By Phoudasack Vongsay The Laotian Times Mon, July 27, 2026

A picture of muddy stream in Longchaeng district, Xaysomboun province, which flows into and pollutes the Nam Song river in Vang Vieng district, Vientiane province. (Photo by Xaysomboun Media)

The Lao government has ordered Daochalearn Mineral Processing Sole Co., Ltd. to immediately suspend its iron ore mining and processing operations in Vientiane Province and Xaysomboun after authorities linked the company’s activities to pollution in the Nam Song River.

According to a notice issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce on 24 July, inspections carried out on 8–9 June by officials from the Department of Geology and Mines, together with district authorities, found that the company had been mining and processing iron ore without official authorisation.

The investigation concluded that the company’s activities caused the Nam Song River in Vang Vieng district to become muddy, in violation of Laos’ Mineral Law and other relevant regulations.

The suspension applies to the company’s operations in Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, and Longchaeng district, Xaysomboun Province.

Under the order, the company must immediately halt all mining, mineral processing and related activities until further notice or until it receives new government approval.

Authorities also instructed the company to restore affected areas and work with local officials in Vang Vieng and Longchaeng to rehabilitate land and waterways damaged by the mining activities.

The notice warns that if the company continues operating without authorisation, it could face legal action under the Mineral Law and other relevant legislation. Authorities also plan to issue formal warnings and impose additional penalties in line with instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Part of Wider Crackdown

The suspension comes as the Lao government intensifies its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining and environmentally harmful extraction activities.

In June, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce ordered stricter inspections of mines, mineral processing facilities and mineral trading operations across the country, warning that offenders could face fines, asset seizures, licence revocations and criminal prosecution.

The campaign has already resulted in several arrests. In June alone, authorities detained five suspects in Luang Prabang, eight in Xieng Khouang and seven in Xaysomboun in three separate illegal gold mining cases. Earlier, in May, officials arrested 11 people in Savannakhet and seized excavators, transport vehicles and mercury allegedly used in illegal gold mining.

The latest case also follows a series of pollution incidents linked to industrial activities.

In May, untreated wastewater from a commercial pig farm was blamed for a mass fish die-off in the Nam Cheng River in Vientiane Province. Around the same time, wastewater from a cassava starch factory polluted the Xe Don River, causing another large-scale fish kill.

SOURCE: The Laotian Times Mon, July 27, 2026

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