getting Better, could
easily be considered the first
Filipino romance in English.
Sering, as editor of Summit
Books, would preside over a
line of chick lit titlesmany of
them qualifying as romances in
Englishthrough those years.
Sering herself would write two
such novels, including Almost
Married, the sequel to Getting
Better.
Sering remembers the
response being enthusiastic. It
was refreshing I suppose because

at that time, there werent many

books in this genre published
locally. These books were
written in English, yes, but the
stories distinctively Filipino.
Sering defines their books ethos
as: Whos that girl? It was
about what she was doing with
her life, her attitude toward it,
and then the romantic situations
follows. So they were a lot to
do with self-definition in ones
20s and 30s, of which romantic
relationships were a big part of.
Summit Books has continued
to publish chick lit books to the
present in its Modern Fiction
line.
The next seismic shift in the
story of the Filipino romance
in English happened in 2008,
when Mina Esguerra began
writing her own stories after
being inspired by the Summit
books. I thought that I wanted
to experience a local author and a
Filipino character the same way
I experienced a foreign author,
she remembers.
In 2009, Summit published
Esguerras My Imaginary Ex.
Since then, Esguerra has led
the charge for the romance in
English, publishing her books
across different platforms and in
different countries, championing
the e-book as well as providing
print copies to those who wanted
them.
Aside from the mere act
of producing books, Esguerra
became the exponential
multiplier factor when she
started teaching others how to
write romance.
So few of us were writing
contemporary romances at the
time that when one of us decides
not to do it, we didnt have a

new book to read that year, she

recalls.
Daring womenIn between
projects, Esguerra decided to
share one of her book outlines
and dispensed advice to likeminded writers.
Lets do this: Lets create a
group, she remembers. Lets
communicate online, try to meet
monthly, talk about progress
and check where we are in six
months.
That groupidentified as
the #romanceclasscollected
100 members on its Facebook
group. Sixteen novels would
come out from that initial class.
Since then, Esguerra has
mentored literally hundreds of
aspiring romance novelists and
has even gone on to teach classes
in other genres. The romance
class alone has 50 or more
participants at any given time.
Agay Llanera is a very good
example of those women daring
to write the romance in English.
I wrote in English because
I started reading in English,
she says. I wanted to write YA
[Young Adult] but I grew to love
writing romances.
Chrissie Peria, a 36-year-old
mother of a 3-year-old, was the
first one in that group to selfpublish.
Jay E. Tria, a relative newbie
to the group as she only joined
#romanceclass six months ago,
already has two self-published
romances, including Songs of
Our Breakup.
Challenges of writingTria
points out one of the challenges
of writing the romance in
English: Theres a debate
in my head whether I should
put Tagalog words in there

because in reality no one speaks

in complete English, but in the
end, that sounded like it would
just be a translation of a normal
Filipino conversation, so I chose
English because it flowed more
naturally for me.
Llanera admits theres a bit
of a loss in translation because
the nuances in Filipino dont
translate well in English,
pointing out the occasional
incongruity of tricycle and
jeepney drivers speaking in
straight English.
Esguerra herself believes
this isnt a problem at all: When
it sounds good, it doesnt sound
inauthentic when people are
talking in English with young
people growing up exposed to
the Internet. Its entirely natural
to hear people talk entirely in
English. Llanera adds: I dont
think its limiting, I think its a
chance to be more aware of being
read by other nationalities.
According to Esguerra, the
current challenge to the romance
in English is something else:
The difficulty is still with sex,
with how to describe sexual
situations, how to frame a scene
where people have to react to
sexual situations in a certain
way. When written with Filipino
characters, these books have
certain stereotypes that dont
apply to foreign characters.
Not uniqueIt should be noted
that this is not a unique problem.
Romances in Filipino never
depict their characters in sexual
situations, leading to a chaste
fairy-tale orientation.
Esguerra knows what she
speaks of, as shes written several
books with sexual situations, but
only features Filipino characters.

16

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Travel

Saravan-Vietnam border crossing attracts

200,000 travellers

Panyasith Thammavongsa

aravan province:
Since the opening
of the Laylay border
crossing between
Saravan province and Quang
Tri province in Vietnam in
2014, more than 200,000
people have entered Saravan
using this route.
Of this number, 87,000
people were Vietnamese
coming to Laos, but it seems
that most were Lao nationals
crossing into Vietnam to visit
popular tourist destinations like
Hue and Danang.
The Lalay International
Checkpoint is located in
Samuay district, a mountainous
area and one of the three poorest
and most remote districts in the
province.
Most Lao people crossing
the border here come from
the south of the country mostly Champassak, Xekong
and Attapeu provinces. Southern
Laos is not so far from Hue and
Danang; it takes only a day or
half a day to reach Hue.
Deputy Director of the
Information, Culture and
Tourism Department in Saravan
province, Mr Bounthom
Phommavong, said More
people are using this border
crossing because it has good
road access after Road No. 15R
was asphalted in 2015, and
makes travel time to Vietnam
shorter.
Another point is that
Champassak province has an
international airport in Pakxe
district, making it relatively easy
for tourists to travel from there

by land to Saravan and then into

Vietnam.
Road No. 15R is a very
attractive route and gives people
good views of the forests,
mountains, farmland, ethnic
dwellings (Pako and Oy groups)
and their lifestyle. Tourists
can also visit Kang village
in Ta Oy district where some
interesting ethnic groups live,
and in Samuay district they
can visit houses that are roofed
with straw.
Road No. 15R runs from
Saravan provincial capital over
a distance of about 150km to
the border. From there its about
another 100km to Hue, and from
Hue to Danang its about 80km.
Previously, travellers had
to go to Savannakhet province
and take Road No. 9 from Xeno
district to the Densavan-Laobao
border crossing before heading
to Hue and Danang.
Mr Bounthom said Saravan
has 84 officially recognised
tourist sites, of which three
are operated as concessions.
Only the Tad Lor waterfall in
Lao-Ngam district has been
developed to accommodate
tourists and is a very popular
destination.
In 2015, over 33,000
t o u r i s t s v i s i t e d S aravan
province.
The province has a great
deal of potential for tourism
but access remains a problem
and a lot more funding is
needed to pay for the necessary
infrastructure and facilities at
tourist sites.
Nevertheless, the
Information, Culture and
Tourism Department intends to

The well known Tad Lor waterfall in Lao-ngam district, Saravan province.

forge ahead with developments

and will build new facilities
when they have funding.
At present, the province
is mainly a point of transit
for travellers. If more
attractions can be developed
and made accessible, more
people will want to spend
more time there, helping to
generate income for local
people as well as boosting the
provinces economy.
It is proving a challenge
for the department to decide
how best to develop areas of
attraction to tourists. In the
meantime, it is continuing its Vietnamese visitors continue their journey after getting their passports stamped on the Lao side of
work to identify more places the Lalay International Checkpoint this month.
that would draw visitors and
will add them to its plan for construction and the provision development and feasibility. 400,000 people who live in
of water and electricity at tourist
Saravan province is home eight districts, and lies about
future development.
sites
is
a
very
important
aspect
of
to
10
ethnic groups and about 700km southeast of Vientiane.
Mr Bounthom said Road

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Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

17

Opinion

Streetwise

Are women making any headway in

exercising their rights?
March 8 is International Womens Day a very important day in Laos.
Vientiane Times went out and about to discover what people think of this
occasion and to get their opinions on womens rights.
and honour them. If we look
back to the past, it used to
be that women rarely had
the chance to get the same
education as men. Most of
them only did housework,
while men had all the
opportunities to advance as
they were better educated.
In those days most people
felt that women didnt have
the ability to work because
they were not as strong as
men. But now its not like
that any more because we
recognise that everyone has
the same rights and in some
cases woman are better. The
authorities have raised the
profile of women and given
them more opportunities for
advancement. There are now

Times Reporters

Ms Chintanalone Inthavong,
an employee at the Lao
National Theatre in

Vientiane: Women are like

mothers so we should respect

many companies that are

run by women. But there are
still not many compared to
the number of men in these
positions, so I call on the
authorities to value women
more, so that we have more
chances in life.
Mr Bouchan Sylavong, a

teacher in Sikhottabong
district, Vientiane: Its
important that we all do our
best to protect woman from
violence. It is illegal to be
physically abusive towards
women and children and
Im pleased that the younger
generation shows for more
respect for women. These
days its not so common to
see or hear of men demeaning
women. I think this is because
people are better educated
and have more respect for
each other in general.
Mr Sone Monvilay, a

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Ms Dao, a company
employee in Hadxaifong
district, Vientiane: I think

International Womens Day is

important because it reminds
us of womens rights and the
abuse that women continue to
suffer at the hands of men. In
Laos the government is trying
to support womens activities.
Besides that, women are good
preservers of tradition and do
a lot to uphold Lao culture. I

dont want to be better than a

man; I just want everyone to
be equal. Of course, women
dont have the same strength
to do the hard work that men
do, but we can do other things
that men cannot do so well.
We should all show more
respect for each other and
acknowledge our differences
while appreciating our
potential in various ways.

Asia News Network (ANN)

Total + Online fee

156 issues (6 months)

Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia

company employee in
Vientiane province: In

my opinion most people

recognise that men and
women have the same rights
and sometimes woman
act as protectors. But of
course sometimes we see
that women still encounter
problems because of their
gender, especially in rural
areas where they do a lot of
hard physical labour and are
sometimes physically abused
by men. But on the other
hand, we can see that many
women today are strong and
have the same responsibilities
as men, such as working in
an office and taking on high
positions. In the past, most
women just stayed at home,
doing the housework and
taking care of the children.
On International Womens
Day I would like to remind
everyone that its wrong to
take advantage of women
in any way. We should
accept that women are not as
physically strong as men and
we should be more caring and
helpful towards them.

THE DAILY YOMIURI

THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN

THE STRAITS TIMES

The Asia News Network (ANN) is a network of leading daily English

language newspapers in Asia, supported by the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation of Germany through its regional representative bureau in
Singapore.
It was established in March, 1999, to provide avenues for cooperation
and optimise coverage of major news events in the region.
It also aims to promote journalism, share news stories, feature articles,
editorials and personality profiles. ANN is the worlds most active
newspaper alliance with a membership base of 18 newspapers in 16
countries.
The German News Agency of Deutsche Presse-Agentur, as one of the
leading international agencies and ANNs exclusive partner, distributes
news and features, background stories and commentaries from ANN
to subscribers worldwide.
They consist of Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), China Daily (China),
The Statesman (India), The Korea Herald (South Korea), The Star
(Malaysia), Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Nation (Thailand), The
Straits Times (Singapore), The Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines),
The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), Vietnam News (Vietnam), The Daily
Star (Bangladesh), Vientiane Times (Laos), The Kathmandu Post
(Nepal), The Island (Sri Lanka), Brunei Times (Brunei), The Nation
(Pakistan), and China Post (Taiwan). The combined circulation of these
newspapers is more than 14 million copies per day.

18 Opinion

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Agricultural transformation
The South Asian scientific and farming community
must prepare to face challenges
MJH Jabed

Katmandu (The Katmandu

Post, ANN) -- Mar 6, 2016A2013 report of the Food
and Agriculture Organisation
of the United Nations (FAO)
shows that 51 percent of South
Asias 1.6 billion people are
directly engaged in agriculture
and 42 percent of South Asias
landmass is under agricultural
operation. The fact that only
20 percent of South Asias
total Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) is generated through
farming activities would be
a sentence wrenched out of
context until it is elaborated
as to what percentage of South
Asian lives are impacted by
our performance in agriculture
on a daily basis.
Past and the present
The world economy has
undergone revolutionary
changes
due
to
industrialisation and global
integration of markets. In
the worlds most advanced
economies, percentage-wise,
the proportion the labour
force involved in agriculture
is insignificant. However,
strikingly, this is the sector
over which multilateral trade
negotiators are still nowhere
close to finding a compromise
and striking a deal to write
global trade rules. Successive
rounds of trade talks have
failed to generate the expected
results not merely because of
the strong agriculture lobby
back home but also due to the
sensitivity and passion that
are attached to this particular
economic activity.
Given the all-encompassing
and extremely intricate nature
of agriculture and its impact on
the global political economy,
the coinage of the term
Agricultural Transformation
could not be more pertinent
and time-befitting which, at
the same time, demands an
in-depth scientific analysis
of the phenomenon and a
knowledge-based and multistakeholder policy approach.
Like many other parts of the
agrarian world, South Asias
agriculture too saw a gradual
shift from traditional and
labour-intensive farming to
capital-intensive commercial
farming from the middle of
the last century. The time
span can be segmented into
the following three distinct
phases. First, the traditional
agriculture until the mid20th century: A subsistence
production system and low
productivity in family-based
farming activities. Second, the
semi-commercial technologyled agriculture from the 1960s
till the 1980s: The famous
Green Revolution which led to
the surpassing of all previous
levels, scales and speeds of
production. And third, the
commercial agriculture since
the 1980s: The introduction
of the technological
breakthroughs in all fields,
such as biotechnology, ICT,
production modulation and
production technologies,
processing and management,

What the Lao papers say

Women have
an important role
in society
Translated by Times Reporters
Women have an important role in society and are
respected for upholding the countrys fine traditions.
Lao women have earned a reputation for being polite,
strong, welcoming guests with a smile, and conducting
themselves well, thus gaining the respect of other people.
Lao women are patient, tireless, selfless, and caring for
their husbands and families, always showing kindness
and making sacrifices.
In addition, women have proved they have abilities and
talent while working alongside men.
All men should honour women everywhere and help
them with their work wherever possible.
--Lao Phatthana Daily, March 4

helped break yield barriers and

attain higher production levels.
Challenges ahead
This pathway of
agricultural transformation
can be considered as a very
striking example of adaptation
strategies which led to
enhanced productivity. The
fact that rising productivity
in the agricultural sector
stimulates overall economic
growth is confirmed by
the diminishing relative
contribution of agriculture to
the GDP.

ageing population, weakening

resilience in the agricultural
system, breakdown in the
production system caused by
high dependence on external
inputs such as variety and
chemicals, and trans-boundary
issues can wreak havoc on not
only agriculture but the entire
ecology of the region.
Saarc and agriculture
The South Asian
Association for Regional
Corporation (Saarc) has
identified agriculture as one of
the priority areas for fostering

It is high time the scientific

and farming community of
South Asia realigned their
natural and knowledge
resources to cope with the
challenges emanating from the
transformation in agriculture
as an economic activity.
While this impressive
journey must inspire us to
carry out the next generation
of reforms surrounding
the agriculture sector and
allocate resources to invent
the most essential technology
of sustainable farming, we
must admit there is hardly
much scope for complacence.
South Asia still seems most
vulnerable to even minute
variations in both internal
and external factors such as
small landholdings, resource
constraints of the farming
community, an inhospitable
production environment
like uncultivable hills and
mountains, flood plains and
unprotected coastal lines, and
dwindling land and water
resources.
A host of factors such
as global climate change,
barriers in agricultural trade,
over-exploitation of resources
and marginalisation of small
farmers caused by capital
and technology-intensive
production system, biased and
unfair food distribution system,

regional cooperation since

its inception in 1985. Over
the years, Saarc leaders have
continued to extend guidance
and commitment towards
bolstering cooperation in the
area of agriculture and food
security. In order to enhance
cooperation in agriculture,
Saarc has adopted several
policy documents. The
Colombo Statement on Food
Security and Regional Food
Security Strategies adopted
during the 15th Summit, the
Saarc Agricultural Vision
2020 adopted during the
Agricultural Ministerial
Meeting of 2008, and the
Saarc Declaration of Food
Security Strategy adopted
during the Agricultural
Ministerial Meeting held
in Delhi in 2008 are some
examples.
In recent years, Saarc
h a s , i n p artnership with
international organisations
including the FAO, European
Union, Asian Development
Bank and various donor
countries, completed projects

to address pressing issues like

combating trans-boundary
animal diseases, improving
epidemic alerting mechanisms,
developing regional varieties
in the crop sector and training
Saarc agricultural scientists
and practitioners. A number
of capacity building projects
are in the pipeline whose
successful implementation
will help transform the Saarc
Agriculture Centre in Dhaka
into a truly regional centre of
excellence.
The 18th Saarc Summit
that Nepal successfully
hosted in November 2014
took some milestone decisions
to bring dynamism in the
regions agricultural profile.
Our leaders offered valuable
directives to increase
investment, promote research
and development, facilitate
technical cooperation and
apply innovative, appropriate
and reliable technologies
in the agriculture sector
for enhancing productivity.
They also underscored the
importance of promoting
sustainable agriculture. The
leaders urged that the Saarc
Seed Bank Agreement be
ratified soon and directed
that the Seed Bank Board
be constituted immediately.
The leaders also directed
the relevant Saarc bodies to
finalise the establishment of
a Regional Vaccine Bank and
Regional Livestock Gene
Bank.
It is high time the scientific
and farming community of
South Asia realigned their
natural and knowledge
resources to cope with the
challenges emanating from the
transformation in agriculture
as an economic activity.
Neither local and national
nor regional-level initiatives
will suffice to bring in the
desired change, particularly
in terms of overcoming the
multifarious constraints
arising out of agricultural
transformation, unless
timely action strategies are
formulated and implemented
forming a science-privatepublic level tripartite coalition.
--Jabed is the director,
Agriculture & Rural
Development, Saarc
Secretariat in Kathmandu

School fees
unaffordable for
some parents
Education is very important to ensure a bright future for
children but school fees are becoming a problem for low
income parents.
People in Vientiane have varying incomes, but everyone
has to find a way to pay for their childrens studies.
Some children want to study the same subject as their
friends, at popular schools with expensive fees or abroad
using private funds without obtaining a scholarship,
making it difficult for their parents.
Children have their own dreams but parents need to
explain that its possible to attend a state school and still
be a top student. This means its not always necessary
to study in popular and expensive schools to attain
academic excellence.
Children should think carefully before choosing the
subjects they study because it may cause concern for
their parents. Some rural families are forced to sell their
cattle or other property to pay for school or college fees.
Last week, this reporter met a young man who was
preparing to receive his diploma. He explained that
his parents were poor and could not support him so he
worked to earn enough money to pay his way through
school.
This reporter was happy to hear this success story which
is a good example for anyone who wants to do the same.
--Vientiane Mai Daily, March 3

Use social media for

the right reasons
Social media is a convenient way to communicate with
others but it can affect society when people use it to
spread negative stories across the internet.
One such event happened last week when a husband and
wife had a row because the wife had a boyfriend.
Local people said the problem arose because the wife
liked to use Facebook while her husband was at work
and her daughter at school.
Using social media seemed to change her behaviour as
she dressed in fashionable clothes and took photos to
post on Facebook, which she took while out and about
with her friends.
Her Facebook posts said she was still single. This went
on for three months and eventually led to her meeting up
with a man for a sexual relationship, which goes against
Lao customs and is also against the law.
The argument with her husband occurred when her
boyfriend visited her at home.
Many people have complained about this bad behaviour
saying it was not a good example for young people and
children.
Social media does not always serve to make us happy, as
when it is misused it can affect families and society as a
whole.
Many people use social media to meet a boyfriend or
girlfriend but we should first consider whether this is
appropriate or offensive in any way.
--Pathetlao Daily, March 3

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Rubbing the right way

Wang Jisheng practice the ancient stone rubbing art in Guilin,

Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
--Photo by huo Yan

CHINA (China Daily, ANN) -in southwest Chinas Guangxi

Zhuang autonomous region
is a well-known scenic spot,
famous for its picturesque
karst landscape and crystal-like
Lijiang River.
Dozens of Chinas state
guests from abroad have
visited Guilin since the 1950s,
and every year about 40 million
people visit Guilin to appreciate
its beautiful natural views,
using bamboo rafts, tourist
buses and rented bicycles.
But few stand close to the
mountain cliff or push aside
wild grass there to look at
carvings and inscriptions.
It is a pity that people only
see a big picture of Guilin, and
miss out on the small details,
says Wang Jisheng, an artist,
who specialises in an art
called stone rubbing.
Guilin is not eye candy,
but an erudite and brave
warrior, whose stories are
told via carvings left on
its mountains and on stone
tablets.
Wa n g s w o r k s h o p i s
located in Jingjiang Palace, a
large mansion built in the early
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in
the center of Guilin.
It once served as a site for

a provincial government and

was the site of the first modern
college in Guangxi in the early
20th century.
In the center of the palace
is Duxiu Peak, which offers a
birds eye-view of Guilin city.
The stone inscriptions on
Duxiu Peak, in its caves and on
stone tablets in nearby temples,
in the form of calligraphy and
various patterns, have attracted
Wang since he first saw them in
2002 when he came to Guilin
from Beijing.
Unlike black-and-white
stone rubbing, Wang uses
mineral and plant pigments in
his rubbing work.
So when he rubs a Buddha
pattern from the tunnel wall of
an ancient temple, which dates
back to the 17th century, he
colours his rubbings according
to his understanding of the
work.
He uses Chinese art paper
that is specially made by small
workshops.
The paper and the
pigments are a perfect match,
as they play up each others
strengths, and give the images
and characters on paper a
stereoscopic impression, says
Wang.
It is not a copying, but an

artistic re-creation. The choice

of materials is part of the recreation.
When I rub on the stone
alone in the tunnel, or on the
mountain, I focus on every
detail of the inscription, says
Wang.
The bright color gives life
to the dead stone inscriptions,
says a tourist surnamed
Zhang from Changchun, Jilin
province, who is in her mid30s, after seeing Wangs work.
He seems to have the
talent to wake up the wildest
ancient totem hidden in the
mountains through his modern
art.
I choose the color
according to the characters.
Some are civil officials, some
are military officers, and
some are celestial beings or
religious figures. I study details
of the inscriptions, the history
related to them as well as the
ancient artists who created
them hundreds of years ago,
says Wang.
They (the characters) set
the borders for my art, and I
fill in color within the borders.
I imagine how they (the artists)
constructed the characters
in their hearts exactly at the
moment when they created
them.
Wang went to a Taoist
temple in Jiangxi province in
2005, and became a Taoist.
In ancient art there is
always a religious pivot. The
dilemma for modern art is the
people have too many ideas
but cannot find the pivot any
more, says Wang.
Everything originates from
five elements in the yin and
yang world gold, wood, water,
fire and soil according to Taoist
doctrine.
Wang says he draws his
inspiration from Taoist thought.
Wa n g h a s a p i g m e n t
colorist, Zhou Hong, as his
assistant.

Creations on a pushcart

Gaunt concrete high-rises loom over the Design Museum Dharavi,

a travelling exhibition on a pushcart in a Mumbai slum.

THAILAND (The Nation,

ANN) -- A mobile design
museum showcases
innovations in a Mumbai slum
There is a new addition to the
landscape of one of Indias
largest shantytowns, Dharavi
in Mumbai, made famous by
Danny Boyles Oscar-winning
film Slumdog Millionaire.
Its a big shiny pushcart
with pottery chai cups - 50 types
including one which has ears
for a two-hand grip - brooms
that sweep both ways, earthen

water pots or matkas with air

holes to keep the contents cool
and other handicrafts.
The contents are not for
sale. The pushcart and its
exhibits are part of the Design
Museum Dharavi, a project
by an Amsterdam-based duo visual artist Jorge Rubio and
art historian Amanda Pinatih
-along with a Dharavi-based
urban research initiative URBZ.
The aim of the museum
is to showcase the creative
energy of Dharavi, give artisans

opportunities to innovate,
promote social change and
throw up a positive impression
of the sprawling settlement,
say the museum project team
members.
We began the project in
2011 soon after we encountered
Dharavi for the first time and
saw how much manufacturing
was going on, Pinatih said.
Matchbox buildings crowd
the maze-like narrow alleys
of the sprawling 2.2-squarekilometre informal settlement,
a cheaper residential option for
thousands of migrants who are
drawn to Indias financial hub.
The estimated 1.2-million
population of Dharavi all live
cheek by jowl with one another.
Most of their homes have
electricity and a television, but
no running water. The drainage
system is largely open sewers.
The settlement dates back
to British colonial days.
There are enclaves of
potters from the western state
of Gujarat, leather tanners
from southern Tamil Nadu,
embroidery and metal workers
from Uttar Pradesh in the north
and Bihar in the east.

19

Arts & Leisure

Vientiane painting
exhibition aims to
nourish love of art

One of the paintings on display at the exhibition.

Visith Teppalath

painting exhibition
to promote art in
Laos will be held at
Maison de la Culture
in Naxay village, Vientiane city
centre, from March 10-31.
The exhibition is primarily
to help promote art and oil
painting, encourage more people
to express themselves through
art, provide some support for
budding artists, and attract more
art lovers.
About 28 colourful oil
paintings of culture, lifestyle,
and nature created by Mr
Sompaseuth Chounlamany
will be on display at the gallery.
Mr Sompaseuth is a Lao
artist who has lived in the USA
for a long time. He originally
fell in love with art, especially
oil painting, and has since
produced many fine pieces
with his works having been
exhibited various times in Laos
and the USA, raising his profile
in both countries.

His techniques are

inspired by many outstanding
professional artists around the
world, and his style is a blend
of realism and impressionism.
He has received many
awards and certificates from
various painting competitions
and exhibitions.
Deputy Director of the
Cultural Exhibition House
at Maison de la Culture and

member of the exhibition

organising committee, Ms
Xayprani Chanthalangsy, told
Vientiane Times she and her
committee were very happy
to be holding the exhibition
again and she urged the public
to attend.
On this occasion we
are focusing on oil paintings
depicting lifestyle, nature, and
culture, she said.
According to the organising
committee, many different
themed photo exhibitions had
been held there but all related
to art and culture, such as
painting, traditional dance and
music. Many professional and
amateur artists had displayed
their works at the gallery,
attracting large numbers of
art lovers.
The exhibition at Maison
de la Culture on Sisangvone
Road, will run for three weeks
from March 10-31.
Some beautiful Lao
traditional goldwork embroidery
will also be featured by Mr
Sompaseuth during the
exhibition along with a
painting auction starting on
March 10 and ending on March
15 at 5pm. All of the money
will go to Maison de la Culture
to preserve the house and
promote its art activities.

Some of the exquisite goldwork embroidery by Mr Sompaseuth

also being featured.

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20

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Classified

Vientiane Times

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(National Staff - FTA NOB) based in Pakse

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Classified 21

VPS

Car rental service

We have many types of cars for rent new

model and old, sedan & 4 wheel such as:
MG.TOYOTA. NISSAN. KIA. HYUNDAI,

SMALL AND MIDDLE SEDAN FOR CITY

AGL assurances Allianz Group

Short term 1-7days & long 1-12 months
Self drive or with driver
Provide vehicle for Project & Private
Affordable price and best service
Office B. Thonkang, R. sokpalaung 15/279
For English call Mr. Chanh anytime
Tel: 020 55599900. 55593013,
office: 030 9800630
Email: vpscarrental@yahoo.com
www.vpscarrental.com

Announcement
The book 40 Years of the Lao PDR in two languages - Lao and
English - is now available at the Vientiane Times office.
The book consists of 213 pages and is divided into three
parts: Laos in Brief; Achievements in National Protection and
Development; and Vision of the Lao PDR.

Information on all sectors of national socio-economic

development, national protection and foreign policy as well as
international cooperation of the Lao PDR are included in the book.

The video DVD and CD of the 40 Years of the Lao PDR are also
available here.
In addition, the media directory book consisting of the history,
telephone numbers, emails and website addresses of all Lao
media organisations published in the Lao PDR is also available
here. These books would make interesting gifts for your friends.
For more information call: 021 336042-8.

22

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Whats On
Fashion Design Contest
Seeking Best Lao Young
Designer 2016 for Pi Mai Lao
(Lao New Year). Lao designers
aged 18 to 25 are encouraged to
enter the competition.
Where: Entries must be
submitted to Lao Fashion Week
Secretariat Office, House No.
99/01, Nam Phou Square, PO
Box 8044, Vientiane.
When: March 30.
For more information call: 021
254808 (office hours), Fax: 021
254809,
E-mail: info@laofashionweek.
com or Facebook: LaoFashionWeek.

Dance classes
Freestyle popping with Popper Tuny OMC. Beginners registration
fee 15,000 kip.
Where: Laobangfai Academy
When: Every weekend at 9am
For more information call 020 5228 3234, 030 977 8357,
Facebook Laobangfai Academy.

Lao Supermodel 2016

Calling young men and women, as well as children, to enter the
Lao Supermodel Contest.
Conditions:
- Males must be aged
18-28, at least 1.70m tall
and have completed high
school
- Females must be aged
18-25, at least 1.65m tall
and have completed high
school
- Children, aged 6-10.
When: Applications open
until March 30.
Where: Apply at LT
Company, Phonxay
village, Xaysettha district.
For more information: 020
59581881 Ms Nhui, or 020 2247 9479 Ms Ting
www.facebook.com/lao super model 2016

Botanical Drawing Exhibition

The French
Institute
in Luang
Prabang
province
and Pha Tad
Kae invite
the public
to attend a
botanical
drawing
exhibition at
the French
Institute by
Kongngern
Sengdee.
When: Open
until March
13, Monday to Friday 9-12am and 2-5:30pm. Saturdays from
9-12am.
Where: French Institute, Luang Prabang

Visit the Lao Peoples Army Museum

Community members and tourists are invited to visit the
Lao Peoples Army Museum to learn about past battles,
the brave acts of Lao soldiers, national defence and the
development of the army.
The museum features display weapons during the war
time and information about the birthplace of the Lao
Peoples Army and its history, as well as detailed accounts
of battles against foreign invaders. Visitors will learn about
the victories of the Lao military and people in each period
of the revolution, and can view pictures of the enemies
who destroyed parts of the country and oppressed ethnic
groups.
The museum also details the growth and expansion of the
army after the liberation of the country since 1975.
When: Open daily from 8.30am-11.30am and 1.30pm-4pm.
Where: Kaysone Phomvihane Road near That Luang
esplanade in Nongsangthor village, Xaysettha district,
Vientiane.
For more information contact: 021 900 662

WoW Fashion Week 2016

Free Rescue Services

Three free rescue teams are available on 24 hour
standby in Vientiane :
1. Lao Red Cross is providing free emergency
assistance, including at road accidents, for
members of the public who need help. For
more information call: 020 59966111
Where: Xiengyeun village, Chanthabouly
district, Vientiane.
2. People who need help after a road accident
or in any other situation where there is danger
can contact the Rescue Hotline Number of the
Foundation for Assisting the Poor People of
Laos, Tel: 1623
Where: The Rescue Centre is located at
Nonghay village, Hadxaifong district, in front
of Nonghay temple, on Kamphaengmeuang
Road.
3. People who need help after a road accident or
other urgent assistance, please call the rescue
hotline number of the Association of Voluntary
Rescue of Vientiane Tel: 1624
Where: The Association of Voluntary Rescue
of Vientiane is located in Nongsangthor village,
Xaysettha district.

Art exhibition
Maison de la Culture is holding
an exhibition by a Lao artist
from the USA, Phonepaseuth
Vannalathsamy. Embroidery
from Luang Prabang province
will also be on display on the
opening day.
There will be an auction of
paintings starting on March
10 at 7:30pm and ending on
March 15 at 5pm.
When: March 10 to 31.
Opening night reception at
6:30pm.
Where: Maison de la Culture, Naxay village, Xaysettha district,
Vientiane.

Mini Vientianale Short Film Festival

The Mini Vientianale
International Short
Film Festival returns
to the silver screen
this weekend.
The festival will
showcase an
exciting line-up of
over 90 national
and international
short films to
the Vientiane
community both
indoors for daytime
screenings and in
the evenings at the
Cinema Department
(off Khouvieng
Road, same street
as the French Medical Centre and PVO).
When: Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 13
Where: March 11-12, 10am-9:30pm at the Cinema Department
March 13, 10am-3:30pm at the Cinema Department

March 13, 4pm-9:30pm at the National Culture Hall
All screenings are FREE and open to the public.
For the full programme visit www.vientianale.org or www.
facebook.com/vientianale

AFC Cup 2016

Dont miss the capitals major event, Vientiane Wow Fashion

Week 2016, featuring more than 20 talented Lao and Thai
designers.
Where: New ITECC Mall, 7th floor
When: March 11-12
For more information call: 021 265 853

The Vientiane Times welcomes

notices from members of the public
for announcement on this page. Any
events or functions open to the general
public are suitable for publishing.
Contact: editor@vientianetimes.la

Lao Premier League Champions 2015 Lao Toyota FCs

upcoming AFC Cup matches:
March 9 AYEYAWADY UNITED from Myanmar VS Lao Toyota
FC (Away)
March 16 JOHOR DARUL TAZIM from Malaysia VS Lao Toyota
FC (Away)
April 13 Lao Toyota FC VS JOHOR DARUL TAZIM from
Malaysia (Lao National Studium Km 16)
April 27 JSW BENGALURU FC from India VS Lao Toyota FC
(Away)
May 11 Lao Toyota FC VS AYEYAWADY UNITED from
Myanmar (Lao National Studium Km 16)

Book launch and exhibition

When: Opening
reception on February
26. Exhibition runs until
April 10, entrance free
Where: TShop Lai
Gallery, opposite Vat
Inpaeng, Vientiane.
The book is available at
the TShop Lai Gallery,
Couleur dAsie, i:cat
Gallery, Monument
Books.

Vientiane Times

Tuesday March 8, 2016

Sports 23

Murray, Djokovic wins set up

Britain-Serbia Davis Cup clash

Crystal Palaces Damien Delaney brings down Liverpools Christian Benteke for a penalty during their
English Premier League soccer match at Selhurst Park, London on Sunday.
--Photo AP

With 10 men, United

loses, Liverpool wins
in Premier League
(AP) -- Playing with 10 men
proved to be no problem
for Liverpool in the English
Premier League on Sunday.
The same cannot be said of
Manchester United.
Liverpool responded to
James Milners sending-off
in the 62nd minute against
Crystal Palace by coming
from 1-0 down to win 2-1 as
Christian Bentekes penalty
clinched victory in the sixth
minute of injury time.
However, United was
made to pay for a 26thminute red card to Juan Mata
also for two bookings
at West Bromwich Albion,
which won 1-0 thanks to
Salomon Rondons goal at
The Hawthorns.
U n i t e d d r o pped three
points behind fourth-place
Manchester City in the race
for Champions League
qualification and is now only
three ahead of Liverpool,
which has won three straight
league games for the first time
in a year. City has a game in

hand over United too.

Its a big blow, United
manager Louis van Gaal said.
This kind of match you need
to win.
Van Gaal said Matas
sending-off for two yellow
cards in three minutes was to
blame for Uniteds first-ever
Premier League loss at West
Brom.
We h a v e p l a y e d 6 0
minutes with 10 versus 11,
and this is the fifth match in 14
days, the Dutchman said. Its
very difficult to play against
11 players (in this situation).
I think its the reason why
we lost.
Mata collected his first
booking for blocking a
quickly taken free kick, a
decision Van Gaal described
as stupid.
Initially, United coped
well with going a man down
but barely threatened West
Broms goal, and Rondon won
a tight game by controlling a
left-wing cross and shooting
home on the turn in the 66th.

West Brom moved to 39

points, which should secure
its Premier League status for
another season.
Can we reach that magic
50 points that West Brom
have never had before?
West Brom midfielder Darren
Fletcher said.
Liverpool played its best
football down to 10 men
at Selhurst Park, where the
team hadnt won since 1997,
although it needed two errors
by Palace players to bring
about the comeback.
Roberto Firmino pounced
on a mis-hit clearance from
Palace goalkeeper Alex
McCarthy, drove forward and
slotted a finish past McCarthy
in the 72nd to make it 1-1.
Then Benteke, on as a late
substitute, fell to the ground
under the slightest of touches
from Palace defender Damien
Delaney, who pulled out of an
attempted tackle in the fourth
minute of stoppage time but
still connected with Bentekes
left ankle.

Zhong becomes Chinas first

individual cycling world champion
LONDON (Xinhua) -- Zhong
Tianshi became Chinas first
world champion in an individual
cycling event after beating
teammate Lin Junhong in the
womens sprint at the Track
World Championships here on
Sunday.
The 25-year-old was a
comfortable winner in both of
the final rides, taking the best-ofthree series 2-0 to improve upon
the bronze she won in the event
12 months ago.
Defending champion,
Germanys Kristina Vogel,
winner of the womens keirin
title this week, beat Australian
Anna Meares 2-0 in the bronze
medal ride.
I have been waiting for this
gold medal for a long time, said
a jubilant Zhong.
Zhong lost to Vogel in the
semifinals of last years worlds
but took a sweet revenge on
Sunday morning to qualify for
the final.

Chinas Tianshi Zhong (right) beats Lin Junhong, also from China,
to win the gold medal in the Womens Sprint at the World Track
Cycling championships at the Lee Valley Velopark in London on
Sunday.
--Photo AP

LONDON (AP) -- Novak

Djokovic led Serbia to a
3-2 win over Kazakhstan
on Sunday to set up a Davis
Cup quarterfinal against his
great rival Andy Murray and
defending champion Britain
in July.
In Birmingham, England,
Britain once again had Murray
to thank for victory after the
Scotsman posted a 7-5, 7-6
(6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Kei
Nishikori to seal a 3-1 win
over Japan.
It was his 14th straight
victory in Davis Cup, digging
deep in his third match in as
many days after coming off a
five-week break following the
birth of his first child.
He is a man of steel, isnt
he? Britain captain Leon
Smith said of Murray.
It was Nishikoris first loss
in 13 Davis Cup matches, a
streak stretching back four
years.
In Belgrade, Djokovic
rallied to beat Mikhail
Kukushkin 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3),
4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match lasting
almost five hours to get Serbia
level at 2-2 against Kazakhstan.
Viktor Troicki swept past
Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-2,
6-3, 6-4 to clinch the win.
I was nervous, Troicki
said. Thank you Novak for
the amazing victory.
Djokovic, recovering
from an eye infection but also
struggling with apparent thigh
problems, thought he was
lucky to come away with the

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball against Kazakhstans

Mikhail Kukushkin during the Davis Cup World Group first round
tennis match between Serbia and Kazakhstan, in Belgrade, Serbia
on Sunday.
--Photo AP

victory.
This is probably the most
psychologically and physically
difficult match in my career,
Djokovic said. Kokushkin
played so well that he probably
deserved to win.
The court surface didnt
make any difference to 32-time
winner United States with John
Isner defeating Australias
Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-4, 5-7,
7-6 (4) to clinch a 3-1 victory
on grass at Kooyong and a
quarterfinal meeting at home
to Croatia.
Based on an agreement
between the countries and
the International Tennis
Federation, they were supposed
to play on hardcourt. Although
all three groups involved forgot
about the deal they made in
1999, Isner, the Bryan brothers

and Jack Sock made sure it

didnt matter.
To m i c v e n t e d h i s
frustration out on his absent
teammate Nick Kyrgios, who
missed the tie because of a
virus. Tomic was overheard
on courtside microphones
telling Australian captain
Lleyton Hewitt during a
changeover: Nicks sitting
down in Canberra ... hes sick
... two times Nicks done it.
Hewitt defended Kyrgios.
Nick came down here and
gave everything he had to try
to be available and theres no
doubt he was sick.
Teenager Borna Coric
defeated Kimmer Coppejans
of Belgium 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2
in the decisive singles match
to book a spot for Croatia with
a 3-2 win.

Scott captures Cadillac

Championship for 2nd straight win
DORAL, Florida (AP) -- Adam
Scott faced a daunting challenge,
a six-shot deficit with 13 holes
remaining on a course that was
playing tougher than it had at any
point this week.
And after overcoming that,
he needed to survive two brushes
with big trouble on the final hole
to finish the job.
Scott won for the second
straight week, shooting a finalround 69 to win the Cadillac
Championship by one shot over
Bubba Watson. Its the second
win for Scott in a World Golf
Championships event, his 13th
career win on the PGA Tour and
he now hasnt finished lower
than second in any of his last
three starts.
Everything fell the right
way for me today, Scott said.
Scott finished the week at
12-under 276. Watson was alone
in second, and Danny Willett
(69) and Rory McIlroy (74) were
tied for third, two shots back.
With course owner Donald
Trump popping in on Sunday,
arriving by helicopter and
greeting fans as he drove around
in a cart, there was plenty of
drama away from the fairways
and greens.
Scott ensured there was a ton
on the grass as well, after two
double-bogeys in a three-hole
span on the front side seemed
to send his round into a tailspin.
That is, until he got hot at just the
right time.
Its anyones guess if Scott
will get a chance to defend the

Adam Scott of Australia, looks at his shot on the 18th green from
the rough, during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf
tournament on Sunday.
--Photo AP

title at Doral in 2017. General

Motors sponsorship agreement
with the event ends this week
and with no sponsor, theres no
tournament.
Our hope is that the
future could allow us to stay
here and continue to build
the tournament, PGA Tour

Commissioner Tim Finchem said

on Sunday afternoon, meeting
with reporters before sitting
down privately with Trump
to talk about the tournaments
future. But well have more to
say about that after we do a full
evaluation of our performance
this year.

Tuesday
March 8, 2016
24

Vientiane Times

Sports

Big turnout for Vientiane

International Half Marathon
Sangkhomsay
Bubphanouvong

Mr Phanthachith Inthilath (third left), Dr Xaybandith Rasphone (fourth right), and representatives from
the British Embassy to Laos and the 14 football teams gather at the Lanexang Indoor Sports Centre
on Friday.

EPL fan club teams to compete

in seven-a-side tournament
Sangkhomsay
Bubphanouvong

ourteen teams from the

English Premier League
Lao Fan Club (EPL)
will compete in a seven-aside football tournament titled
Sponsor EPL Fan Club 2016.
The English Premier League
Lao Fan Club Association held
a press conference on Friday
to announce the tournament,
which will take place this
month.
The EPL Fan Club 2016
is organised by English
Premier League Lao Fan Club
Association, which was set up
five years ago.
This years tournament will

see the association partner with

the Lanexang Indoor Sports
Centre, Lao Football Federation
(LFF) and the British Embassy
in Vientiane to support the
football competition.
Laos is the first country to
hold a seven-a-side football
tournament under the English
Premier League Lao Fan Club.
The press conference was
attended by Lanexang United
Chairman Mr Phanthachith
Inthilath, LFF General
Secretary Dr Xaybandith
Rasphone, representatives from
the British Embassy to Laos,
and footballers from the 14
competing teams.
Mr Phanthachith said the
tournament was intended to

encourage young people to

play seven-a-side games and
to initiate more competitions in
this format.
The tournament would
be held in the interests of
promoting friendship and
good health. In the future, it is
hoped that more than 14 teams
would compete in seven-a-side
competitions, he added.
In 2014, twelve teams from
the English Premier League
Lao Fan Club competed in the
Lao EPL Fan Club Cup at the
Arena stadium in Vientiane.
Top ranking went to the
Swansea Lao Fan Club, whose
players notched up 27 points
with 9 wins and 2 losses from
11 matches.

Some 1,000 participants from

home and aboard pounded
the pavement to participate
in the Vientiane International
Half Marathon starting and
finishing at the That Luang
esplanade on Sunday.
The successful event
featured a 21km half marathon
course, a 10km route and a
5km fun run/walk taking in
many of the capitals iconic
landmarks.
Winner of the mens 21km
event was Nelson Kiptoo
from Kenya followed by his
countryman Jackson Kibet
Kenei and Japanese runner
Kohei Tominaga in third place.
Meanwhile Kenyas Hannah
Kyabera took out first place in
the womens 21km event with
Ms Lodkeo Inthakoumman
and Ms Manivanh Souksavath
both from Laos in second and
third place respectively.
Winners of the mens and
womens 21km half marathon
both received trophies and 5
million kip, with 2.5 million
kip going to second place and
1 million kip to third.
In the 10km mens event
Sisavath Thammavongchith
(Laos) was the winner with
Viengdala Sompheth (Laos)
taking out the womens 10km
event. Both received 2 million
kip and a trophy.

Runners cross the finish line at the That Luang esplanade in

Vientiane on Sunday.

The race featured elite

athletes all the way down to
those just wanting to have
some fun while trying to
improve their fitness.
The half marathon was
organised by Events for Good
with official support from the
Ministry of Education and
Sports, along with the Lao
Athletics Federation.
The marathons target is to
promote tourism, the culture
and traditions of Vientiane,
good health and fitness and
sporting participation. It is also
designed to be of benefit to

local athletes looking to move

up to the Asean level.
The walking and running
event was attended by Deputy
Minister of Education and
Sports Mr Boualane Silipanya
and senior officials from
various organisations.
During the competition,
runners took in Patouxay Park,
Souphanouvong Road, the
Mekong riverbank and other
landmarks in Vientiane.
Tigerhead Drinking Water
provided more than 100
million kip in sponsorship for
the half marathon.

China crush Japan for mens

table tennis title
KUALA LUMPUR, March
6 (Xinhua) -- China routed a
toothless Japanese team 3-0
to claim their eighth straight
mens title at the World Team
Table Tennis Championships
here on Sunday.
Rooted for by thousands of
the Chinese clad in either red
or white, Xu Xin, Ma Long
and Zhang Jike, ranked No. 3,
No. 1 and No. 4 respectively in
the world, beat Jun Mizutani,
Maharu Yoshimura and Yuya
Oshima at the Malawati
Stadium.
Both Xu and Ma won in
straight sets while Olympic
champion Zhang, as a slow
starter, lost the first set in his

Members and
Coach of Chinas
mens table tennis
team pose for photo
with trophy after
winning the final
against Japan at the
2016 World Team
Championships
in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on
Sunday.
--Photo Xinhua

3-1 victory over Oshima.

Xu took a comfortable win
over Japans Mizutani 11-6,
11-8 and 11-8, giving a perfect
start for China.
Mizutani is a very strong
player and also one of our
main rivals. I just tried to shake
off the pressure and to play in
a relaxed mood, Xu said,
adding China are stronger
than Japan as a whole team.
Ma followed suit by
defeating Yoshimura easily
11-3, 11-8 and 11-6, earning
the second point for China.
Losing his first set to
Oshima 9-11, Zhang started
to capture the game in
the second set and gained

dominance in the court. He

sealed the victory for the
defending champions by
beating Oshima 11-8, 11-6
and 11-7.
Im really happy to win
the match in Malaysia. I
also feel the support of the
audience at the stadium, and
I want to extend my thanks to
them, Zhang said.
Last time China lost the
mens crown was in 2000 right here in Kuala Lumpur,
where Liu Guoliang, now
China s head coach, and Kong
Linghui, now womens coach,
were stunned by an aging
Swedish team led by Jan-Ove
Waldner.