Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Convention to help Laos clear UXO contaminated areas and assist victims

Lao people throughout the country are happy and relieved to hear about the Convention On Cluster Munitions (CCM) that aims to prohibit all use, production, stockpiling and transfer of such weapons.

More than 75 million unexploded bombies remained in Laos after the Indochina conflict ended.
Lao people know cluster munitions as bombies.
A BLU3 bombie.











Laos celebrated the entry into force of the ban on cluster munitions on August 1 this year, and will host the first meeting of the states party to the convention in November.

So far, 108 countries have signed the convention and 38 have ratified it. Director of the United Nations' Political and Security Affairs Division, Mr Maythong Thammavongsa, said the convention will provide direct benefits to Laos for clearing areas contaminated by cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance (UXO). Other provisions deal with victim assistance. 

The convention will provide international cooperation and assistance for Laos, as the country most affected by cluster munitions in the world. 

Over 288 million cluster munitions were dropped on Laos during the Indochina war. More than 75 million unexploded ‘bombies' remained in Laos after the conflict ended. 

“Laos could possibly receive more budget to clear UXO-contaminated areas and victim assistance from international donors,” Mr Maythong said. 

“We are expecting to receive aid assistance from international donors to the tune of about US$20 million per year to clear contaminated areas and help UXO victims,” he said. 

Signatories of the convention have agreed to prohibit all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions. 

Mr Maythong told Vientiane Times that the convention outlines an eight-year timeframe for signatory nations to destroy any stockpiles of cluster munitions they may possess, with a possible four-year extension under certain circumstances. The treaty also includes a 10-year timeframe to clear all UXO-contaminated areas. 

“We told all the convention country members at a meeting overseas that it was impossible for Laos to clear all bombs from the country over the next 10 years,” he said. 

“Laos started clearing UXO-contaminated areas in 1996 and from then until 2009, it is estimated that only about 0.25 percent of all UXO-contaminated land in Laos has been cleared.” 

More than 1 million items of UXO have been destroyed, including big bombs, cluster sub-munitions, mines and other UXO fragments. Over 23,000 hectares of land have been cleared for agricultural use and development. 

“In Laos, we are only working to clear contaminated areas and assist victims, because we don't have any cluster munitions stockpiled,” Mr Maythong said. 

“All unexploded bombies and other bombs remained in Laos after the conflict ended. They were made by Americans and dropped throughout Laos by the American air force,” he said. 

Laos is the most heavily-bombed country per capita in history. More than 580,000 bombing missions were conducted over Laos, with over 2 million tonnes of UXO dropped on the country between 1964 and 1973.
More than 50,000 people were killed or injured by UXO between 1964 and 2007, a rate that still claims around 300 victims per year.
 By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
Vientiane Times, 2010