"As China-Laos railway nears completion, infrastructure poised to transform Lao economy" 22 February 2021

Laos appears to be on schedule to open the country’s first national railway by the end of 2021, as the controversial China-Laos railway, linking Vientiane to Kunming in China’s Yunnan province, nears completion.

In early February, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith to discuss the US$6 billion project, a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its plan to eventually develop rail lines stretching all the way to Singapore. [...]

For communities along the route, the China-Laos railway brings one of the most drastic shifts of any current infrastructure project in Southeast Asia. Laos is among the least industrialized states in the region and the country’s north, where the rail line runs, has historically been relatively removed from centers of commerce. The railway is a key piece in the Lao government’s vision to see the country “graduate” from the UN’s least-developed country list by 2024.

While proponents have touted the railway’s economic benefits, the project has drawn major international criticisms over its environmental and social impacts. Laos is a one-party state known for its strict repression and intolerance of dissent. The opinions of local communities along the route were simply not part of the conversation as governments and developers drew up plans for the railway.

There are reports that the project has pushed people off of their land without compensation, contaminated water sources and damaged farmland. The Lao government has requisitioned nearly 4,000 acres of land for the project and construction is estimated to displace over 4,400 families. Some people who moved to make way for the railway have said the government hasn’t compensated them fairly for their land and property. 

The Vientiane Times reported in November that completion of the line may be delayed due to mediation and land acquisition issues. The railway has also brought a spree of economic zones and other large developments along its route, many of which have faced criticisms and questions despite the risks of speaking out. [...]