UXO and The People's Democratic Republic of Laos

The United States of America dropped more ordinance on Laos during the "Vietnam" war than they dropped during the entire second World War.  Think about this for a moment.  Laos, a country about the size of Utah or Great Britain, received 9 years of continuous bombing totaling more than 2 million tons of ordinance received, or about 10 tons of bombs per square kilometer. This means Laos remains, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the history of mankind. All of this was in done in secret as America was not officially at war with Laos.  It was an effort to block the Ho Chi Minh trail of course, at the time the most expensive military venture in American history and an epic failure.

The above picture is one of many you can view with a simple Google search.  Those "ponds" are of course bomb craters dotting the Laoation landscape.  Many Lao people now use these craters as reservoirs for crops or fish farms. When I visited this country for the first time in 2009 I was lucky enough to be invited to a fish feast at the home of my then-boyfriend's family. I didn't realize that the beautiful lakes we were picnicking next to were actually craters left behind from nearly a decade of hell fire my country rained down upon this, their family's home, a few decades ago.

Note the "pond" in the background to the left.

I am writing about this today for a couple of reasons.  The first is I think far too many Americans don't really know the history of the Secret War in Laos, and even more who visit this country know even less.  I certainly knew nothing of the Secret War before taking a few classes in graduate school.  Even the first time I visited the country I was aware of the conflict that had taken place but I had no idea the scale of it.  I think in some coming posts I will go more in to the history of the Secret War because I have been lucky enough to come across people who have wiped away at least some of my ignorance.  But in the meantime if you have more questions about this history or context here please leave them below and I will be happy to respond.

The second reason I am writing this today is because I believe my country needs to be reminded that this conflict is not over for the people of Laos.  Estimates very, but most reports state that 30% of the cluster bombs dropped over Laos by American forces failed to detonate.  This means by the end of 1979 more than 80 million ready-to-kill cluster bombs remained in people's villages, on their land, around their roadways, and throughout the Lao jungle. The UN estimates that since the end of the Secret War 22,000 people have been killed by this unexploded ordinance (UXO).

I visited Vientiane, the government's seat of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos, just last week on a visa run.  While there I came across an article in one of the English newspapers reporting on the government's efforts to clear this UXO.  It reports that in 2010 the removal of UXO by Laos' UXO National Regulatory Authority (think about actually having a governmental department in your country whose sole duty is to remove bombs lying around your town) was slowed due to a budget shortfall of approximately 1 million USD.  It doesn't take an expert to understand that without the removal of this UXO Laos will continue to remain one of the least developed countries in the world.

After I came across this article I did an admittedly small amount of research on the funding of UXO removal in Laos. I found that countries like Great Britain gave 3.5 million USD in 2010 and 2011 to support UXO removal, and others like Japan and Norway (of all places) joined the fight with equipment, manpower, and some financial support.  So where does America come in?  The United State's congress allocates funds each year to the State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement Program (WRA). In fiscal year 2010, the same year there was a 1 million USD shortfall for Laos' UXO National Regulatory Authority, congress allocated an additional 100,000 USD to the WRA's work in Laos.

This number should indeed be put in to context.  Adding 100,000 USD to the WRA's program in Laos brought the total funding to a record 5.1 million USD.  It is the most funding congress has ever allocated for the removal of UXO since the Secret War was first famously exposed by Senator Edward Kennedy on the house floor in 1971.

But it is not enough.  Over the past four decades less than 1% of the UXO remaining in Laos has yet to be cleared.  Again, since the war has ended over 20,000 civilian deaths have occurred due to UXO in Laos, and still today approximately 100 accidents occur each year with these bomblets.  40% percent of these accidents are actually children usually playing in their own villages or along the country roadsides.

I will note here there is a serious and obviousl problem with money laundering, fraud, and corruption within the Lao government.  This is a subject that of course plays a part here and one which I will explore in future posts.  Yet regardless, 100,000 USD in increased funding to remove the killing machines we left behind in our illegal war on Laos is shameful.  I thought about this as I sat next to the Mekong river in Vientiane last week enjoying a lemongrass soup.  I felt embarrassed.  And I felt angry.  And I believe all of us Americans, whether or not we visit this beautiful land, should be feeling the same.

I want you and I want everyone you know to learn more about this.  I want us to understand the legacy of America in this part of the world. I want us to proudly take on the responsibility of cleaning up the mess that our fellow Americans who came before us left behind.  And I especially want you fellow travelers who are visiting this beautiful country to not just take memories away, but leave something genuine behind.

There are a lot of websites and NGO's out there doing good work around this issue, but I have found www.legaciesofwar.org to be the most informative and useful.  This website can answer nearly any question you may have about the legacy of the Secret War and America's trail of UXO.  And more importantly, it offers multiple ways of getting involved.  You can be as lazy as you want and still make a difference by sticking your name on a petition, you can contribute financially if you feel so inclined after reading their FAQ pages, or you can even volunteer in-country and gain a once in a lifetime experience during your travels here in Southeast Asia.  It's up to you, but please help put my mind to rest and at least visit their page.

This post was a bit dark I know.  But the legacies of war are never pretty, and it's a subject matter none of us enjoy thinking about.  I do hope however that there was something in this post, maybe a statistic, that moves you to act.  And I promise in my next post to have lots of pretty pictures from my last visit to Laos to make you smile.

Thanks for reading, and please share this on Facebook if you feel it worthy.

Now on to Today's Travel Tips:
- Crossing the boarder at Nongkai in to Laos is a tedious, boring, and hot process.  But be polite and be respectful.  No, you are not being 'ripped off' and no the border fees you are paying are not a 'scam.'  Everyone pays the same for a visa from their respective nationality.  You are a guest in this country, look at the picture above and be thankful you are being welcomed with open arms
- After crossing the border at the bridge, be patient.  Eventually you will see a local van that takes people in to Vientiane for 6,000 kip (less than 25 baht).  You do NOT need to pay 30 or 100 or even 300 baht for a taxi that is going to the same place.
- Smile a lot.  I mean A LOT.
- And finally, when arriving at the Vientiane bus station do NOT eat the Vietnamese sandwiches from all those shops you will see.  Just trust me on this one, food poisoning sucks and I am by far not the only one who has had this experience here.  Wait until you get in to town, set your bags down, and get yourself a freshly cooked meal.  Then smile some more.