Phonesavanh Sangsomboun

A fascination with the past and a desire to preserve local history led an abbot in Khammuan to keep nine jars he uncovered several years ago despite complaints from local villagers.

The jars were found in the grounds of Chomdaeng temple, Pakpeng village, Thakhek district and had been buried with their owners. They contained bone, pipes, ceramics and valuable items that had been used when their owners were alive.

Abbot Vanpheng Xayasone discovered the items by chance in 1999 when digging a drainage system and building a wall.

“Villagers complained when I removed them from the ground. They believed that because the owners of the jars were dead and were now in a different world that we should not disturb them,” he recalled.

The abbot believed the artefacts would be important to keep because they are rare and were made with traditional tools. This history is important nowadays especially because machines have now replaced traditional tools to create these items.

But the villagers were not satisfi ed with the abbot’s explanation; they were concerned that he had disturbed the spirits.

“One night, a Vietnamese merchant came to stay at the temple,” said the abbot. “During the night he felt that someone was trying to wake him up and he could not sleep properly. The following day he told me about

Abbot preserves history of uncovered artefacts

his dream but I didn’t tell him about the jars, I didn’t want to scare him.”

The villagers feared the recovered artefacts were a bad omen and would bring disaster to their village.

“I thought the Vietnamese merchant’s dream was just a coincidence, but after discovering that several local people had died, I threw six jars into the river to satisfy the villagers.

“I kept three jars and hid them in my room so the villagers wouldn’t know. I realised that people were still conservative and superstitious which is why they didn’t want me to keep the artefacts. But these items are hard to make and they are part of our national history, I thought they should not be buried,” he said

The abbot has had a habit of collecting things since he was young, particularly historic items that had been created by skilled people and which he believed should be preserved. These days he tries to maintain everything at the Chomdaeng temple, including the wooden columns, roof and the wooden structure that supports the sacred structures.

In his private room at the temple the abbot displays his personal collection which includes walking sticks, pipes, betel nut equipment, jars, ceramics, bowls and swords. He likes to show these ancient treasures to young people and explain the traditional skills and tools that were used to create them.

“These days people’s lives are more modern and they are no longer superstitious. Since hiding the remaining three jars, nothing bad has happened. If I threw them into the river I would be very regretful,” said the abbot.

“Some people might think collecting these kinds of items can give you a special power, but I disagree. The aim of my collection is to show younger people part of our history and I want to preserve our national treasures.”

The abbot reveals his collections to the public.

Abbot preserves history of

Sharapova: ‘I am a hundred percent’[PAGE 15]

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The First National English Language NewspaperSATuRDAY JuLY 25, 2009 ISSuE 170 4500 kip

Sharing knowledge and culture with professionals[PAGE 8]

Discotheques face nationwide shut down[PAGE 3]

Vientiane Times2 Home News Saturday July 25, 2009

WEEKLY NEWS ROUNDUP

Souriya Meunviseth

Prevailing economic conditions affect people in communities throughout the world and members of the public should have unfettered access to economic information.

To this end, a three day course on economics for non-economists was organised for Lao media representatives by the Lao Journalists Association in Vientiane last week with support lent by the World Bank

“We are encouraging Lao media representatives to learn about economic issues so they can act as the connection between Lao people and disseminating important economic information,” said the Economic Professor of Johns Hopkins Univerisy, Dr Tamara M Woroby.

The objective of the course was to familiarise

Lao media further economic know how

Members of the Lao media attend the course.

non-economists with the basic theoretical principles of the global economy, with a focus on the domestic Lao economy.

Attendees came from all sections of the Lao media including journalists, television reporters and radio presenters.

“All of the attendees will be introduced to economic terminology and the economic way of thinking, so as to better understand issues that they may encounter when working with World Bank economists,” said Dr Woroby.

The attendees were provided with case studies that focused on specifi c development problems as well as current issues in the global economy and obtained a better understanding of how economic development contributes to human development.

“The lectures included an examination of the underlying theoretical economic concepts such as analysis and presentation of real world examples from three different economic perspectives - micro and macro economics, and international economics,” she said.

On of the attendees, Mr Souliyo Sengngam said, “I’d like to express my thanks to the World Bank for funding the course which is very useful for all sections of the Lao media to comprehend and make use of economic issues in our work.”

“Furthermore, this course enlarges my economic knowledge on such issues as infl ation and defl ation and how to solve economic problems wisely. The highlights of the course for me were current policies and fi scal policies, which I found most interesting,” he said.

Current Affairs # The fi rst fatal case of A (H1N1) has been reported in Laos with the death of a 31-year-old

man from Borikhamxay province last week. The man, who lived in Paksan district, had a history of respiratory problems, obesity and diabetes. A brick maker by profession, he was also a heavy smoker and drinker of alcohol.

From 15 June until the 22nd July, 56 cases of H1N1 have been reported in Laos. Most have since recovered. Ore than 100,000 cases have been reported in 151 countries and so far with 475 fatalities.

# Chanthabouly district police this week announced they had arrested four thieves after three months of investigation. District Police Chief, Lieutenant Colonel Khamphuy Phommachith said most of the men had been previously arrested and jailed for crimes including stealing motorbikes and drug use.

# Further addressing the situation of retention and failure rates of students from primary to secondary-school level is part of the Huaphan Education Department’s plans for the 2009-10 academic year, a provincial education offi cial said on Monday.

In the 2007-08 academic year, more than 1,500 primary students left school before graduating, out of a total of around 57,000 students in the province, according to a recent report from the department.

Another 800 secondary school students abandoned their classes, out of a total of 15,584. Most quit because their parents wanted them to work on their farms. Just over 3.5 percent of fi nal year examinees around the province failed the 2008-09 academic year.

# A high-ranking Thai offi cial confi rmed on Tuesday the Thai government intends to repatriate all Lao illegal migrants by the end of this year, despite delays in returning them home over the last two months. According to a consensus reached by the two sides at the 17th Meeting of the Lao-Thai and Thai-Lao General Border Committees’ Secretariat held in May in Vientiane, all Lao illegal migrants in Thailand were to be repatriated by the end of this year, with one group to be returned every month.

# The Napork Agriculture Research Centre has stockpiled 20 tonnes of rice seed to supply to farmers affected by fl ooding and drought around the country this year.

The rice is composed primarily of the thadorkkham 8 and 1 varieties, Director of the centre, Mr Phoummy Inthapanya told Vientiane Times last week.

Last rainy season, the centre supplied 10 tonnes of rice seed to farmers whose crops were damaged by fl ooding around the country, he said.

# Philippines’ Ambassador to Laos this week paid a visit to the Ministry of Information and Culture to discuss assistance to create a documentary celebrating the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as the capital of Laos.

Ambassador, Ms Marilyn J Alarilla and Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Mounkeo Olaboun agreed to cooperate in making the documentary and building a reading room at the National Library of Laos.

# Some businesses have failed to meet their requirements under a government regulation increasing the minimum wage of workers, leading to questions over the implementation of the regulation. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in May this year announced an increase in the minimum wage from 290,000 kip to 348,000 kip a month.

Business# The Vientiane Pig Breeding Group will receive a loan of more than 29 billion kip from

the Bank of the Lao PDR to ensure there is no shortage of pork during important events including the 25th SEA Games later this year.

# Laos will need to conserve local ownership of some businesses in the service sector despite the likelihood of strong pressure from a number of WTO members to deregulate it, according to Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Nam Vinhaket.

# Local tourism provider, Villa Lao Group, is expanding services and products to attract more visitors during the upcoming SEA Games in Vientiane.

The group operates two villas in Xaysettha and Sikhottabong districts, Vientiane and a resort in Vangvieng district, Vientiane province.

The company plans to introduce new products and services for tourists including bus tours to boost customer numbers.

# Nampapa Savannakhet has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with DKLS Industries Bhd of Malaysia to conduct a feasibility study into a potential water supply project. A signing ceremony between General Director of Nampapa Savannakhet, Mr Phandola Khouanemeuangchanh and DKLS’ Chairman Board, Mr Dato Ding Pei Chai took place in Malaysia last week.

# The Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) and South Korea Stock Exchange (KRX) have inked a joint venture agreement on a Lao stock market to be established in 2010.

The agreement was signed between BOL Governor, Mr Phouphet Khamphounvong and the Chairman and CEO of KRX, Mr Jung Hwan Lee, in Luang Prabang province this week.

According to the agreement, the Lao government will have a 51 percent share, with the other 49 percent belonging to KRX. The Lao side will be responsible for the location and construction of the stock market building.

# Inadequate salary packages and a lack of extras such as social welfare incentives on offer in domestic workplaces have led to Laos’ unemployment issues, rather than the global economic recession, a senior offi cial has said.

While the global economic recession is often used as a reason to lay off workers and has lead to unemployment problems for many countries across the world, the demand for Lao workers currently outstrips supply.

The current unemployment fi gure of 68,000 has increased slightly from the 2005 number of just over 60,000. According to Director General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare’s Labour Management Department, Mr Khamkhane Phinsavanh social welfare incentives are critical to attracting more people to work.

# A major garment maker has expressed interest in moving one of its production bases from China to Laos after investigating investment potential in the country, according to a senior government offi cial.

Savanh-Xeno Special Economic Zone Governor, Mr Bouakham Sisoulath said Cherry Fashion MFY boasted a 20 percent share in the world underwear market.

Representatives are due to visit the Savan-Xeno Special Economic Zone by the end of this month, hoping to sign an investment agreement with the zone’s administration.

# Sepon Gold and Copper mine in the central province of Savannakhet has settled an agreement to sell copper to a processing factory in Vientiane to produce electric cable.

The move is very signifi cant as this is the fi rst locally-produced copper to be sold directly to the domestic market for value-added production. MMG Lane Xang Minerals Ltd’s Sepon Gold and Copper is the largest mining operation in Laos. It has now expanded to the domestic market after many years of running an export-oriented policy. This move also means that the local cable production company in question will no longer need to re-import the Lao-made copper which the country sells in Vietnam and Thailand.

“People buy books from international sources using the ISBN system, so if Laos doesn’t have the system it makes it more diffi cult for buyers to make international orders.” Director of the National Library, Mrs Kongdeuane Nettavong said in Vientiane.

-Monday, July 20.

“I believe this was a good opportunity for hotels, restaurants, resorts and tour companies to promote their products and boost tourism in Laos.” A participant at the World Ecotourism Exhibition, Ms Khamchanh Phonphila said in Vientiane.

-Sunday, July 18.

“Some local services are not good compared with international standards, so the workshop will upgrade skills to ensure that guests at the games receive the best services possible,” Vientiane Tourism Department Director, Mr Khampadith Khemmanith said in Vientiane.

-Monday, July 20.

“Advertising signs installed without approval from the Urban Management Authority are considered illegal and will be removed,” senior offi cial from Vientiane Urban Development and Administration Authority, Mr Nousone Meunviseth said in Vientiane.

-Friday July 17.

Vientiane Times 3Saturday July 25, 2009 Home News

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Ekaphone Phouthonesy

The government plans to shutdown discotheques nationwide after fi nding out these entertainment venues are degrading the values associated with Lao culture, according to a senior offi cial from the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Mass Culture Department Director General, Mr Sipheng Vongpanya said on Wednesday the Minister of Information and Culture had signed a notice to all cultural offi cials nationwide to shut down discotheques around the country.

However, the ministry would compromise in the capital as the city is a gathering place for foreign tourists. In Vientiane, authorities will allow one discotheque in each district to remain open.

The authorities hope to ensure the closure of unlicensed discotheque venues by the end of the year.

In Laos, there is a differentiation between the defi nition of discotheque and nightclub.

The ministry only allows establishment of nightclubs, defined as those venues which stage a live musical band.

Discotheques, on the

Discotheques face nationwide shut down

other hand, are defined as those venues at which music is usually provided by DJ’s playing recorded music. The styles found there are usually western electronic music and associated dancing, seen as encouraging immorality.

The discotheques also typically had limited lighting, against the requirements of Lao nightclub regulation, he said.

According to the Ministry of Information and Culture, establishment of discotheques is illegal in Laos.

However, several business people have opened discotheques in Vientiane using the Lao-style night club licenses after fi nding that the demand for such entertainment service had been increasing.

Mr Sipheng said the discotheque owners who wanted to keep their entertainment venues open must agree to host live music bands in accordance with the regulation on entertainment venue management.

He said the ministry made the decision to shut down discotheques in the country because it wanted to protect Lao culture.

The move came after offi cials found that a number of teenagers used discotheques

as a place to engage in illicit love affairs.

He also said the discotheques were places where young people practice unacceptable behaviour.

If the authorities allowed them to continue, the younger generation would be infl uenced by unacceptable foreign culture.

Mr Sipheng expressed confi dence the ministry would carry on its policy, although it could face strong opposition from owners of discotheques in Laos.

“We keep close eyes on local authorities to enforce the notice, if they have problems with business people, the ministry will take responsibility over people’s complaints,” he said.

He said the ministry had urged local authorities to host meetings with owners of discotheques fi rst so as they can get informed about the government policy and to ensure suffi cient time to transform their own entertainment venues into new businesses by the end of this year.

“If they fail to transform their discotheques into new businesses or Lao style night clubs, they will be ordered to shut down,” he told Vientiane Times.

Director General Savankhone Razmountry Lao Press in Foreign Languages

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SNAPSHOTS

Longan are now in season and therefore cheaper. Local producers sell the fruit for 4,000 Kip per kilogram at km 52 market in Phonhong district, Vientiane province.

A man reads an illegally-posted advertising sign which somebody attached to a tree along a roadside in Vientiane. Offi cials of Vientiane Urban Development Administration and Authority started removing the signs this month.

Crickets are a type of insect that have pride of place on traditional menus in Laos. Local people like frying the critters with bergamot leaves. Also popular is cricket sauce. It adds such a delicious fl avour to one’s dinner. Hmmmm!

Vientiane Times4 Map Saturday July 25, 2009

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Vientiane Times 5Saturday July 25, 2009

BusinessIN BRIEF

Times Reporters

A Canadian economic expert has urged Laos to utilise the great potential of its natural resources to attract regional and international tourists and boost economic growth.

“Laos should fi gure out exactly what unique products and services it has to offer to push economic growth results and increase income levels in the country,” Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland System and Towson University, Dr Tamara M Woroby said at a three day course on economics for non-economists last week in Vientiane.

Laos has many beautiful

Ekaphone Phouthonesy

Laos will be able to attract foreign investment into the country if the country’s new investment promotion law is enforced.

That is the view of the owner of a foreign business consultancy fi rm operating in Vientiane.

President of Lotus Consult Mr Generald Walewijk said the

new legislation, which the Lao National Assembly adopted last month, offered a number of investment incentives including changes that would entitle foreign investors to buy and sell residential land use rights.

“Residential land use rights are very important,” he

Dr Tamara Woroby.

Laos’ natural tourism resources key to economic growth

natural tourist sites that can be utilised by locals to earn money and improve their living conditions.

“As we know, Laos has no oceans and beaches but it has plenty of mountains and forests and a lot of untouched land which is rare. Awareness of environmental issues is increasing and as a result sectors such as ecotourism have immense potential,” Dr Woroby said.

According to the Lao National Tourism Administration, tourist arrivals in Laos were 1.7 million people in 2008, an increase of about 20 percent from 2007.

To facilitate economic growth, the education sector and critical infrastructure also need to improve.

“Even though Laos has many beautiful tourism sites they will be under-utilised if there is a shortage of infrastructure such as transportation, roads and communication,” Dr Woroby said.

Improving education levels is essential to sustainable economic growth.

“It is not only the formal educational system which the Lao government should develop and improve effi ciently and quickly, but also the non-formal educational system,” she said.

Dr Woroby also gave some advice on overcoming the current global economic recession.

“Because Laos’ main trading partners have reduced orders for Lao products it is a good time for the Lao government to stimulate the economy by spending, but the important thing is where the spending is, it should go towards education and transportation which will provide long-term benefi ts.”

“All countries should ensure transparency and effi ciency in public expenditure and other sectors to encourage investment and economic growth,” she said.

She said the government should also focus on monetary and fi scal policies to ensure the Lao economy steers clear of common economic problems such as infl ation and defl ation.

A Belgian lawyer finds business opportunity in Laos

said. He said the political

stability of Laos would make foreign investors feel confi dent in investing in the country.

He said Laos retained plenty of investment potential, in particular in areas of mining, hydro-electric power generation, eco-tourism and industrial tree plantations.

“Laos is a very stable country in comparison with some neighbouring countries. Laos is also an easy and inexpensive gateway to the Asean market,” the Belgian said in an exclusive interview with Vientiane Times on Thursday.

Mr Walewijk forecast that continued increases in foreign investment would benefi t consultancy fi rms in Laos.

Foreign investors required honest advice and assistance on appropriate laws and regulations before making decisions on whether to invest or not, he said.

“A consultation fi rm is one of the fi rst places which investors need to visit before making a decision to invest and set up a businesses.”

Mr Walewijk said although the government had made committed efforts to integrate the country into the international community over the past years, there were still a number of challenges for foreign investors seeking to

operate businesses in Laos.“The investors have

to learn that the working environment in Laos and in their countries is different and they need to adopt the Lao style,” he said.

Those investors who made the effort to understand local tradition and culture would be the most successful.

It is estimated that foreign direct investment has been in excess of US$1 billion over recent years.

Mr Walewijk decided to set up the consultation fi rm in Laos in 2006 after learning that the country was opening the door to foreign investment.

This gave him the opportunity to use his knowledge and expertise to help others, as well as play a role in the country’s development.

With a masters degree from the Free University of Brussels Faculty of Law and significant time in business, Mr Walewijk has a solid knowledge base on which to operate the consultancy.

He worked as a lawyer in Brussels after his graduation.

He decided to move to China’s Guangzhou region for work as a business and legal consultant in 1996. He transferred to Thailand in 1998 from where he was able to expand his knowledge of business in Asia.

Mr Generald Walewijk.

MALAYSIA, Sepang, (The Star) -- A merger between AirAsia X and AirAsia Bhd makes business sense and the combined balance sheet would make sourcing for future funding much easier, said AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani.

“It would be difficult for AirAsia in the future if it did not have trunk routes as (this) is where the traffic volumes come from, so AirAsia needs growth from AirAsia X and the merger allows it to tap growth opportunities in the long-haul markets,” Azran told StarBiz in an interview.

“AirAsia cannot continue to just criss-cross and enter new markets, it needs a bigger base,’’ he added.

Given the nature of the business, which is counter-cyclical, a large base was necessary to balance the routes in peak and non-peak months, he said.

That is why AirAsia X has to sell beyond Kuala Lumpur or else only 20 percent of the seats will be taken up. It has to sell destinations, be it in Malaysia or the region, and 80 percent of those travelling with AirAsia X use AirAsia to travel to Langkawi, Penang, Phuket

AirAsia X CEO backs merger with AirAsia Bhd

Azran Osman-Rani … ‘AirAsia needs growth from AirAsia X.’

or even Bali.“That is why AirAsia

needs growth from AirAsia X and for that greater control of AirAsia X is needed,’’ Azran said.

Recently, AirAsia group chief executive offi cer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes was reported as saying his personal preference was for a merger of the two companies.

AirAsia has a 16 percent stake in AirAsia X and an option to increase it to 30 percent.

The remaining shareholders in AirAsia X are Aero Ventures Sdn Bhd (48 percent), the Virgin Group (16 percent), while Bahrain-based Manara Consortium and Japan-based Orix Corp hold the remaining 20 percent.

Aero Ventures is owned by Fernandes, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, Lim Kian Onn and former Air Canada chairman and CEO Robert Milton.

Fernandes and Meranun are controlling shareholders in AirAsia with a 30.7% stake via Tune Air Sdn Bhd.

Even though it is still at the idea stage, critics are already saying the merger is necessary to rescue AirAsia X as, to them, AirAsia is

now subsidising AirAsia X.“Rubbish, we can clearly

dispute that. For the fi rst quarter ended March 31, 2009 our net profi t was RM18million and we are net cashfl ow positive. We even had a little cash at RM3million.

“We are in a very good position and on a much fi rmer footing and now is an interesting time to talk about a merger,’’ Azran said.

Fernandes, in a separate interview with StarBiz recently, said the merger was merely his proposal but felt it was a good model. However, no decision has been made thus far.

“When we started AirAsia X, a lot of critics said we could not do it but AirAsia X has turned out to be a very cash-flow positive company. Azran will be going on a roadshow soon to explain so that people have a better understanding that this long-haul, low-cost model can work,’’ Fernandes said, adding that the roadshow would cover Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and London.

A share swap is likely but Azran said AirAsia had an option to increase its stake from 16 percent to 30 percent and with that it could

equity account its venture in AirAsia X.

“They can either put cash in and increase the stake from 16 percent to 30 percent or do a share swap. It is a decision only the shareholders can make and I am not privy to that,’’ he said.

Asked when the merger was likely to happen, he said: “I will be surprised if it happens this year. AirAsia X has not received any offer and the process cannot begin. We also have to appoint a valuer and AirAsia has to hold an EGM.’’

AirAsia X was last valued at RM1.3billion when Manara and Orix took up their stakes.

US economy forecast to hit bottom this summerLOS ANGELES, (Xinhua) -- The US economy might reach its bottom this summer and modest growth is forecasted for 2010, according to a report released Wednesday by the Kyser Center for Economic Research of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Commission (LAECD). The report said the US economy will shrink by 2.7 percent during 2009 and grow modestly by 1.7 percent in 2010. Infl ation is unlikely to be a problem in the near term, though higher energy prices are cause for concern, the report said. Monetary policy makers acknowledge the infl ation risk they are creating by their actions, the report said, but are focused on restoring the health of the nation’s economic and the fi nancial sector.

Taiwan’s jobless rate surges to record 5.94 percentTAIPEI, Taiwan (The China Post) -- Taiwan’s jobless rate surged to a new high of 5.94 percent in June from 5.82 percent in May, as companies held off on hiring because of the island’s recession, shutting graduates out of jobs, according to statistics released yesterday by the Cabinet-level Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). The seasonally adjusted rate rose to 5.91 percent in June from 5.84 percent in May, for the 15th straight gain, the same tallies indicated. In the fi rst six months of the year, the island’s average unemployment rate stood at 5.73 percent, also the highest fi gure of its kind seen since the since the government began compilation of data in 1978.

Garment exporters sew up new marketsHANOI, Vietnam, (Viet Nam News) — By switching their focus to Japan and new markets, domestic garment and textile manufacturers recently won many more export contracts last month, making it more likely export targets for this year would be met.The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) now predicts that the textile and garment industry will increase its total export value by 1-2 per cent for this year compared with that of last year, said Le Quoc An, Vitas chairman. The sector would have to gain an increase of 6 percent in total export value in the second half of this year to reach that level.

Vientiane Times6

OpinionSaturday July 25, 2009

Phonekeo Vorakhoun

Vientiane residents have been shocked by their water bills as the

price increased more than 300 percent following the introduction of new prices in April by the Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise.

Complaints about the high price of water have been heard widely in the capital where most people rely on the water supply provided by the state-owned company.

Many people said the water price adjustment was not acceptable given the current economic situation and people’s incomes.

“I don’t know how many percent the price of water has increased, I usually pay about 50,000 kip per month, but this month (May) my bill was almost 300,000 kip,” one water user in Sisattanak district explained.

Water is a basic necessity and it should be a government obligation to help people access clean water for a fair price.

Water should be a not-for-profi t business and owned by the government, but the policy of the company is to try to make a profi t by increasing the price of water to attract foreign investment.

The water company said the main reasons behind water price adjustment were to attract investment and to fund expansion works.

It would be diffi cult to expand their water networks and attract the interest of investors without a profi t.

This is useful if you consider water as a commercial

New water prices hurt Vientiane big families

product and want to make a profi t from trading it, but all investment in the current water supply company comes from Government budgets and is therefore supported by people’s taxes and some foreign assistance.

So the company has a responsibility to guarantee people can access water at a reasonable and affordable price.

Improving access to clean water is also part of the Government’s effort to reduce poverty in Laos, particularly in rural areas.

I agreed that we need money to increase the amount

of water supplied or to expand the network, but this money should not come from overly expensive water prices for users.

It would better if the price increase, from the smallest to the largest amounts, was in line with economic growth.

With water bills increasing as much as 300 percent, much more than the 20 percent increase the company announced, there appears to be some mistakes in the calculation system or the information collected by the company.

Under the new pricing scheme, water is charged at different rates depending on the amount used each month. People who use up to 10 cubic

metres a month are charged 500 kip per litre, up from 420 kip per litre. For the use of 11 to 30 cubic metres, the new price is 1,000 kip per cubic metre compared to 865 kip previously charged for between 6 and 30 cubic metres. The consumption of between 31 to 50 cubic metres of water now costs 2,500 kip per cubic metre.

Under the old pricing, the maximum charged was 1060 kip per cubic metre for people who use more than 30 cubic metres of water. Now the maximum price is 5,000 kip for the consumption of more than 50 cubic metres.

These fi gures show the new prices have resulted an increase of between 19 and 370 percent, based on the volume of the water used.

According the Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise, the new price of the was entirely appropriate and fair for all consumers based on a family of fi ve using no more than 50 cubic metres of water a month.

The fact is, Lao people have big families, some with as many as 10 people, and it can be diffi cult for them to pay their water bill if they use 100 cubic metres per month, they now have to pay 500,000 kip.

So they pay 50,000 kip per person using 10 cubic metre of water each, while a family

with fi ve people pays about 24,000 kip each for using the same amount of water per person.

It is not fair for large families to pay a more expensive rate than smaller families.

As the result, many big families submitted letters to the local authorities to ask the Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise to review the new billing scale. They say the huge increase is not acceptable or suitable for Lao in the present economic situation.

Instead perhaps, the calculation should be based on a per capita basis, rather than on household, as is now the case.

The Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise has not explained clearly the reasons for the increase of the price of water. The company says it needs more funds to expand the water network, attract foreign investments and also that it wants people to use water more carefully.

However, the company did not talk about its performance in terms of management and administration and how much money they use for administration activities compared to the production process. Some National Assembly members have also discussed how the new cost of water would impact on people’s lives, especially low and middle income earners.

They also said the Water Enterprise should respond more quickly to water leaks in public places such as roads where repairs to broken water pipelines are delayed costing both water and money.

Daniel Ooko

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- The UN environmental agency UNEP last Monday called on the world’s developed nations to invest massively in “greening” their economies in order to set a new path to prosperity.

Pavan Sukhdev, project leader of the Untied National Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Green Economy Initiative who is on secondment from Deutsche Bank, said countries should rethink economic models and target at job growth in a world where leveraging natural capital is both an increasing constraint and an untapped opportunity.

Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, Sukhdev said jobs could be created in clean technology, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and other conservation-based businesses.

“In greening the economy, there is a new path to prosperity, there are more jobs, clean and decent jobs and indeed there is a solution to persistent poverty,” Sukhdev told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of an environmental meeting in Nairobi.

He said the UN environmental agency has urged the G20 countries to invest one third of the around US$2.5 trillion worth of planned stimulus packages on “greening” the world economy.

The development economist said the estimated US$750 billion of green investment, equal to about one percent of current global GDP, could trigger signifi cant, multiple and potentially transformational returns.

“What we need today is investment not in more of the same (with economic stimulus packages). We need today investments in greening the economies today and not tomorrow. So when I look at the G20 nations and I look at two trillion dollars that are absolutely essential for progress for the next generation,” Sukhdev said.

He added the funds would assist in powering the global economy out of recession and onto a green 21st century path.

He said there were many progress being realised in Africa in terms of “greening” the economy and cited Kenya as an example. Despite progress being made in environmental conservation, there was still destruction going on in other parts of the country.

“Africa is an area and continent of many challenges. I am delighted to see some progress in many parts of Africa. We are here in Nairobi and we can see the Mau Forest is severely under stress and I am happy that the government is taking steps to address that,” he said.

“You know that fresh water availability to people

UNEP urges world to invest in “greening” economies

and to agriculture is critical for progress. I am delighted that awareness has increased already and action is being taken towards that direction. Afforestation is about life, peace and hope and creating livelihood for the poor,” the project leader said.

Sukhdev noted that beyond the immediate bailout of fi nancial fi rms and the design of future international fi nancial planning, world leaders must take bold measures to resolve the multiple crises plaguing humankind.

“A total of around one percent of global GDP -- that is around US$750 billion-- invested in such greening initiatives over the next two years would provide the critical mass of investment needed to kick start a ‘green economy’ across G20 nations,” Sukhdev said.

In October last year, the UNEP and leading economists announced the Green Economy Initiative (GEI) to seize an historic opportunity to bring about tomorrow’s economy today.

Together with a number of UN sister organisations, the GEI will motivate the governments and businesses to signifi cantly increase investment in the environment as a new engine for economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in the 21st century.

He said ecosystems around the world provided unique resources for many industries, noting that protecting coral reefs, a source of tourism, safeguarding fi shing and coastal resources, and reducing deforestation would likely be targeted in the initiatives.

The GEI has three key elements: the Green Economy report that provides an overview, analysis and synthesis of how public policy can help markets accelerate the transition towards a green economy; The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, a project on assessing the economics of nature and its opportunities; and the Green Jobs report (in September 2008) that evaluated employment trends from greening.

Sukhdev said the UN was leading a powerful campaign to encourage the governments to seal the deal on a fair, balanced and effective climate agreement when they meet in Copenhagen in December this year.

“It’s important to have the deal. We must seal the deal as the UN Secretary General has been saying. We must seal two deals -- one on the main deal on the Copenhagen and the other is the deal for reduced emission from the deforestation and forest degradation,” he said.

Sukhdev also said combating climate change can be a path towards economic recovery and an investment with strong returns today and for many generations to come.

However, the company did not talk about its performance in terms of management and administration

and how much money they use for administration activities compared to

the production process.

Vientiane Times 7Saturday July 25, 2009

OpinionWHAT THE LAO PAPERS SAYStreetwise

A unique French language magazine Le Rénovateur is a weekly magazine of general information written in French

and discussing current events in Laos. Readers will find it different from

others newspapers and can enjoy news about culture, consult their horoscope

and find out about radio and TV programmes, as well as check on current

movies at the French Language Centre. There are also cookery items as well

as personal profiles. The magazine costs only 10,000 kip per issue, and is

published every Monday. You can buy it at kiosks or directly from our office on

Namphu Square at the Lao Press in Foreign Languages on Pangkham Street

in Vientiane.You can also read it on our website: Lerenovateur.org.la

Ounkham Pimmata

An offi ce worker, Ms Ketamphon Pathommachit :

If we have a lot of garbage bins in Vientiane, it will have a positive impact for residents in the capital, to conveniently dispose of their garbage. However, I believe changing the public’s habits, including changing the way they throw away their waste is vital. Sometimes I see people throwing garbage on roads, around shopping malls and in parks, even when there are garbage bins present. Concerned authorities have to build awareness to the local people with the 3 Rs in their daily lives, reduce, re-use and recycle. This is a step towards making Vientiane an attractive city; including teaching the public to dispose of their waste properly and encouraging them to use organic material, such as banana and lotus leaves. People often go shopping or to markets and get lots of plastic bags to hold their products and this is increasing the garbage in Vientiane.

A resident at Nongtha village, Mr Sinaxay Saovongxay: Garbage bins are very necessary in the capital, as we are hosting SEA Games in

How do you manage waste during the increase garbage bins in Vientiane?

470 new garbage bins were presented on Monday by the Lao Brewery Company in cooperation with the Srithai Superware PLC of Thailand. This is to improve the cleanliness of the city in the lead-up to important events such as the 25th SEA Games in December and the 450th anniversary of

Vientiane as the capital of Laos in 2010. However, it is necessary to remind local people to throw away waste in the correct manner.

December. If local people do not dispose their waste appropriately, it can have a negative impact on the country’s image. We accept garbage bins will help to improve cleanliness in Vientiane, but it is not effi cient enough if residents in communities are not aware of the importance of throwing out garbage properly and further to help each other take care of the waste. It is better if suitable authorities advise the public of waste disposal,

especially passengers on buses not to throw their waste on the roads. The market authorities should use speakers to be an important tool to remind traders to clean their areas after selling concludes each day.

A medical student, Mr Sisavath Nonthavongsa: I agree to increase garbage bins in Vientiane, as it makes it easier for the public to take care of capital and keep it cleaner. We know sometimes people to throw their waste on roads and places if they do not see garbage bins. It would be good if concerned authorities increased the number of bins at parks and tourist sites to make it more convenient for visitors to dispose of their waste

appropriately. The authorities have to develop different types of garbage bins and teach the public and communities about recycling the waste products to produce profi ts and help conserve the environment. It is very important for people to throw their waste into garbage bins after they eat food and beverages in these public areas.

A resident at Chommani village, Ms Lammon Khamphilavong : Our country is preparing for two important coming events, so I think garbage bins in Vientiane should be installed to reduce the disposal of waste in an improper manner. Shopping malls and markets should provide bins nearby so that shoppers can discard waste properly. People living near roads should sweep the leaves and garbage in front of their houses. They should not wait for street cleaners to clear them, especially since sometime they cannot clean around Vientiane. Students and employees should keep a clean workplace free from waste and clean their area once per week. Each village should increase the number of bins to ensure their communities keep plastic bags and other waste products off the streets.

Pathommachit :

If we have a lot of

especially passengers on buses not

appropriately. The authorities have to develop

Two snatchers arrestedTranslated by Bounfaeng Phaymanivong

Xaysettha district police have undertaken genuine efforts to arrest bag snatchers recently.The latest offenders were Mr Khampheng, 23, a resident of Chommany Neua village, Xaysettha district, and Mr Phonsack, 21, from the same village and district.Mr Khampheng was detained on April 7 for allegations of snatching and stealing money and Mr Phonsack was arrested on June 16 on the same charges.The police said they had committed a crime in January. At approximately 8pm they began following two women from That Luang traffi c lights. Later near the Setthathirath hospital they snatched a bag one of the women was carrying.After snatching the bag from the two ladies, they escaped, hid and searched through the contents of the bag for money and valuables. Inside they found 3,000 baht (753,000 kip), 80,000 kip and a mobile phone.The ill-gotten gains were shared among the two men; Mr Phonsack got 1,000 baht (250,000 kip) and the mobile phone, while Mr Khampheng received 2,000 baht (500,000 kip) and the 80,000 kip.The offenders are now being judged and served a taste of justice in accordance with the law.

--Khouamsangob Weekly, July 13-16

Communication devices correlate with anti-social behaviour

Communication devices have become one of the most important elements in life; they come soon after accommodation, clean water, food, clothing and medicine in the order of importance to our lives.However, these items could be cause problems for people in society when they are used in incorrect ways.Many people from different areas, professions and other social levels are required to have communication devices, especially in the form of a mobile phone.It allows for us to establish connections among people. It can be a big part of success in business and social networking.The service fee is more or less in line with the general income of Lao people and they can choose to buy differently-priced calling cards depending on their fi nancial situation.Such communication devices play a most important role in our lives; yet they sometimes bring negative effects to people as well. As with most tools it depends on the motivation of the user. The use of a mobile phone for the conduct of illegal business or other activities against the law are directly harmful to the users as well as to the nation and society.This is not an attempt to be negative, but a reminder to those users who lack mindfulness and use a mobile phone for the wrong reasons.Therefore, these items must be used correctly and advantageously, adapting them to our daily lives with a commitment to proper and correct actions in our society.

--Socio-Economic Daily, July 21

Clean and well-lit streets ensures a good-looking city

Various relevant sectors in Vientiane are now revisiting their duties in order to ensure everything is ship-shape to welcome the upcoming SEA Games to be held in December in Vientiane.In the preparation for the important event, some aspects or tasks must not be overlooked.Required actions must be attentively implemented in order to receive good feedback from our guests.A reader to this column said signs of some organisations, offi ces and streets required repair due to missing letters.There must be urgent improvement to ensure signage is satisfactory. Also, the issue of roadside businesses encroaching on paths and roadways must also be addressed.Street lights and poles must be checked to ensure they are working well and creating an appealing atmosphere as to attract more visitors to the capital city.In addition, every construction site in the city must also have a proper fence to ensure the safety of the people and beauty of the streetscape.Drivers and owners of overloaded trucks should be strictly disciplined from now on. If the action does not begin now, the roads will not be clean and beautiful.These important events are coming soon and we have to work harder in order to attain the most positive outcome possible.

--Paxaxon Daily, July 22

Vientiane Times8 Saturday July 25, 2009

Phon Thikeo

A cultural experience in South East Asia is providing new concepts

and perception for a new generation of European and North American students

A group of 18 students are taking one month out of their busy lives to visit Vientiane with the purpose of learning the Lao culture and sharing knowledge with Lao professionals in several fields.

The idea is to develop their potential before they enter into their respective careers.

The 18 students hail from three universities in France, and two universities in Canada and are part of the Responsible Solidarity Missions International.

All members are at least bi-lingual, with competency in French and English languages in addition to any others they may speak.

Needless to say, they are also busy building their skills in the Lao language.

The organisation, more commonly known by its French title Missions de Solidarité Responsable International (or MSR International), is a

Education

Sharing knowledge and culture with professionals

Ms Elnaz Balashi and Mr Victor Bourdeau exchange work with reporters at Vientiane Times.

Students donate a medical dictionary to Setthathirath Hospital, Vientiane. newly developed non-profit organisation established by a group of students from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Victor Bourdeau, President of the organisation and one of the five executives now present in Laos, said MSR was created by a team of students aiming to be well-acquainted in humanitarian work in South East Asia.

The organisation’s goal is to gather young professionals in order to develop their

potential. “Our objectives are for

each member of MSR to develop and exploit their own competencies in their field of study,” he said.

MSR offers its members the chance to build their career as part of a solid team of passionate individuals, to acquire valuable field experience and build an important network of relationships while discovering the unique Lao culture.

“We bring students to Laos so they can learn and share with Lao professionals,” Mr Bourdeau said.

“For example, some of our members are looking forward to working in journalism; therefore it is a very good first experience for them to have the opportunity to work with journalists. We do this for Vientiane Times and Le Renovateur.”

He also mentioned that MSR brought students who are not studying in medical school yet, but that are planning on doing so. They have been posted to the Setthathirath Hospital to observe Lao professionals at work.

This allows the students the chance to have a personal first-hand experience and learn from the Lao medics.

Elnaz Balashi, vice-president of MSR, said members were not only exposed to their field of study for future careers but also learned different cultural and regional perspectives.

As future professionals in their respective fields, they could gain a more global perspective as they increased insights into aspects of their professions that they might not be exposed to in their home countries.

She said they also felt a responsibility to help out.

“Not only are they going to be succeeding in their own future career field, but also they are being taught to learn in another way, bringing a more global aspect, and not just to their studies.

“Some students are undertaking medical observation at Setthathirath Hospital this year.

“They are not medical students yet, they are preparing to enter. It is very useful for them before they make a final decision whether to enter into this career in the future,” she said.

She said students take notes of what they learn from observations at the hospital.

“Hopefully it will help those students to become better doctors in the future, since they are still at a young age. They are between 19 and 21 years old and they are already being exposed to the medical world.

“We learn many things from medical doctors, for example, our medical team has been able to see and observe surgery taking place.

“It is a unique opportunity for students to observe medical practice, because in their home countries in Europe and North America it is harder to get the opportunity to observe medical doctors and their patients.”

“Our team is looking for other opportunities for contribution to the socio-economic development of Laos.”

Mr Bodeau explained that this year was the first visit to Laos for the team of 18 students.

MSR is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Committee (NSC) and the University of Health Sciences for future missions.

“Next year we will be able to set up intensive missions and hopefully we will contribute more to the development of Laos.”

In the future, MSR plans to bring seasoned professionals from North America and Europe that can come and join in the same vision of sharing knowledge and expertise.

“Apart from sharing knowledge, this year we donated medical dictionaries and books to Setthathirath Hospital and to the University of Health Sciences.

In the coming years, they plan to bring more medical equipment to donate to hospitals in the country.

They will have further opportunities to learn more from doctors.

“We try to provide help in many ways. Next year we are

going to do our best to raise more funds.”

“As for the funding for this year, it comes from our own pocket.”

He said while this year the medical team only observed doctors at Setthathirath Hospital, thanks to the signing of the MOU with the University of Health Sciences, next year they will be able to observe many provincial hospitals in Laos including those in Savannakhet, Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

“By signing the agreement with the university, we also express our interest in providing support and public health information to ethnic minority peoples in Laos.”

“We also donated many notebooks, pens and pencils to Vulnerable Lao Youth Development Association (VYDA).”

The MSR team has also created and designed websites and website content for organisations such as the National Science Committee (NSC), Lao Union of Science and Engineering Associations, Lao Organic Product Promotion Association, and VYDA.

They also provided support and advice for the Le Rénovateur magazine website.

As for their impression of the host country, Elnaz expressed her view with enthusiasm.

“It is my first time in Asia. Laos is a beautiful country and has a beautiful culture,” she said.

“People are gentle and compassionate. I will miss Laos so much when I go back home.

“In my one-month stay in Vientiane, I try to associate the most I can with Lao people and the culture.”

It seems the culture has rubbed off on her.

“I wear a Lao skirt (sinh). I love this country for many reasons, it is absolutely beautiful.”

Vientiane Times 9Saturday July 25, 2009

Poverty eradication

JOB Announcement

BACTEC is a leading Explosive Ordnance Survey, Clearance & Disposal (EOD) Company which has operated in 40 countries worldwide

Vacancy Announcement: Administrative Assistant Position in Vientiane Office

Duties and Responsibilities:• LaoNational• SolidknowledgeofEnglish(Speaking,reading,writing)andabilitytotranslatedocuments from Lao to English and English to Lao.• Oneyearexperienceworkinginasimilarposition.• Typingspeedof40wpminEnglishComputerknowledgeableinMSOfficeincludingWord,

Excel, Access, PowerPoint and email. Computer experience with database.• Goodinterpersonalandcommunicationskills.• BAinAdministration• KnowledgeofVisaprocessingandWorkpermitsforforeigners.• PreviousexperienceworkingwithoninternationalCompany(preferred)

Applicants should submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae (English version) to:Mrs. Carolyn Mckeown Unit 8, Phonsavanh Neua Village. Sisattanak District Vientiane Lao PDRP.O Box: 6089 or Email: cmckeown@bactec.com.au formoreinformationOfficephone:(856-21)264923-4

BACTEC Lao Co., LimitedÍçÖéÅèÈ ãÍóÀãËóÀ Öà×ÄáÀèÈ

R & D Manager, VacancyOji Lao Plantation Forest Co., Ltd (LPFL) is expanding its operations, establishing hardwood tree plantations in Bolikhamsai and Khammouane provinces.

LPFL is looking for interested candidates for the position of R & D Manager to joint our hard working team, based in Site Office- Khammouane Province.

Tasks will include: Managing R & D Program, including establishment and monitoring of various trials. Organize trial measurement, trial design and supervise staff Contact with another research organizations, in Laos & abroad. Prepare for laboratory equipments Daily maintenance of staff assessment for R &D staffs.

Skills/Knowledge required: Doctor, Master or Bachelor Degree in Agriculture and Forestry Experience of working Research job or research organization at least one year. Ability to use Excel, word, GIS,GPS and Access databases desirable Experience of map making using Mapinfo (Arcview) software. Fluent in both oral and written English or Japanese is advantage.

Suitably qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

A competitive salary will be paid, commiserate with experience. Accommodation and other benefits will be provided on site in Khammuan.

If you interested in working with us, please submit a current CV and covering letter attached recent photo to address below:

Niphavanh KEOVILAYOji Lao Plantation Forest Co., Ltd (LPFL)

Ban Saphanthong Kang, Sisattanak, P.O. Box 8832, Vientiane Lao PDRTel. 021-353511-3, Fax 452260

Remark: Closing date is 07th Aug 2009 and we regret that only short listed candidates will be notified.Please Note: Any CVs and related documents will not be returned

Haider Rizvi

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) - Millions of children across the world fail to receive a basic education not only because they are born into poverty, but because local authorities do not allow them to read and write in their native language at school.

According to a study released Thursday by a London-based rights advocacy group, more than 100 million children in the world are out of school, and most - estimated between 50 and 70 percent – are minorities or indigenous peoples.

In “The State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009”, prepared in collaboration with the UN’s children agency UNICEF, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) details how minority

Mother tongue absent in thousands of classroomsand indigenous children have been systematically excluded, discriminated against, or are too poor to afford an education.

It shows that in developing countries with the largest number of children out of school, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan, minority and indigenous populations enjoy far less access to schooling than majority groups.

In Pakistan, for example, children are not allowed to read and write in Punjabi, although it happens to be the language of the majority of that country’s population. School-going children are often beaten with sticks by teachers if they fail to score well on tests given in English or Urdu.

“Authorities need to recognise that it is not just

lack of resources that is keeping so many children out of school,” stressed MRG’s executive director Mark Lattimer. “Tens of millions of children are systematically excluded from school or receive only a second-rate education because of ethnic or religious discrimination.”

Lattimer thinks it will be impossible for the world community to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on education in the next six years if policies are not properly targeted to the needs of minorities and indigenous peoples.

Set by the world community in 2001, the MDGs include substantive cuts in poverty, disease, illiteracy and environmental degradation by 2015. The goal with regard to illiteracy requires “universal primary education”.

“Education for all is a goal that has been reaffirmed by

states the world over many times in the last decade,” said Lattimer. “But as this book clearly shows, a quality education is not reaching the most vulnerable communities: minorities and indigenous peoples.”

Providing an adequate education for minority and indigenous children “is not a choice, but a legal obligation on the part of states”, he added. Lattimer and his colleagues believe that the failure to spend adequate resources on education for all is holding back economic growth and sowing the seeds for inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflict.

In a foreword to the report, a UN expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall, agrees.

“When I ask people who belong to disadvantaged minorities to tell me their greatest problem, the answer is always the same. They are concerned their children are not getting a quality education. Worldwide, minority children suffer disproportionately from unequal access to quality education,” she wrote.

A number of recent studies show that half of the world’s children who do not attend school come from communities where the language of schooling is not the one they use at home.

According to the Institute for Development Studies in Britain, more than one billion people speak local languages which are not used in formal education. This includes an estimated 221 million school-aged children.

“It seems obvious to say that children learn better when they understand and speak the

language of the classroom,” said Clair Thomas, one of the study’s authors. “But currently many children around the world are taught at school in a language that they do not understand, either well or at all.”

Thomas cited the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to support the argument that children must be educated in the language in which they interact with their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandmothers and grandfathers at home.

The convention says that states have an obligation to preserve and protect the child’s cultural identity, as an essential element for his or her development. The preamble of the convention also recognises the importance of diverse traditions and cultural values for the “harmonious development” of the child.

In Thomas’s view, policymakers often mistakenly believe that education in a home language will mean that children will never really master a national or majority language.

“In fact the opposite is true,” she said. “What we are really talking about is multilingual education, whereby children start speaking the language they speak at home, and other languages are gradually introduced over time.”

The study cites numerous cases which demonstrate a world of exclusion and discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples. The most discriminated against of all tend to be poor girls, living in poor families in rural areas who belong to a minority

community. In Guatemala, for

example, only four percent of “extremely poor” indigenous girls attend school by the age of 16. Worldwide, more than half of out-of-school girls have never been to school and might never go to school without additional incentives.

The report also highlights the issue of gender disparity in literacy. Its findings show that, worldwide, more than half of out-of-school girls have never been to school and might never go to school. The report’s authors also point to illiteracy as a major cause of armed conflicts in the world.

The MRG study shows that in African countries such as Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan, exclusion from school and the lack of educational opportunities for young people have been critical factors in fuelling armed conflict.

John Henriksen, a UN expert on human rights law, acknowledges that there are “significant inequalities in education” for indigenous communities. He suggests that in order to meet the MDGs, governments open more schools in areas belonging to indigenous communities where their children are taught in their mother tongue.

“Deprivation of access to quality education is a major factor contributing to the social marginalisation, poverty and dispossession of indigenous peoples,” he said. “The content and objective of education in some instances contributes to the eradication of their cultures, languages and ways of life.”

Vientiane Times10

Ms Vilaylack Philavanh, age 14

What school do you go to?I’m in fourth year at Chansavang Secondary School in Sikhottabong district.

What is your favourite subject?English is my favourite focus because it’s one of my favourite subjects and I enjoy conversing with my classmates. I think if I became good at English it would be helpful for me to apply to many jobs making it easier for me than others who don’t have this skill.

What is your least favourite subject?I don’t like mathematics because it’s very diffi cult to learn and not easy to understand the extremely complicated formulas.

Where would you like to continue your studies after fi nishing high school?After fi nishing my high school studies, I would enter the Comcenter College. But I have not decided yet what I’m going to study there.

What do you like to do out of school?In my free time, I like reading general magazines, listening to music and playing volleyball.

If you could visit any place in the world where would it be?I’d like to go to Japan because it’s the country that many people want to go to and it’s one of the destinations where I’ve never been. The Japanese language is also interesting to learn.

Saturday July 25, 2009

Health & Education

PENAL LAWChapter 4

Exemption from Charge and Punishment

Article 18. (New) Circumstances that Lead to Exemption from Penal Liability Circumstances that lead to exemption from penal liability are as follows: 1. Force and threat; 2. Legitimate defence; 3. State of necessity; 4. Performance of professional duty; 5. Implementation of order; 6. Playing of sports; 7. Offences against which complaints must be lodged by the damaged parties; 8. Expiration of the term of prosecution.

Article 19. Force and Threat Any individual committing an offence under force or threat in circumstances where such force or threat could not have been avoided shall not be charged or punished. In the event that such offence is a crime, [the] force or threat shall only constitute extenuating circumstances regarding punishment.

Article 20. Legitimate Defence Acts of “legitimate defence” refers to acts taken by an individual to safeguard the interests of the State or society, [or to safeguard] his own or another individual’s life, health, [or] legitimate rights and interests against acts of aggression dangerous for the society; but such acts of aggression must be truly existing and dangerous, and the acts of legitimate defence must be contemporaneous with and proportionate to the acts of aggression. Acts of legitimate defence are not considered offences.

Article 21. State of Necessity [An act taken in a] “state of necessity” refers to an individual’s act which is necessary to avoid threats against the interests of the State or society, [or against] his own or another individual’s life, health, [or] legitimate rights and interests, where such threats cannot be avoided by other methods and are not created by such individual, and where the damage caused by such act is less than the damage that would have resulted from the threat. Acts taken in a state of necessity are not considered offences.

Article 22. (New) Performance of Professional Duty The “performance of a professional duty” shall be regarded as a circumstance that leads to exemption from penal liability if it meets the following criteria: 1. The act shall be within the scope of the rights and duties [of the actor]; 2. The act shall be in conformity with professionalism and with laws and regulations.

Article 23. (New) Implementation of Order The “implementation of an order” shall be regarded as a circumstance that leads to exemption from penal liability if it meets the following criteria:

1. [The actor] shall have received an order from a person who has the right and duty to issue the order;

2. The order shall be issued in conformity with laws and regulations;

3. The person implementing the order shall have the right and duty to implement such order;

4. The person implementing the order shall implement the order within the scope of the order and in conformity with laws and regulations.

Article 24. (New) Playing of Sports The “playing of sports” shall be regarded as a circumstance that leads to exemption from penal liability if the playing of sports is conducted within the rules of the sport.

Article 25. Offences Against which Complaints Must be Lodged by the Damaged Parties No criminal proceedings may be brought [in respect of] offences that are not dangerous for society and [in respect of which] the damaged party does not lodge any complaint, including the following matters: physical violence between close relatives without serious injury or physical disability; libel, slander, insult, and outrage to the body or the reputation of the dead; infraction of property rights of close relatives; and violation of domicile and privacy.The withdrawal of a complaint lodged by the damaged party shall terminate such criminal proceedings. Article 26. Effectiveness of Prosecution Prosecutions shall not be considered effective unless fi led within: • One year, in the case of minor offences; • Seven years, in the case of major offences; • Fifteen years, in the case of crimes. The [fi ling period for] effectiveness of a prosecution starts from the day the offence is committed. In the event a second offence is committed while legal proceedings are pending in respect of an earlier offence, the [fi ling period for] effectiveness of the [fi rst] prosecution shall [re-start] from the day the later offence is committed. In the event of evasion of court proceedings, [the fi ling period for] effectiveness shall start from the day the offender presents himself or is arrested.

Law on Local Administration of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Continued in next Saturday’s issue

(CHINA DAILY) -- Children living in neighbourhoods with heavy traffi c pollution have lower IQs and score worse on other tests of intelligence and memory than children who breathe cleaner air, a new study shows.

The effect of pollution on intelligence was similar to that seen in children whose mothers smoked 10 cigarettes a day while pregnant, or in kids who have been exposed to lead, Dr Shakira Franco Suglia of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health.

While the effect of pollution on cardiovascular and respiratory health has been studied extensively, less is known about how breathing dirty air might affect the brain, Suglia and her team wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

To investigate, she and her colleagues looked at 202 Boston children 8 to 11 years old who were participating in a study of maternal smoking. The researchers related several measures of cognitive function to the children’s estimated exposure to black carbon, a component of the particulate matter emitted

Breathing dirty air may lower kids’ IQ

in automobile and truck exhaust, particularly by diesel vehicles.

The more heavily exposed children were to black carbon, the lower were their scores on several intelligence tests.

When the researchers adjusted for the effects of parents’ education, language spoken at home, birth weight, and exposure to tobacco smoke, the association remained.

For example, heavy exposure to black carbon was linked to a 3.4-point drop in IQ, on average. Heavily exposed children also scored lower on tests of vocabulary, memory and learning.

“It’s within the range for in utero tobacco exposure and lead exposure,” Suglia said in an interview.

She pointed out that exposure to traffi c pollution has been associated with a number of other harmful effects and that, short of moving away from heavy traffi c areas, there’s not much people can do to limit it.

She and her colleagues suggest that traffi c pollution may exert harmful effects by causing infl ammation and oxidative damage to the brain. They call for further

research on the effects of pollution on the development of intelligence in children and on cognitive decline for people of all ages, including

A woman wears a mask to protect herself from the A(H1N1) virus.

whether traffi c exposure might cause or accelerate brain degeneration in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Ms Vilaylack Philavanh, age 14

Bounfaeng Phaymanivong

Vientiane Times 11

Inside the bat caveSaturday July 25, 2009

Travel

Champa Mai & Savanphatthana Weekly newspapers

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Richard Saunders

THE China Post (ANN) -- Paying a visit to the wonderful Sanmin Bat Cave, which was once one of the best short adventures of northern Taiwan, is a pretty straightforward affair these days, since the local authorities, seeking to open this imposing natural curiosity to everyone, changed the route of the access trail to the cavern, bypassing a long wade up the slippery stream bed, and the steep descent and ascent (with fi xed ropes) of several rock faces.

Today the hardest part of the 15 minute walk from the parking area to the cave is a short but stiff climb along the brick-surfaced lane at the beginning. At the top of this hill, next to a multicoloured metal observation tower (which gives a good view back down the valley towards Sanmin Village), steps lead quickly and gently down to the stream edge, and a wide, level, surfaced path leads up the gorge until, after a slight rise, the great black hole of Taiwan’s biggest cave mouth suddenly looms in front.

Some of the wildness of this amazing spot has undoubtedly gone since getting there became rather easier, and putting picnic tables in the cave defi nitely doesn’t improve the scene, but it’s still a mightily impressive place, and well worth a visit. Especially as it forms the focal point of a short and easy but very beautiful trail linking it to another impressive natural cavern: Guanyin Cave.

Sanmin Bat Cave lies 3km from the village of the same name, near the beginning of the North Cross-island Highway. A 3km-long road from the village leads to a parking area, from where it’s an easy 15-20 minute stroll to the cave, beside which an attractive waterfall cascades

through an unusual natural hole cut in the rock.

After heavy rain, it’s quite a fi ne sight, and the pool at the base of the fall is great for swimming, which is exactly what a local family was doing when we last visited the cave.

Now follow the trail back out of the gorge, and turn left at the observation tower, along the brick-paved lane once more. This intrusively man-made ‘improvement’ isn’t a promising start to the hike, but in just a few minutes, the surfaced lane ends, becoming a narrow but clear dirt trail surfaced in black plastic mesh, which ensures the trail will be passable even after heavy rain, yet doesn’t interfere with the beauty of the lush, jungle surroundings too much.

In just a couple of minutes,

a rather steep sidetrail to the left leads to the beautiful little glen at the head of the waterfall, although take great care, as the rocky stream bed above the brink is slippery! Keep to the main path and it continues high above the stream through an area of beautiful, unspoilt jungle, and fi nally descends to the level of the stream, passing through some wonderfully idyllic scenery of rock, water and forest.

Our last visit was perfectly timed: a fi ne sunny day following heavy rain the night before, and the damp air was heavy with the glorious, almost overpowering scent given off by the small, orange fl owers of a species of palm tree that grows in the forest here.

Presently, the path starts to climb, makes its way around a large landslide, and reaches a small open area with a bench. Look over the guard rail behind, and a small but beautiful waterfall spreads over a smooth rock face beside the path, falling into a deep, circular plunge pool of clear blue water far below the path. It would be a fi rst rate swimming hole, only it’s pretty well inaccessible at the bottom of the near vertical bank, unless a long length of stout rope is handy.

The sounds of Buddhist chanting may well be heard on the air by this point. The

big temple built in front of Guanyin Cave is now just above, and after a short but stiff climb up steps, the path is blocked by an iron gate. Open it and emerge into the large car park in front of Guanyin Cave Temple.

This large and rather plain looking temple (lots of concrete and iron in evidence) is quite a shock after the beauty of the forest, but the cave itself is atmospheric, despite the multicoloured dragon fountain and other trimmings, and the temple’s situation is unique: look over the wall to the left of the temple to discover that the

buildings straddle a deep, narrow rocky cleft threaded by a stream tumbling over cascades on its way down the waterfall passed earlier.

The temple has big plans for expansion, including, (a board proudly states) a 120 foot-high statue of Guanyin intended to crown the highest part of the complex. All very impressive, but, retracing the route back to Sanmin and the car, the more lasting impression will probably be made by the beautiful jungle landscape and the mysterious, great stone cave mouth that grace this little corner of Taoyuan County.

Behind the large and rather plain temple buildings, Guanyin Cave remains atmospheric and mysterious.

Vientiane Times12 Saturday July 25, 2009

Entertainment

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Phoonsab Thevongsa

Nothing can stop the raising of popularity of international rock band Uluvus

(pronounced ‘you love us’), who sing in the Lao language, after the band released its debut album earlier this month.

Rock music lovers throughout the country enjoy the bands energetic performances and light-hearted songs.

The album was launched at Romeo nightclub in Vientiane, where a full house of fans was in attendance despite heavy rains outside.

The band’s lead singer, Chris Crash said, “It was an amazing moment for the band. We were so proud to present our album and say thanks to everyone who made it possible – the people at Phu Bia Mining, Tigo, Indee, Sam and our management team.”

“We were very excited to have Leum, keyboard player from the Lao rock band Cells, join us for our new single Hak Gan Leo (Already in Love) and to have Kave, former rapper from the Lao hip hop band LOG, join us for the

International rock act hits Lao music scene

song Sexy Lai (Very Sexy). Two of our heroes were on stage playing with us! Sam also gave a great performance before we played,” Chris says.

The album is titled Seu Soi Dair, meaning ‘buy to help me please’, and consists of ten tracks produced by Sam Intharaphithak, one of Laos’ most talented artists and producers. The album, which is sponsored by Tigo and released by Indee Records, encompasses rock, pop, electro, dance, hip hop and even a heartfelt ballad. One song features guest vocalist Kave.

Invaluable support for the album was also provided by the people at Phu Bia Mine

following a recent concert there.

The band’s guitarist, Roger Rock said, “We all met at a Boun Bang Fai (rocket festival) a few years ago. We were the only falang men there who were dressed up as women! We looked at each other wearing makeup and realised that it was our destiny to be in a band together.”

“We are just huge fans of Lao music. In the early days we played international songs

but when we were playing at Lao concerts with Lao bands it just didn’t feel right as we wanted to be a part of the music scene that we love,” says drummer Tom O’ Hawk.

The music video for Hak Gan Leo can be watched at the band’s website, www.uluvus.com, or on any Lao television channel.

The band expects to post other music videos on the website soon and also add a Lao language version.

Uluvus in full swing.Uluvus present gifts to fans.

Roger Rock, Databass, Chris Crash and Tom O’ Hawk.

“Our future plans usually involving going to a han ping hou mou (grilled pig ear restaurant). But apart from that, we are hoping to play as many concerts as possible with our favourite Lao artists including A’ Pacts, Aluna and L Zone,” bass player, Databass said.

The band’s members hail from Australia and England and have been in Laos for between four and nine years respectively.

Vientiane Times 13Saturday July 25, 2009

Art &Culture

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

WATER AND SANITATION ENGINEER / Ref: WSE 009/07In the course of its Community Health program, the French Red Cross is recruiting Water and Sanitation Engineers who will be based in district of intervention in Sayaboury province.

Objective of the PositionThe Water and Sanitation Engineer has to ensure the correct implementation of the water and sanitation activities carried on by the French Red Cross in partnership with the Lao Red Cross and the Nam Saat in one district, to answer to the needs expressed by the targeted communities; maximizing the cost efficiencyandqualityconstructionoutput.

Specific Objectives►Identifytheneedsintermsofwatersupplyandsanitationinremoteruralvillages&defineappropriate

technical solutions►Ensureappropriationoftheprogramandfacilitiesbythetargetedcommunities►Constructions’supervisionandManagementofhisteam►CoordinationandReporting

Qualifications and skills requirements• ArelevantdiplomainEngineering,aspecificqualificationinwaterandsanitationwillbevalued• Atleast2yearsofworkingexperienceinWaterandSanitationEngineering• Knowledgeandexperienceregarding:

o Water supply systems: Gravity fed system design and construction, well digging, borehole drilling, household water treatment

o Water quality analysis (chemical and bacteriological)o Sanitation systemso Community participation approach and hygiene promotion

• GoodworkingknowledgeofEnglishorFrench,bothspokenorwritten• Goodcomputerskills(AutoCAD,Excel,Powerpoint)• Goodpedagogicalskills(Waterpointcommitteetraining,capacitybuilding)• Teammanagementcapacity• Abilitytoworkeitherinthefieldorintheoffice• ExperiencewithinnationalorinternationalNGOisquiteanasset

Please address your application (CV, covering letter and copies of diploma, certificates…) until the 5th of August 2009 under the reference « Watsan Engineer Recruitment – WS 009/07 » to Eric CRASTES, FRC Watsan Coordinator.Applications must be brought directly to the French Red Cross office – Setthathirath Road – Impasse Xiengnhune – Vientiane.Otherwise, national applications can be send by fax [021 24 10 42] or e-mail [ws-lao.frc@croix-rouge.fr]Only short-listed candidates will be contacted within the 20 days after the closing date

BEIJING, (Xinhuanet) -- Menglun is a tiny township surrounded by Dai villages, rubber tree plantations and tropical forests more than 600 km from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. Few people know there is a dynamic expat community on an island ringed on three sides by a river near the town.

It consists of nearly 20 foreign research fellows, post-doctoral researchers and international students from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), and their families.

At the nation’s largest botanical garden - located on Hulu Island - and leading research institute on tropical plants under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, they pursue their research and even run a tiny international school for their children.

Dr Chuck Cannon is the leader of XTBG’s ecological evolution research team. A graduate from Harvard College, granted tenure by Texas Tech University and with a Duke University PhD, the American biologist, aged 43, arrived at the garden two years ago.

He had worked in Indonesia and Malaysia for many years and met his Chinese-Malaysian wife during this time. He was looking for a job back in Asia when he saw XTBG’s advertisement for a post at an international conference held in Kunming in 2006.

“I think China is growing up very rapidly and has a big influence on the rest of Southeast Asia,” Cannon says. “It’s a good idea to work here and understand

Botanical garden on Hulu Island like Eden

Colombian Alegandra Warren teaches the children of expat researcher families English, mathematics, art and crafts.(Photo Source: China Daily/Chen Liang)

how things work. I might be able to influence people to do research in Southeast Asia and increase the collaboration and coordination between the two places (China and Southeast Asia).”

He says he met Dr Chen Jin, director of the botanical garden, at the meeting, and “built up a very good relationship with him right away”. He is knowledgeable and confident, his heart is in the right place and he has a vision for what he really wants to do. He is certainly a reason behind my decision.”

Family support is another. His wife, Kua Chai-shian, who speaks fluent Mandarin, wants their two daughters, 8 and 5, to learn Chinese.

“There is no environment for them to learn Chinese in the United States,” she says. “So I say, ‘OK, I’m a molecular biologist. So it doesn’t matter where I am - DNA is DNA.’”

At the botanical garden, the couple found research opportunities everywhere. Cannon has three new projects running presently. “In the US, it’s very competitive to get research money. But there are just so many projects here. People invite you to get involved in their projects,” he says. “Many of them are conservation-oriented and related to the whole Mekong region.”

Another positive thing is that the institute supports its scientists to “take risks and try

new things”. “Here it is very free as to what I do with the (research) money,” he says. “So I can invest a lot in data instead of equipment.”

And the couple found no real difficulties adapting to the new environment.

“Our Internet connection at the garden is good and free,” Cannon says. “I had several Skype meetings this year, talking with people in Germany, Indonesia and the United States.”

As the 900-hectare garden has a collection of over 12,000 species of plants, the biologist has easy access to many of his research materials.

“If we want to get a species, we just walk over the hill. It’s very nice to be close to a lot of materials,” he says.

For Kua, 39, cooking at home is easy. “A good thing about Xishuangbanna is there are a lot of tropical and temperate fruits. In this season, a lot of wild mushrooms can be found in the local market.”

To meet their daughters’ demands for such Western foods as cheese and cereal, which are difficult to find even in Kunming, they have a solution: “Every time when we came back from a trip abroad, we pack an extra suitcase with Western food,” Kua says.

A real inconvenience for her is to prepare supplies for the team’s laboratory, as most of the supplies can only be purchased from Kunming. Fortunately

the garden’s shuttle bus runs between Kunming and Menglun once a week.

“So I just tell them (her colleagues in Kunming) what I need and they will purchase it,” she says.

The real issue for the family is their daughters’ education.

“It was hard at first, we had to home school them,” Cannon says. “I got up at about 4 o’clock, went to work, came back and taught them for a couple of hours in the morning. Then she’d take over.”

“We had some helpers, the staff and our graduate students,” Kua says. “They came to teach them Chinese in the afternoon, mainly speaking Chinese to them.”

In the beginning, Cannon says, it was simple to teach them. “But as they get older, it is becoming more of a problem.”

They tried to send their older daughter to a local primary school, but she was refused. The couple soon got more help as other expat families joined the community.

In January, Colombian Alegandra Warren went to XTBG with her American husband who was doing post-doctoral research, bringing along their two daughters.

Besides taking care of her daughters, 10 and 1.5 years old, the 28-year-old mother felt she could teach more children and founded a mini-school at the garden’s office building this April.

Her students also include Cannon’s two daughters and the

6-year-old girl of a professor from the Netherlands. “Two of my Egyptian students left with their parents not long ago,” says the teacher.

From Monday to Friday, Warren teaches English, Spanish, mathematics, science, physical education, art and crafts from 8:30 am till noon. Some students and staff teach the children Chinese in the afternoon.

Because of the children’s different ages, she gives them different assignments.

“The girls are all good friends,” she says. “They play together even after school.”

She says that her family is enjoying its stay at Menglun.

“China is a lot better than I expected before the trip. The culture is not shocking at all,” Warren says. “The garden is so beautiful, people here are super nice, and all the foreigners are like a big family.”

Kua Chai-shian says there are nearly 20 expats from Columbia, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Britain and the United States.

“We have a volleyball team and organise potluck dinners from time to time,” she says. “In the past two years, we have had two successful Christmas parties, which were open to all of the students and staff.”

She doesn’t miss her family and neighborhood back home, Warren says. “The only thing we miss is Western food a little bit, pizza and hamburger, that kind of stuff,” she says. “The girls just miss Western-style toilets and snow in Colorado a lot.”

The Xishuangbanna botanical garden draws academics and tourists alike.

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Vientiane Times 15Saturday July 25, 2009 Sport

Yoga Instructor(s) Needed!!Space available near the fountain

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Instructors teaching in Lao, English and other languages welcome!

LE GRAND-BORNAND, France (AP) — Alberto Contador used Wednesday’s third and fi nal Alpine stage of the Tour de France to make a further step toward a second victory in the cycling’s showcase event, yet it was not enough to bring cheers within the Astana team.

The 26-year-old Spaniard, following another impressive run through the mountains, handed one more blow to his rivals when he tightened his grip on the yellow jersey by taking second place in the 17th stage behind Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.

Four days before the race ends on the Champs-Elysees, Contador leads his closest challenger, Frank Schleck’s younger brother Andy, by 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

Contador’s Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, still aiming at a podium fi nish, dropped to fourth overall at the end of the 169-kilometre stage between Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Le Grand-Bornand. The 37-year-old Texan, who is set to announce his new team for next season on Thursday, could not sustain the pace of the leading group in the grueling ascent to the Col de Romme.

Contador, only one of

NEWPORT BEACH, California (AP) — Maria Sharapova declared her surgically repaired right shoulder fully healed and that she was ready to return to the court for the fi rst time since a disappointing performance at Wimbledon.

“I am a hundred percent,” Sharapova said Wednesday before making an appearance for the Newport Beach Breakers in their World Team Tennis match against Kansas City.

“I mean, if I wasn’t at that point, I certainly wouldn’t be playing. That’s why I took my time and gave myself a chance to really go out there and to feel like I didn’t have any excuses.”

Sharapova played in three matches for the Breakers, winning all three.

She teamed with Julie Ditty to take women’s doubles, 5-2; combined with Kaes Van’t Hof to capture mixed doubles, 5-2; and defeated Meghann Shaughnessy 5-4 (1) in women’s singles.

The former No. 1 player in the world has appeared in four tournaments since undergoing surgery in October to repair her right rotator cuff. She’s been eliminated each time to an opponent outside the top ten.

Last month, she was upset in the second round of Wimbledon by Gisela Dulko. A champion at the All England Club at age 17, Sharapova is now ranked 61st.

She will compete in the Bank of West Tournament in California starting Monday and then test her shoulder by playing the following week in the Los Angeles Women’s Tennis Championship.

After that, it’s the US Open, which begins Aug. 31.

Sharapova said has never wavered in believing she would make a full comeback.

“By no means was it easy. Defi nitely I had ups and downs,” she said. “I had days where I had to push myself more than I’ve ever had to mentally than physically.

“It all pays off. Obviously just getting to be able to play tennis again is an achievement in itself. Now it’s about preparing myself, forgetting about what I went through, getting back into the form where I was and even better.”

Most 22 year olds aren’t in the comeback business, but she started he career at 14 and

OAKVILLE, Ontario (AP) — Mike Weir is well aware that a Canadian hasn’t won the Canadian Open in 55 years, and that it has been 95 years since the tournament crowned a Canadian-born champion.

“It’s our national championship, and all us Canadians, we want to put to rest that it’s been so long since one of us has won one,” Weir said on Wednesday, a day before the start of the 100th edition.

Pat Fletcher, born in England, was the last Canadian winner, taking the 1954 event in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carl Keffer is the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914. Albert Murray, also born in England, won in 1908 and 1913.

“The odds are pretty much staked against us,” said Stephen Ames, a naturalised Canadian from Trinidad and Tobago. “Fifteen playing this week in a field of 156. It makes things difficult to some extent, but at the same time, we have what we call

Contador moves closer to second Tour win

The pack with Alberto Contador of Spain, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, speeds down Saisies pass during the 17th stage of the Tour de France. --AP

fi ve men with a victory in the three Grand Tours - France, Italy, Spain - made a bold move when he tried to drop the Schlecks on the Col de la Colombiere, the last climb of the day. Contador’s attack did not harm the brothers but it proved fatal to his Astana teammate Andreas Kloeden of Germany, who lays 5th overall 4:44 back.

Armstrong was quick to criticise the move on his Twitter feed.

“Getting lots of questions why (Alberto Contador) attacked and dropped Kloeden. I still haven’t fi gured it out either. Oh well,” Armstrong wrote.

Tensions within the Astana team have been fi erce since Armstrong announced his comeback last year and joined the squad managed by Johan Bruyneel, the man behind his seven victories on the Tour. The rivalry between the cancer survivor and cycling’s new star Contador - who has been under contract at Astana since 2008 - reached a new height during the Tour.

Although Bruyneel said the Spaniard has almost secured this year’s Tour victory, the Belgian was also quick to question Contador’s move.

“Today I told him several

times that it was not necessary to attack to win the Tour,” Bruyneel said after the stage. “I said it because we still have some hard days to come. It was his choice, it didn’t work.”

Astana sports director Alain Gallopin, the man who groomed Contador all season, was even harsher.

“He made a mistake. He made Andreas lose second place,” the Frenchman told French radio Europe 1 on Wednesday evening.

While most of the teams would fi nd no problem in having Contador in their ranks, Armstrong’s presence at Astana seems to weaken the Spaniard’s position.

“We did not tell him to attack, he had won the Tour,” said Gallopin. “He is a young rider, he still has to learn.”

Armstrong and Bruyneel are expected to launch their new team together next year, Contador has been linked to a move to Spanish outfi t Caisse d’Epargne. Both riders are forced to live together for the next four days and are likely to face each other in next year’s Tour.

“For now, we want to win the Tour de France, we are on the right path, then we will see,” said Bruyneel when asked about the Armstrong vs.

Contador rivalry.As for this year, it seems

Contador has won his match against Armstrong and all other Tour contenders.

On the eve of Thursday’s 40.5-kilometre time trial in Annecy, Contador sits on a comfortable cushion.

Second-placed Andy Schleck is 2 minutes, 26 seconds behind, with his elder brother Frank in third position

3:25 off the pace.Contador’s biggest

satisfaction of the day was to see time trial expert Bradley Wiggins of Britain had eventually found his limits in the mountains, dropping from third to sixth overall, 4:53 behind.

“Wiggins is my main rival for the time trial and the gap is now comfortable,” the Spaniard said.

Bruyneel was also confi dent Contador would retain his overall lead.

“Tomorrow, the time trial will be good for Alberto because he is better than the Schlecks. Then, the Ventoux (on Saturday) and this is it. It looks good as far as winning the Tour is concerned. He is in great shape, he has never been in danger,” he said.

Sharapova: ‘I am a hundred percent”

Maria Sharapova, of Russia, speaks during a news conference, in Indian Wells, Calif. Maria Sharapova declared, on July 22. --AP

already has won three Grand Slam titles .“At 22, you consider you’ve been playing

on the Pro Tour that many years, (a comeback’s) defi nitely not a surprise,” she said. “It is a little surprising to see so many girls kind of coming out of the woodwork, and they’re so many years younger than you. You’re like, ‘Where did the time go?’

“But I enjoy every single year of it. As I get older, I become a much wiser person on the court. I learn a lot in life. A learn a lot from my profession, from what I do. I’m defi nitely not sad that the years are going by.”

Sharapova said keeping the shoulder strong will now have to be part of her life.

“It’s not something you just stop when it feels good,” she said. “You have to keep working on it. You have to keep getting it stronger.

“For the rest of my career I’ll be doing shoulder exercises. It won’t be as fun as I want it to be. It’s all a routine. But everyone has to do it. Everyone has injuries. It’s part of the game.”

Weir trying to end long Canadian drought

the 15th club in our bag with the crowd.”

Weir is making his 19th appearance in the national championship, back at Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey for the second straight year and 25th time overall.

The 2003 Masters champion, an eight-time winner on the US PGA Tour, came close to breaking through in 2004 at Glen Abbey, losing to Vijay Singh in a playoff. Last year, Weir tied for fi fth, fi ve strokes behind winner Chez Reavie.

Weir missed the cut in his fi rst nine starts in the tournament - eight at Glen Abbey and one at Royal Montreal and also dropped out early in 2005 and 2006.

“Just the experience of playing the course, I think helped me adjust. And I think my game’s just evolved over the years,” the 39-year-old from Ontario said. “I think a number of the rounds and cuts I missed here I was playing on the Canadian Tour, and I wasn’t a PGA Tour-caliber player then.”

He was never better at Glen Abbey than he was Monday in his charity pro-am event, playing the back nine in 9-under 28. He was 8 under on the fi nal six holes, making two eagles and four birdies. “I wish I could do that in a tournament,” Weir said.

Nick Taylor and Matt Hill, the Canadians who hold the top two spots in the world amateur rankings, are paired together for the fi rst two rounds.

The top-ranked Taylor, from Manitoba, was the low amateur at the US Open and reached the US Amateur Public Links fi nal last week. Hill, from Weir’s hometown of Bright’s Grove, won the US college individual title in May.

“It’s cool to be in a PGA Tour event, but being back home in Canada with a bunch of people working and pulling for you, that’s going to be fun,” Taylor said.

Anthony Kim is back at Glen Abbey after tying for eighth last year. He closed with a 75 in a fi nal-round pairing with Reavie after opening with rounds of 65, 69 and 64.

“I like the golf course,” Kim said. “It sets up well for me and it really is a driver’s golf course, and I feel like that is a strong suit in my game. If I can manage to keep the ball in play, it should be a good week.”

Kim’s agent, Chris Armstrong, is Canadian, and the 24-year-old American has tournament title sponsor Royal Bank of Canada’s logo on his bag.

“Carrying the RBC bag, I’ll have a couple more fans following me,” Kim said.

Vientiane Times16Saturday July 25, 2009 SEA Games

Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

The Lao-Japan Budo Centre in Anou village of Chanthabouly district, Vientiane is currently 58 percent complete and will be finished in October.

Director General of the International Relations Department of the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC), Mr Soulasith Oupravanh said the Lao judo, karatedo and aikido teams would be able to train at the centre after an opening ceremony is held in November.

National judo and karatedo fi ghters will live and train at the centre.

136 days

Vientiane Times

Generosity, Amity, Healthy Lifestyle

Budo centre to be ready for SEA Games

The national judo and aikido teams are currently training at a national training camp in the lead-up to the SEA Games later this year.

Construction of the centre was divided into two phases. The first phase went ahead under a Japanese government grant of about 37 billion kip (US$4.3 million) last December.

The second phase is currently underway with the support of a further grant from the Japanese government of 19 billion kip (US$2.2 million).

The centre is been built by Kanto Construction Company and Sanpo International Corporation from Japan.

The LNSC will hold the judo and karatedo events at the centre during the SEA Games in December.

LNSC will also use the centre to host future table tennis and sepak takraw events, as well as music concerts.

The facility will be 32 metres wide, 29 metres long and 18 metres high. It will consist of three fl oors with a seating capacity of 800.

The judo event at the games will include eight weight divisions for men (55, 60, 66, 73, 81, 90, 100 and over 100kg) and women (45, 48, 52, 57, 63, 70, 78 and over 78kg).

The karatedo event will consist of six weight divisions for men (55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80kg) and four for women (48, 53, 60 and over 60kg).

After the games, the LNSC will allow fi ghters from the Lao Judo and Karatedo Federations, Aikido

club and students form Anou secondary school to train at the centre.

At the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007, the Lao karatedo team won a bronze

medal and the judo team two gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

The Lao-Japan Budo Centre under construction.