Reports that oil had been discovered under the Tonle Sap lake were among a catalogue

of concerns for Australian academic Milton Osborne when compiling his report on the

future of the Mekong River for the Lowy Institute (see story page 3).

But confirmation of the reports remained elusive.

"Short of an official announcement, and given the tireless and unreliable character

of Phnom Penh's rumor mill, it is not possible to assess what such a discovery would

mean in terms of possible future environmental damage," he wrote.