To the 20 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta who are deprived of their voice
To the Friends of the Mekong Group
NGO THE VINH
Figure 1: Funan Techo Canal groundbreaking ceremony is full of flags of Cambodia in the small village of Prek Takeo, Kien Svay district, Kandal province on August 5, 2024, which is also Hun Sen's birthday, chaired by his son, now Prime Minister Hun Manet; in front of the factory area is a huge Khmer slogan: "We support Funan Techo Canal", this is the starting point of the 20 km long canal (1), taking water from the Lower Mekong River, the headwaters of the Tien River before flowing into the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.[Source: Khmer Times 05.08.2024]
Introduction:
PM Hun Manet, with the support of his father, proposed the Funan Techo Canal as a Cambodian Mega Project and a legacy of The Hun’s Family. Geopolitically, this waterway would allow them to transport goods in two ways from Phnom Penh to the sea,without having to follow the Tien or Hau Rivers, and would free them from dependence on Vietnam. The Huns were strongly supported by their people when they named the project Funan, stirring up anti-Vietnamese nationalism and shedding light on the history of their FunanEmpire.According to international experts and analysis of Viet Ecology Foundation, the economic benefits of this project are certainly not feasible, with heavy environmental impacts for Cambodia and across the border to Vietnam, but all have been minimized and dismissed by the Phnom Penh government. Phnom Penh has not explained the full costs and how to compensate for the relocation of its people. They have provided inconsistent and misleading information about the project and have not followed the binding procedures of the 1995 Mekong Agreement, which they solemnly signed with their neighboring countries. Faced with the choice of tense relations instead of cooperation from neighboring Cambodia, the Vietnamese government cannot be helpless as it has been helpless before Mekong projects over the past 30 years, and cannot wait to suffer the consequences that the Funan Techo Canal will bring to over 20 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta, especially when Cambodia does not build and operate this project as announced. The following essay by writer Dr. Ngo The Vinh, a persistent environmental activist, presents a strategy with a sense of historical responsibility that must be implemented to protect national interests. Viet Ecology Foundation
AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE 05.08.2024
PM Hun Manet, who is also the eldest son of former PM Hun Sen, spoke at the solemn groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Funan Techo canal mega project on the morning of August 5, 2024 in Kandal province: “The Funan Techo canal is not only a waterway but also a living monument of historical significance to the great Funan Empire, as the predecessor of our country Cambodiatoday. With its convenient waterway, once a place for trade with the great power of China and even with the Roman Empire, this canal played an essential role in trade, and also in interaction with distant civilizations. If the canal benefited our ancestors 2,000 years ago, it should benefit us today too.”
Funan is the name of an ancient empire in Southeast Asia, which existed from the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD, Funan once had a glorious period.
PM Hun Manet continued: "It is unfortunate for our history. Cambodiahad to witness many Empires and Kingdoms fall due to internal strife and war. We know history, and will never let that happen again in our country.” [Source: Khmer Times, August 5, 2024]
Figure 2: Still in front of the factory, but 21 days after the groundbreaking ceremony [August 26, 2024], still with a huge Khmer slogan: “We support Funan Techo Canal”. This isthe first section (1) of the Funan Techo Canal (right) takes water from the Lower Mekong River – the headwaters of the Tien River (left), running 20 km to connect with the Bassac River – another main stream of the Mekong River, the headwaters of the Hau River.
Thus, it is clear that the Funan Techo canal takes water from both mainstreams (or distributaries) of the Mekong River.. But according to the Notification of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee sent to MRC still said that Funan Techo canal only takes water from Bassac river – which they deliberately misnamed – misnomer: Bassac river is only a tributary* of Mekong river. [sic]
*According to the definition of river geography in English, tributary refers to a secondary stream that feeds into the main stream; but it is clear that the Bassac River is a main stream or distributary of the Mekong River. According to MRC / the Mekong River Commission of the four countries of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia , Vietnam, has already defined Bassac River – a large distributary / main branch of the Mekong River.
MRC: Geography, River Course:
Near the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, the Bassac River, the Mekong's largest distributary, branches off. This is where the Mekong Delta begins as the Mekong and Bassac Rivers enter a large fertile plain in southern Vietnam. In this area, known as the 'Nine Dragons', a series of smaller distributaries split off from the main stream of the Mekong and Bassac. [end of quote]
This is an important legal argument that Vietnam must be determined to defend.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FUNAN TECHO CANAL
Funan Techo Canal is 180 km long, passing through 4 provinces of Kandal, Takeo, Kampot and Kep with a cost of 1.7 billion USD., with the initial capital planned to come from the China Bridge and Road Corporation (BRC) under the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI]. But in the face of criticism from many sides that with the Funan Techo Canal, Cambodia would fall into a Chinese debt trap; so in June 2024, PM Hun Manet reassured the public that 51% of the capital would come from investors of Cambodia.
With the figure of 1.7 billion USD, according to experts, it is too low. Because through Pinglu Canal (平陸運河 / Pingluyunhe) China's 135 km long canal from Guangxi province connecting the Pearl River down to the Gulf of Tonkin, cost up to 10.1 billion USD, so the cost for the 180 km Funan Techo Canal must be much higher than 1.7 billion USD!
Pham Phan Long, PE founder of the Viet Ecology Foundation (VEF) has the same opinion, “The Funan Techo Canal, which is as long as the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville highway, costs up to 2 billion USD, but with a canal that is 3 to 4 times wider. The structure of the canal must be designed to withstand the pressure of water and the vibrations caused by the movement of ships with a capacity of up to 5,000 DWT. Such a heavy load requires the canal to have a more solid bottom than the highway surface.” Engineer Pham Phan Long added that a similar canal in China, only over 100 km long, would cost up to 10 billion USD to build, so the figure of 1.7 billion USD is too low.”
Figure 5:Pinglu Canal (平陸運河 / Pingluyunhe) China's 135 km long canal from Guangxi province connecting the Pearl River down to the Gulf of Tonkin costs up to 10.1 billion USD, so the cost for the 180 km long Funan Techo canal must certainly be much higher than 1.7 billion USD. [Source: Guangxi Ministry of Transport, with additional notes by Ngo The Vinh]
The canal will connect the capital Phnom Penh with the coastal province of Kep. Starting from the Takeo canal connecting to the Lower Mekong River (the headwaters of the Tien River) through Prek Ta Ek, Prek Ta Hing, connects with the Bassac River, another distributary of the Mekong River (the headwaters of the Hau River) passes through the four provinces of Kandal, Takeo, Kampot and Kep, and finally flows into the Gulf of Thailand.
The Funan Techo Canal is 100 m wide upstream and 80 m downstream, 5.4 m deep (4.7 m travel depth and 0.7 m safety distance), with two lanes moving in opposite directions for vessels of 3,000 to 5,000 DWT. The initial project included 3 shiplocks, a maximum discharge of 3.6 m3/s, 11 bridges, 208 km of sidewalks, and supporting infrastructure as needed.
Funan Techo project is divided into 3 segments [Figure 4]
_ Segment One (20 km): connects the main stream of the Lower Mekong River (the first distributary of the Mekong River / the upper stream of the Tien River)
_Section Two (30 km): the canal follows the natural flow of the Bassac River (second major distributary of the Mekong River / upstream of the Hau River)
_Section Three (130 km): the canal connects the Bassac River down to Kep port and into the Gulf of Thailand.
Figure 6: Bassac River, a major distributary of the Mekong River, with busy ships and barges moving. A 30 km section of this Bassac River will be the second section of the 180 km long Funan Techo Canal flowing into the Gulf of Thailand. DPM Sun Chantol, when he was the Minister of Public Works and Transport, had an initiative as early as February 19, 2023: "We only need to dig a 7 km canal connecting the Bassac River with the Kampot-Kep seaport area, and we will have a waterway to transport passengers and goods in and out of the Kingdom of Cambodia without having to go through Vietnam." It is noteworthy that the Phnom Penh Post is almost the only and rare newspaper that correctly calls the Bassac River "distributary " of the Mekong River. [source: Phnom Penh Post]
FUNAN TECHO CANAL LAUNCHED – CAN IT DELIVER ON THE HYPE?
It was quite surprising that just two days after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Funan Techo canal, one read another article in the same newspaper.Khmer Times August 7, 2024 with the title: “Funan Techo project launched – but can it be completed as advertised”,which everyone knows Khmer Times is a newspaper that has long been pro-government in Phnom Penh, but this is a "backward" article expressing skepticism about the feasibility of this massive project.
The groundbreaking ceremony was carefully organized, took place very grandly, and was considered a success with more than 10 thousand people attending in the small village of Prek Takeo, Kien Svay district, Kandal province, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Samdech Moha Bovathibodi Hun Manet, and First Lady Dr. Pich Chanmony, along with the presence of the Cabinet including Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers.
Notably, the absence of former PM Hun Sen, now President of the Senate, at this festival is considered a wise political and diplomatic choice for Vietnam. When foreign press opinion said that "Mega project Funan Techo is a sign that the Kingdom Cambodia is moving closer to China, while downgrading its ties with Vietnam.” Something that Mr. Hun Sen has strongly denied.
Everyone knows that Hun Sen is of Khmer Rouge origin, defected to Vietnam and was assisted by the Vietnamese army in overthrowing the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime and then bringing him to power 38 years to date.” [source:Sega 08.05.2024, Bulgarian newspaper]
Concern of Residents near the Funan Techo Canal Project
According to Khmer residents of Prek Takeo village, Kien Svay district, Kandal province – in general, the groups of people living in 10,000 houses in the project area – including Vietnamese and Cham people, although nearly a month has passed since the groundbreaking ceremony, they still do not know anything about the compensation plan and their future resettlement. Their houses will be tearing down and they do not know where they will be taken. There are rumors that real estate investors have sought to Speculation in buying land at cheap prices by ignorant people living on both sides of the canal to later resell at much higher prices, causing the Phnom Penh government to issue a ban. Hun Manet promised that people living along both sides of the canal will be compensated fairly and they will be resettled like the groups of residents living around the Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville Expressway project before.
For communities of fishermen living in the Prek Toal area around Tonle Sap Lake they expressed concern that the Funan Techo Canal would further reduce the amount of water flowing into the Great Lake through the Tonle Sap River, which has long been known to be lacking water and fish, and in fact no research has been done on these environmental impacts.
Contrary to media propaganda, not all Cambodians support this mega project Funan Techo Canal, but they do not dare to speak out publicly, they are very afraid of being punished by "Honourable Hun Sen". To dispel the people's doubts, the PM Hun Manet has repeatedly affirmed the Funan Techo Canal is a meaningful project, not only developing the logistics system, but also to promote national interests; the project does not make us lose land because the canal is located within our territory, with clear boundaries and with millions of Khmer people living within it.
PM Hun Manet said the canal would be run under the BOT model: Build, Operate, Transfer, meaning Cambodia would not borrow from China but through private investment. Hun Manet added that the project would not be 100% foreign-owned – a reference to China – but 51% held by Cambodian companies. [Khmer Times Fresh News]
MANY CONCERNS FROM VIETNAM
As of August 8, 2023, the Mekong River Commission Secretariat has received a Notification from the Cambodia National Mekong Committee on the Funan Techo Canal project, which was noted to have been formed “after 26 months of project feasibility studies” [sic] and is expected to be operational by 2028. However, in another statement in May 2024, PM Hun Manet said that the project could take up to 6 years (2030) to complete, and observers also questioned whether this was due to a lack of budget.
Not only are the 1.6 million Cambodian residents living along the canal worried, the Funan Techo project has raised many concerns from Vietnam, especially with more than 20 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta living miserably on fields lacking fresh water, plus the increasingly serious saltwater intrusion.
On the Vietnamese side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially stated three times that, “Vietnam pays great attention to and respects Cambodia's legitimate interestsin the spirit of the 1995 Mekong Agreement, in accordance with relevant regulations of the Mekong River Commission and the traditional friendly neighborly relations between the two countries. We hope that Cambodia will continue to coordinate closely with Vietnam and other countries in the Mekong River Commission to share information and fully assess the impact of this project on water resources, and environment of the Mekong sub-regionwith appropriate management measures..."
Vietnam has repeatedly stated that it does not object Funan Techo Canal Project, and only asked Cambodia to provide more information about this mega project along with the Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (tbEIA) from the canal on the Mekong Delta, which is still the source of food security for the whole country.[Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang 05.05.2024, May 9, 2024, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet 08.08.2024…]
Figure 7: MRC document, left, (1) Understanding the 1995 Mekong Agreement and the Five MRC Procedures / Meeting the need. Keeping the balance; right, (2) Guidelines for Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment in the Lower Mekong River Basin. [Source: MRC]
Although the official groundbreaking ceremony is on August 5, 2024, in fact, the Cambodian government had secretly started construction on the first section of the 20 km canal (1) connecting the Lower Mekong River with the Bassac River few months before, to create the initial shape of the canal as seen on the recent festival day.
JUSTICE FOR 20 MILLION INHABITANTS OF THE MEKONG DELTA
Although the groundbreaking ceremony on August 5, 2024 took place like an earthquake, but until now after nearly 2 months, it seems that "All Quiet on the Western Front". Those who understand the situation still believe that this is just "The End of the Beginning". We still have time and opportunity to demand "Justice for 20 million Mekong Delta inhabitants", within the framework of Mekong River Agreement 1995 and United Nations Convention 1997.
What the Vietnamese Government Needs to Do
_ It is necessary to immediately establish a Task Force like a Think Tank, including environmental experts in the Mekong Delta and Public International Law specialists. It is no different from what the author suggested two decades ago, which was to establish a Mekong Department at Can Tho University.
_ It is necessary to “deltaize” the members of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, with experienced experts, primary stakeholders born and raised in the Mekong Delta. This is also what the Mekong River Commission has done since 2016, when they “ripanized” the CEOs of the MRC Secretariat with indigenous professionals.
_ There needs to be an immediate Environmental Attaché at the embassies or consulates of the 6 Mekong countries, to promptly detect and monitor very early changes in the Mekong River throughout the basin, instead of being passive in the face of late information as it is now, always putting Vietnam "before a fait accompli".
MRC LEGAL BASIS
The basic legal point to emphasize is: the Funan Techo canal does not draw water from a tributary – as the Notificaton of National Mekong Committee of Cambodia but It takes water from the two main streams (distributaries) of the Mekong River, which are also the source of the Tien and Hau rivers -- the lifeline of more than 20 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. According to the spirit of the 1995 Mekong River Agreement, and Cambodia as one of the four signatories, when taking water from the Mekong mainstream, they are obliged to implement the provisions set forth in the 1995 Mekong Agreement; but from the very beginning the Phnom Penh government showed an uncooperative attitude, flatly refusing to do anything – that was a serious violation to the 1995 Mekong River Agreement.
Articles 5, 6, 7, in Mekong River Agreement 1995 :
Article 5. Reasonable and Equitable Utilisation; Article 6. Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream; Article 7. Prevention and Cessation of Harmful Effects
ARTICLE 5: To utilise the waters of the Mekong River system in a reasonable and equitable manner in their respective territories, pursuant to all relevant factors and circumstances, the Rules for Water Utilisation and Inter-basin Diversion provided for under Article 26 and the provisions of A and B below:
A. On tributaries of the Mekong River, including Tonle Sap, intra-basin uses and inter-basin diversions shall be subject to notification to the Joint Committee.
B. On the mainstream of the Mekong River:
1. During the wet season:
- Intra-basin use shall be subject to notification to the Joint Committee.
- Inter-basin diversion shall be subject to prior consultation which aims at arriving at an agreement by the Joint Committee.
2. During the dry season:
- Intra-basin use shall be subject to prior consultation which aims at arriving at an agreement by the Joint Committee.
- Any inter-basin diversion project shall be agreed upon by the Joint Committee through a specific agreement for each project prior to any proposed diversion. However, should there be a surplus quantity of water available in excess of the proposed uses of all parties in any dry season, verified and unanimously confirmed as such by the Joint Committee, an interbasin diversion of the surplus could be made subject to prior consultation.
ARTICLE 6: Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream
To cooperate in the maintenance of the flows on the mainstream from diversions, storage releases, or other actions of a permanent nature; except in the cases of historically severe droughts and/or floods:
- Of not less than the acceptable minimum monthly natural flow during each month of the dry season;
- To enable the acceptable natural reverse flow of the Tonle Sap to take place during the wet season; and,
- To prevent average daily peak flows greater than what naturally occur on the average during the flood season.
The Joint Committee shall adopt guidelines for the locations and levels of the flows, and monitor and take action necessary for their maintenance as provided in Article 26.
ARTICLE 7: Prevention and Cessation of Harmful Effects
To make every effort to avoid, minimise and mitigate harmful effects that might occur to the environment, especially the water quantity and quality, the aquatic (eco-system) conditions, and ecological balance of the river system, from the development and use of the Mekong River Basin water resources or discharge of wastes and return flows. Where one or more States is notified with proper and valid evidence that it is causing substantial damage to one or more riparians from the use of and/or discharge to water of the Mekong River, that State or States shall cease immediately the alleged cause of harm until such cause of harm is determined in accordance with Article 8.
…
Intra-basin water use requires prior consultation to reach an agreement in the Joint Committee. Any project to divert water from the Mekong mainstream to an extra-basin one, which changes the flow, must follow the PNPCA process clearly stipulated in the 1995 Mekong Agreement: Prior Notification – Prior Consultation – and Agreement, which is unanimously agreed upon by the Joint Committee for each project before proceeding with the proposed diversion. Since the Funan Techo canal project draws water from both Mekong mainstreams, Cambodia is obliged to follow this 3-step PNPCA procedure. When there is clear evidence that a project is causing significant harm to one or more other riparian countries, the host country must immediately stop the cause of that harm until the project is corrected.
3- STEP STRATEGY TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR 20 MILLION INHABITANTS OF THE MEKONG DELTA
_ Step 1: with the MRC Secretariat and Joint Committee
MRC Secretariat is the place that received the Notification of Cambodia on Funan Techo Project from 08.08.2023. This is a standing body under the supervision of the MRC Joint Committee consisting of one member from each member country, whose function is to assist the Council of Ministers in administrative and technical matters. The Joint Committee implements the decisions and directions of the Council of Ministers, in basin development planning, supervises the activities of the Secretariat and mobilizes funding.
Figure 8:left,Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, the current CEO of the MRC Secretariat, for the term 2022-2024. Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, is the first Laotian and the third riparian to hold this position. [The other two, in order of precedence, are Dr. Pham Tuan Phan, Vietnam 2016-2018, Dr.An Pich Hatda, Cambodia 2019-2021]. With such a high level of education and many years of experience, Dr. Anoulak is expected by many to lead the MRC Secretariat; right, MRC Headquarters in Vientiane. [Source: MRC]
More than a year has passed since the date of receiving the Notification of the National Mekong Committee of Cambodia on August 8, 2023, the working process and exchange between the Secretariat and the Joint Committee with the Cambodian partner have not achieved any specific results, when the main decision-making authority on the Funan Techo Canal is Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Sun Chanthol, concurrently First Vice President of the Cambodia Development Committee.
_ Step two: with the MRC Ministerial Council level
The first step with the Secretariat and the Joint Committee was considered a failure, in such a deadlock, Step 2 is the responsibility of the higher authority, that is MRC Ministerial Council consisting of a Ministerial-level member from each member country, usually the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, whose functions are to direct, set policies, and promote cooperation and implementation of the 1995 Mekong River Agreement.
But in such a special case as the present, perhaps a Deputy Prime Minister of the same rank as DPM Sun Chanthol is needed, the person is the champion who embraces the Funan Techo Canal project. On the Vietnamese side, the list of Vietnam's permanent representatives in the Council of Ministers still includes Mr. Tran Hong Ha, currently Deputy Prime Minister, although he is no longer Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. The new person holding this position is Mr. Do Duc Duy, former Secretary of Yen Bai Provincial Party Committee. In the legal struggle at this stage, the "technocratic" ability of the leadership is important, and this is not purely a political task.
Of course, accompanying the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment is a capable "Task Force", experienced in river expertise and knowledgeable about international law, capable of responding to all situations.
It is envisaged that when the Funan Techo canal issue is cleared at the Council of Ministers level, a consensus will be reached in the Spirit of the 1995 Mekong Agreement.
In the worst scenario, if this Second Step remains deadlocked, and given the risk of Cambodia breaking the 1995 Mekong Agreement, Vietnam will have to take a Third Step, bringing the Funan Techo issue to the International Court of Justice based on United Nations Convention 1997 on the use of international water resources.
_ Step three: International Court / International Court of Justice and the 1997 United Nations Convention / UN Convention 1997
United Nations Convention 1997 with full name is United Nations Convention 1997 on the non-navigational uses of international watercourses is a legal framework for international water use activities.The basic general principles of the law on the use of international water resources include: (1) Fair and reasonable use of international water resources; (2) No harm in the use of international water resources and (3) Obligation to cooperate in the use of international water resources.
Mekong is an International River, the 11th largest river in the world flows through 7 countries including Tibet*, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The four downstream countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, all members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), have jointly agreed and signed the Mekong River Agreement 1995.
These principles are stipulated in the 1995 Mekong Agreement and the 1997 United Nations Convention. In particular, the 1995 Mekong Agreement, of which both Cambodia and Vietnam are members, is legally binding and in accordance with international law, so both countries must comply – a typical example is the application of the code of conduct for the Funan Techo Canal project.
Figure 9:left, Headquarters of the International Court of Justice / ICJ of the United Nations, the only UN agency not headquartered in New York, but at the Peace Palace, Hague, Netherlands. The ICJ has been in operation since 1947, and as of November 13, 2023, has heard 191 cases; right, official emblem of the International Court of Justice.
Demanding justice for the 20 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta must be the duty of the Vietnamese communist state before history, there can be no other way.
It is also worth mentioning here the saying of Professor Hoang Xuan Han in 1974, after the Paracel Islands were forcibly occupied by Communist China, in the context of Vietnam being divided the North and South: “A shining example of history is that every time a country declines due to division and internal strife, neighboring countries encroach on our territory. Today, the occupation of Hoang Sa is a concrete symptom caused by the discord of our people, although many evidences, both inside and outside, have said that this is Vietnamese land.” [Hoang Xuan Han, CLCD BĐDS, XV, p. 359]
NGO THE VINH
California, August 8, 2023 – October 8, 2024
Related articles:
- From the Khmer Funan Empire to the historic Funan Techo canal of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Ngo The Vinhhttps://vietecologypress.blogspot.com/2023/10/tu-e-che-phu-nam-khmer-toi-con-kenh.html
- Phu Nam Historical Canal and the project's progress between the Father and Son Dynasties. Ngo The Vinhhttps://vietecologypress.blogspot.com/2023/11/phu-nam-techo-con-kenh-lich-su-va-nhung.html
- RFA Interview with Dr. Ngo The Vinh about Funan Canal and the Mekong Delta
https://vietecologypress.blogspot.com/2023/12/rfa-phong-van-bs-ngo-vinh-ve-kenh-funan.html - Funan Techo Canal Project: Behavior Between Vietnam and Cambodia: Different Dreams and Same Bed. Ngo The Vinhhttps://vietecologypress.blogspot.com/2024/04/du-kenh-ao-funan-techo-ung-xu-giua-viet.html
- For Whom the Bell Tolls, August 5, 2024 Funan Techo Channel Groundbreaking Ceremony https://vietecologypress.blogspot.com/2024/07/chuong-nguyen-hon-ai-ngay-5-August-nam.html
Dr. Ngo The Vinh, author of 2 books: Nine Dragons Drained Dry, East Sea in Turmoil [2000] and Mekong The Occluding River [2007] and many essays related to environmental issues and development of the Mekong River Basin and the Mekong Delta. This is the 6th article related to the Funan Techo Canal Project which started construction on August 5, 2024. (Photo of the author crossing Tonle Sap Lake, to the Tonle Sap Ecological Reserve).
