"Four months on, Lao farmers awaiting Chinese developer compensation", 4 October 2023

The owners of a Chinese banana farm in southern Laos’ Attapeu province are making promises they can’t keep, and in some cases outright ignoring the interests of area residents, clearing locally owned land and skipping out on compensation payments, affected villagers say.

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A Chinese banana farm began taking over their land in June but hasn’t paid them anything, they said, speaking to RFA Lao on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

“They have built roads through our cassava fields, using bulldozers to dig up our land without permission,” said one of the villagers impacted by the development. “The Chinese investors have said they will take all of our land, even if we don’t agree. We want compensation before we hand it all over.”

[...]

Much of Laos’s recent economic growth has been generated through land concessions to China, Thailand, and Vietnam to exploit natural resources including timber, agricultural products, minerals, and energy. 

But the policies have sparked friction over cases of environmental pollution and land taken without proper compensation.

Lao villagers affected by land grabs often fear to speak out publicly over their concerns because they fear official retribution.

[...]