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I just had drinks with Chanida Phaengdara Potter, Jason Rolan and Michael Boddington, who are all very knowledgable about what's going on here. Chanida founded the website, Little Laos on the Prarie. Jason is the managing editor of Champa Meuanglao, Lao Airlines' inflight magazine. Mike directs COPE Laos. Amazingly good work, they're all doing.

From Mike, I found out about the Vietnam's contribution of a hundred million dollars to build Laos' new National Assembly, and they're also providing the manpower, as seen above. The Vietnamese President's first trip abroad was also to Laos. Though China is the behemoth of Asia, Vietnam has its own designs. Geopolitical jockeying is a universal game.



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