The Mekong Committee 1957–1975

The Committee for Coordination of Investigations of the Lower Mekong Basin, also known as the Mekong Committee (MC) or the Committee, was composed of four riparian states of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and the Republic of Vietnam. Since its inception in 1957, the Committee members met regularly in spite of their cultural and political differences and even in the midst of hostilities and lack of diplomatic relations between their countries. The willingness and commitment of the Committee representatives of the four riparian nations to cooperate for a common purpose and regardless of politics and conflicts has generated what has been called the Mekong Spirit. Moreover, it was remarkable that the Mekong Committee was able to achieve some positive and concrete results in the atmosphere of warfare, instability, and insecurity that characterized the 18 years of its existence and operation. By January 1972, eight Mekong tributary projects were completed or in operation and twice that number were under investigation or construction. An agreement between Laos and Thailand to supply hydroelectric power generated by the tributary projects was signed by all the Mekong Committee members in 1965. The inventory of investigation and feasibility studies, data collection and analysis, evaluation and planning reports expanded every year. The operational resources of the Committee reached the total of some US$294 million by the end of 1974, with contributions from 25 countries, 17 United Nations agencies, 5 private foundations, and several companies. This chapter covers the Mekong Committee and regional cooperation from its inception in 1957 to 1975 when it ceased to function due to regime changes after the communist take-over in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The first section describes the structure, functions, and powers of the Committee both in theory, as determined by the statute, and in practice, as performed throughout the years. The second section analyzes the functioning of the Committee both in terms of regional cooperation and conflicts, and attempts to determine the incentives for cooperation and causes of conflicts. The third section examines the effects of regional cooperation on economic development, political security, and the riparian elite’s perception. The last section provides an assessment of the effectiveness of the Mekong regional cooperation.