Residents living along the Mekong River in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district have expressed strong opposition to a public hearing on China’s plans to blast away a stretch of rapids, saying there was no need for more talk about the proposal, which they would not tolerate.

A group of activists in the northern province of Chiang Rai on Monday conducted a peaceful protest against the presence of a Chinese vessel assigned to conduct a study along the Mekong River.