Farmers risk all in daily battle with UXO

As UXO clearance progresses slowly, desperate farmers are deciding to run the risk of triggering a detonation by clearing their land to plant crops before qualified clearers reach their area.

This is the case in Pakxong district, Champassak province, in the south of Laos, which is home to the fertile Bolaven Plateau area. This region has a cool climate and high rainfall and is where coffee is grown in the nutrient-rich volcanic soil.

The coffee grown in Pakxong district is the finest quality coffee found in Laos and is renowned for its rich flavour.


Coffee is the main crop for farmers here, who rely on it to augment their income.

Last week the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sectors in Laos arranged a field trip to visit a 2-hectare coffee farm contaminated with UXO in Nonglae village.

Coffee farmer Ms Kaykham Keosimeuang, 21, told Lao media she planted coffee trees six months before clearers from the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) arrived to remove any unexploded munitions.

She had asked her village office to contact UXO Lao and get them to clear her land, but after several months they had not arrived.
“I decided to cut down the trees and shrubs so I could burn the land,” she said.
“While I was doing this I found about 20 cluster sub-munitions, or what we call bombies.”

But she found that no one would plough the land with tractors.
“They were afraid bombs would explode while they were ploughing,” she explained.
Then the Champassak branch of UXO Lao sent its roving team to blow up the devices she had found.
Provincial UXO coordinator Mr Chansy Phoumya said “She was very lucky that no devices exploded while she was planting the coffee trees.”

“Many of the holes she dug to plant the trees were close to UXO that was found by our clearers,” he noted.
“Most of the munitions we found were about half a metre from the nearest tree.”

Since 1997, 71 people have been injured and 44 people killed by UXO in Champassak province.
“We worked slowly as we cleared Ms Kaykham’s land. About 400 hectares of farmland are allocated to us for clearing each year, but we can clear only 220 hectares in one year,” he told Lao media.

“If people want us to clear their land because they want to sell it, we don’t do it. Some people are lazy and just don’t want to cut the trees and shrubs on their land, so we don’t check this land for munitions either.”
The UXO clearers started to clear Ms Kaykham’s land on February 15. So far they’ve found over 10 sub-munitions buried in the ground. They expect to finish the job early next month.

It is estimated that out of the 2 million tonnes of bombs, including 288 million cluster bombs that were dropped on Laos by US warplanes during the Indochina War between 1964 and 1973, about 30 percent did not detonate.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
February 22, 2011

India supports UXO training to Lao Peoples Army

(KPL) The Indian Defence Forces has supported a short-term of the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Cooperation Intensive training course to the Lao Peoples Army.

The purpose of the training course was to upgrade knowledge and skills of Lao Peoples Army personnel who are involved in the task of detection, clearance and destruction of UXOs which is a remnant of the war in the Lao PDR.

This will greatly help the Lao people to minimise and subsequently eradicate the risks and dangers of UXOs.
Over thirty Lao militaries from the Ministry of National Defence have attended a three-week training course held yesterday at the 588 Engineering Battalion, Vientiane Capital.

At the opening ceremony, B.G Souvone Leuangbounmy expressed his appreciation and thanks to the government of India as well as the Indian Defence Forces which have always continued to support and assists the Lao PDR by providing materials and moral support since the day our two countries established the diplomatic ties on 2 February 1956.

Indian ambassador to the Lao PDR, Dr. Jitendra Nath Misra said that this is one of the events marking the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Laos.

I am very particularly happy that our training team led by Captain Dhiraj Kumar has arrived here so early in the year of the 55th anniversary. I would like extend a very warm welcome to Captain Kumar and his team. Our five instructors have a proven capability and wide ranging operational experience in this field, said Dr. Misra.

We all know that the Lao PDR is the worst sufferer in the world from UXOs, and the deadly legacy of UXOs is being felt in Laos even today, with continuing loss of lives, he went on.

More broadly, we are fully supportive of the humanitarian concerns assisting from UXOs, and are willing to assist the Lao government in clearance of explosive remnant of war and mines in a bilateral context, said Dr. Misra.

Indian Defence Attache to the Lao PDR, Colonel S Mohan and relevant officials from both sided attended the opening ceremony.

Since 1995, the Indian Defence Forces have sent the Indian Army Training Team to teach English, military tactics and computer skills to the Lao Peoples Army and also provided scholarships to Lao militaries to train and study in Indian.

UXO clearance vehicles to enable faster work

Staff working for the National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) will be able to remove unexploded devices more quickly if Japan can provide special earthmovers to make the job easier.
Director of the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Sectors in Laos told Lao media last week the earthmovers could be used to clear large areas of land.

Clearers will work in villages known to be contaminated with UXO, and also in places where the earthmovers cannot go, such as steep hillsides.

“Japan is interested in providing vehicles for UXO clearance but we still don’t know to what extent,” Mr Phoukhiew Chanthasomboun said.

Cambodia already has about 40 vehicles for use in UXO clearance that have been provided by Japan.
Each of the earthmovers consumes 20 litres of fuel to clear one hectare of land per hour.
UXO Lao currently employs 9-11 people to clear one hectare of land, but it takes them almost two months to finish the job.

It costs US$1,800 to US$2,500 to clear one hectare of land, depending on much UXO is present.
Last week media personnel visited a contaminated area in Thongpiew village, Saravan province, to review clearance work there.

Provincial Coordinator Mr Liemmixay Keokangmeuang said this area opened up for clearance on Monday last week, and was about 23,800 square metres in area.

It would take nine clearers 25 days to locate and detonate UXO on this site, he said.
This site was relatively easy to clear because it was flat, agricultural land. After two days, 15 sub-munitions had been located.

It is estimated that out of the 2 million tonnes of bombs, including 288 million cluster bombs that were dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973 during the Indochina War, some 30 percent did not detonate.
During this time, a total of 580,000 deadly bombing missions were conducted by US warplanes. That’s equivalent to one bombing mission every eight minutes around the clock for nine years.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
February 21, 2011

Japan enhances Lao capacity in UXO destruction

(KPL) The Government of Japan has committed to providing technological assistance to the Lao PDR to enhance its capacity in destroying unexploded ordnance- UXOs, legacy of the Indochina War, said an official.

Between 14 and 18 February 2011, Head of the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in the Lao PDR, Mr. Phoukhiao Chanthasomboune led mediamen and Japanese experts to visit Saravane and Champassak to learn about the UXO destruction and clearance in the two southern provinces.

The visiting delegation was informed by local UXO official that UXO clearance was difficult, relevant officials lacked cutting-edge technology for detecting and removing UXOs.

Over the past 13 years, Saravane province has removed UXOs from 2,231 ha, equivalent to three per cent of the UXO contaminated areas, and over 136,000 bombies (bomblet contained in cluster bomb) have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, on an annual basis, Champassak province has removed UXO off 200 ha, equivalent to 0.12 per cent of the contaminated area, leaving large area of land remaining dangerous for human life while the need of development by local people is increasing.

Annually, local people in the province propose the UXO Clearance Programme to remove at least 300 ha of land.

136,000 bombies destroyed in Saravane

(KPL) Over 136,000 bombies (small bombs contained in cluster bomb) have been destroyed over the past decade in the province.

The bombs have been removed and destroyed on 2,231 ha of land in the province, according to Head of the UXO Clearance Organisation of Saravane province, Mr. Liemmisay Keokangmeuang.

During the Indochina war, seven districts of this southern province were the scene of aerial bombardment, five of which were the heavy scenes among them. They are Saravane, Lao-ngam, Ta-oi, Samouai and Toumlane, according to Mr. Liemmisay.

Mr. Liemmisay said that two weeks ago the UXO Clearance Organisation of Saravane destroyed 15 bombies in Thongbiou village, Saravane district. The programme expected to complete the clearance on 23,895 sqm within 25 days.

The Organisation also destroyed a 750-pound bomb at Tape village, Ta-oi district, according to Mr. Liemmisay. There are seven UXO victims in Tape village including one dead. Most of the UXO accidents are reportedly caused by farming activities by villagers.

Tape village has a population of 568 people in 70 families. It is reported that over 30 ha of land is put under slash-and-burn cultivation.

Source: KPL Lao News Agency

Over US$40 million pledged for UXO clearance

Ten nations have announced US$40 million in assistance to Laos for the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Organisations Director General Saleumxay Kommasith said on Friday that the funding resulted from the First Meeting of States Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, held in Vientiane in November last year.

“Some donor nations announced support for one-year projects while others will support us for two or three years,” he said.

Despite slow recovery from the global economic crisis, donor nations expressed commitment to help Laos remove UXO to expand arable farmland.

Laos is the world’s most UXO contaminated country per capita, with 25 percent of villages affected. The government wants between US$40 and US$50 million per year to speed clearance.

The Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions obligates nations to ban the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

States party to the con-vention also agree to clear their territory of cluster bombs within a 10-year period, giving hope to Lao people that they will one day live without fear of bombs.

But experts commented that Laos may not achieve the goal of clearing UXO within that timeframe as bombs are scattered over an area of 87,000 sq km in 14 provinces. Some believe it may take more than 100 years to clear all UXO from Laos.

In 2008, the value of international aid to UXO removal in Laos was US$19 million. In 2010, the figure reached about US$20 million. These figures are not adequate to meet targets.

The international assistance for UXO removal in 2011 is still being finalised by the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in Laos. However, Mr Saleumxay believes that the assistance will be higher than previous years.

During November’s clu ster munitions meeting, delegates from more than 100 nations visited Xieng Khuang, the most affected province in Laos, to see how progress is hindered by the presence of UXO.

As a result, some nations decided to increase their assistance.

Removal of UXO from high priority land by 2020 is the ninth Millennium Development Goal (MDG 9) in Laos. Other developing nations typically subscribe to eight goals.

MDG 9 is a new priority of the Lao government and development partners, which was adopted at a high level roundtable meeting held in Vientiane last year.

The 10 donor nations have now signed a compact in support of MDG 9. The Lao government will continue to draw attention to the compact and encourage nations to join.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Somsack Pongkhao
February 12, 2011

Lao Delegation Draws CMAC’s Experiences

(KPL) A mine and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) clearance delegation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has been paying a three-day working visit to Cambodia since February 2 to learn and draw experiences from the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC).

The Lao delegation was received yesterday by CMAC Director General Mr. Heng Ratana at CMAC’s headquarters in Phnom Penh. According to a CMAC press release, the visit is aimed to strengthen the cooperation between Cambodia and Laos, to share experiences and skills and to seek cooperation opportunity in mine and UXOs clearance.

In the meeting, Mr. Heng Ratana briefed his guests on the CMAC’s ten-year experiences and the effective strategies in mine and UXOs clearance.

Many countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Columbia as well as many African countries have come to Cambodia to learn and share experiences with CMAC.

Source: KPL Lao News Agency