Banks, Developers and Insurers Must Provide Redress

Thousands of people lost their homes when faulty construction led to a devastating dam collapse in southern Laos.

No one has been held accountable and the victims have already waited too long for redress.

Tell the companies and institutions behind the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project to establish an accessible compensation fund so that all affected people in Laos and Cambodia can receive reparations for the harm they have suffered.



To Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy developers, financiers and insurers:

When Saddle Dam D of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in southern Laos collapsed on July 23, 2018, at least 71 people lost their lives and some 7,000 more were displaced by floodwaters. Your company contributed to and stands to profit from the project, and therefore has a human rights responsibility to the survivors. I am writing to you to take immediate and comprehensive action towards full remediation for people harmed by the disaster, including through consultations with affected communities and other stakeholders.

More than a year after the disaster, victims continue to languish in temporary shelters without adequate access to food, water and other necessities, and with only limited financial support. They have suffered violations of multiple human rights, including, among others, the right to an adequate standard of living, including food and housing, the right to privacy, the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose one’s own residence, the right to physical and mental health, and the right to life. Indigenous villagers lost lands they relied on for subsistence and are haunted by fears of another collapse.

No one has been held accountable for this disaster and the suffering it has caused to thousands of people.

I call on you to cooperate with the dam’s other financiers, developers and insurers in establishing an independently administered compensation fund with an accessible claims process so that all affected people in Laos and Cambodia can receive reparations for the damage they have suffered.

This compensation must be sufficient to cover all losses and harms caused and include a process to fully restore the livelihoods of displaced people. The process must be culturally appropriate and include assurances against reprisals.

Your companies have the means to reduce the suffering of thousands of people who lost their homes and livelihoods, and in some cases their loved ones, to a disaster you helped enable. I urge you to act responsibly.