The Diplomat | Author
Tom Fawthrop
Tom Fawthrop has covered the Mekong for 12 years as a researcher and a guest lecturer at universities in Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. His reports on the region have been widely in published, including in the Economist, The Diplomat, and the Guardian.
He has been reporting from Phnom Penh, Manila, Chiang Mai, and Dili since the 1980s. He has also produced features for BBC and Al Jazeera TV.
A film-maker, he has directed documentaries including Killing the Mekong, Dam by Dam; The Last Undammed River (The Salween); and Swimming against the Tide (about the Cuban health system).
He is also co-author of the book Getting Away with Genocide? about the long struggle to bring about the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
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October 17, 2020
Myanmar’s High-Risk Election
By Tom Fawthrop
Aung San Suu Kyi’s dangerous gamble to push ahead with a controversial election as a second wave of COVID-19 hits Myanmar hard.
September 02, 2020
The Last Farewell to the Mighty Mekong
By Tom Fawthrop
The shrinking Tonle Sap, the river's “beating heart,” is the latest wake-up call of the damage wrought by dams.
July 28, 2020
Can Vietnam Prevent the Next Pandemic?
By Tom Fawthrop
As zoonotic diseases become more dangerous, Vietnam moves toward cracking down on wildlife trafficking.
June 01, 2020
COVID-19: Thailand’s Looming Second Wave
By Tom Fawthrop
Can Thailand avoid following in Singapore’s footsteps by upgrading its treatment of migrant workers?
April 24, 2020
Cuba’s Improbable Medical Prowess in Asia
By Tom Fawthrop
Cuba is developing a foothold in Asia with its biotechnology. COVID-19 is likely to expand that cooperation still further.
March 04, 2020
Who Will Save Luang Prabang?
By Tom Fawthrop
The World Heritage site in Laos is endangered by mega-projects and Mekong dams.
November 26, 2019
Did Vietnam Just Doom the Mekong?
By Tom Fawthrop
A policy reversal on Mekong dams has put Hanoi’s credibility – and the river’s fate – on the line.
August 26, 2019
Something Is Very Wrong on the Mekong River
By Tom Fawthrop
This year's drought is just a preview of more dire problems to come if government don't change course.
March 11, 2019
Myanmar’s Myitsone Dam Dilemma
By Tom Fawthrop
As the unpopular project sits in limbo, the government has to choose between upsetting China and enraging its own people.
December 17, 2018
Sons of Revolution: Vietnam’s New Protest Movement
By Tom Fawthrop
Hanoi’s conservative leaders are increasingly haunted by Ho Chi Minh’s legacy.
August 02, 2018
Laos’ Dam Disaster May Not Be Its Last
By Tom Fawthrop
The cost-cutting and lack of oversight that led to the dam's collapse plague other hydropower projects across the country.
June 21, 2018
Vietnam Mass Protests Expose Hanoi’s China Dilemma
By Tom Fawthrop
The protests highlight the difficulties in embracing Chinese investment while defending Vietnamese independence.