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Interview: Let the Mekong River benefit its people
People's Daily Online. September 06, 2007
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/6256736.html
Countries in the Mekong River basin should fully exploit the basin's
rich resources and advantages to promote common development and
cooperation, so as to accelerate their economies and benefit their
people, appealed a high-ranking official of the Mekong River
Commission (MRC).
Do Manh Hung, Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Mekong River
Commission Secretariat, made the remarks in a recent exclusive
interview with Xinhua.
Do said the basin, an underdeveloped region, possesses rich resources,
water resources and huge water transportation potential in particular.
But these resources and potential have no been fully exploited.
Therefore, the CEO said, countries along the river should strengthen
their cooperation while actively seeking support from other countries
and international organizations.
The 4,880-km-long Mekong River, the world's 11th biggest river, rises
in the Danggula Mountains in China's Qinghai Province, flows through
China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and empties into
the South China Sea. Its China section is called the Lancang River
with a length of 2,161 km.
Established in 1957, the MRC consists of four countries, namely
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. As a regional inter- government
organization, the MCR's workers comprise officials from the
governments of the four countries, the CEO said.
In 1995, MRC members signed the "Agreement on the Cooperation for the
Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin" in Thailand,
proposing to make plans for the exploitation of the water resources
and related resources of the Mekong River as well as the development
of the whole basin, which should be implemented by the MRC.
Do said the goal of the MRC is to eliminate starvation and reduce
poverty in the basin through the effective exploitation of various
resources of the Mekong River with protection of the local
environment.
He said he held that the priority for realizing the goal is to tap the
basin's potential in grain production, power generation, water
transportation and tourism.
In doing so, the CEO said, the liberalization of water transportation
in the basin will be promoted, development opportunities and
international trade will be increased, and the huge electricity demand
of all the countries' economic development will be met.
He said the MRC, in its operation, has got comprehensive support and
aid from concerned countries and international organizations,
including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation as well as China and Myanmar, which have
established dialogue relationship with the MRC.
He stressed that the MRC has been keeping good cooperation with China,
especially in hydrological data of the upper reaches of the Mekong
River.
The CEO pointed out that it is China's right of development to
construct power generation projects in the upper reaches of the Mekong
River to promote local economic development.
He also pointed out that these projects can effectively adjust the
water level of the Mekong River, thus benefiting countries in the
lower reaches in their efforts to combat flood and drought and playing
an active role in the region's stable economic development.
Concluding the interview, the CEO said as there is a lot of room for
cooperation, concerned countries could cooperate comprehensively in
tourism and transportation, so as to give impetus to the economic
development of the basin.
Source: Xinhua
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