Chinese migration riles northern provinces
ARNAUD DUBUS, Contributing writer
BOKEO, Laos -- In any casual conversation, people in northern Laos will sooner or later broach the increasing Chinese economic presence in the provinces north of Luang Prabang. The process has accelerated in the last 10 years, and is remarkable for its depth and complexity. From flashy casino zones to dams, and from small farmers to owners of vast banana or rubber plantations, the men from beyond the border seem to be everywhere in the provinces of Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Luang Nam Tha and Bokeo.