"Lao villagers arrested for protesting potash mine, later released" 30 December 2022

Authorities arrested and later released a small group of villagers in central Laos who were protesting a 35-square kilometer potash mine being developed by a company linked to the Chinese government, which has made acquiring new reserves of the fertilizer feedstock a top priority.

The residents of Nong Bok district in the Khammouane province say they haven’t been properly compensated by developer Sino Agri International Potash Co. for the loss of their homes and farms, a common complaint from locals who have been forced to give up residences and businesses to Laos’ infrastructure-heavy economic development efforts. 

As many as five local residents were arrested and later released by authorities earlier this month, sources told RFA. [...]

RFA spoke with other residents, who confirmed that many in the community have not been compensated by Sino Agri, a subsidiary of Asia Potash, which has direct links to entities directed by China’s governing State Council. [...]

The source said the company’s compensation came to about half of the value of their land. [...]

A local official told RFA that the arrested villagers have been released.

The company did not return calls for comment. [...]

Asia Potash’s largest shareholder is China National Agricultural Means of Production Group Corp., which is a fully owned subsidiary of a company that itself is owned by the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, which the State Council leads. [...]