Abstract

Laos is linguistically and ethnically the most diverse country in mainland Southeast Asia. To build a sustainable community/village with multi-ethnicity, it is necessary to take a pro-cultural consideration in the process of development intervention by the government. As a case study of resettlement associated with hydroelectric power development, this paper aims at clarifying the cultural elements adopted practically in the implementation of resettlement associated with hydroelectric power development and the sense of value behind such cultural elements. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches by sample surveys, the results show that the cultural elements such as symbol, hero, ritual and belief have played a practical and significant role in the consensus formation during the consultation & planning and physical relocation processes. However, among ethnic groups the degree of senses of value related to symbol, ritual and belief is different while the degree of sense of value related to hero is the same.

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