AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS UXO VICTIMS

Australia has provided AU$600,000 in grant funding to the Cooperative for Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) at the National Rehabilitation Centre, which works with UXO victims and other people with disabilities.

AUSAID Representative Ms Raine Dixon visited the COPE centre on Wednesday to make the donation, which was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Health Dr Bounkong Sihavong.

Director General of the National Rehabilitation Centre Dr Thongchan Thepsomphou thanked the Australian government for its generous support, saying COPE plays a critical role in supporting the many thousands of UXO victims in Laos.

It provides occupational therapy and mobility aids to victims, as well as other support services so that they can regain a degree of independence in their lives.

The money donated under the AUSAID programme will enable the centre to continue providing services to disabled people in Laos for the next three years. Upwards of 8 percent of families in Laos have a family member with some form of disability, whether it be hereditary, caused by disease or accident.

The grant money will go towards improving the clinical rehabilitation skills of staff, meeting essential costs for patients and materials, upgrading facilities and improving access through clinical outreach programmes.

Head of Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy to Lao Ms Raine Dixon said people with disabilities are among the poorest and most vulnerable in developing countries. She said Australia is strongly committed to ensuring people with disabilities are given the assistance and support they need to live normal and happy lives.

Australian-funded victim assistance projects have helped 12,000 vulnerable people in poor and remote communities, and the Australian government has contributed more than US$23 million to the UXO clearance sector in Laos since 1996.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Sisouphan Amphonephong
(Latest Update July 29, 2011)

UXO continues to kill and injure

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) remaining from the war continues to kill and maim Lao people and is one of the biggest hurdles to socio-economic development, National Regulatory Authority (NRA) Director Mr Phoukhieo Chanthasomboun said at a press conference on Friday.
It is now almost one year since the Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force, and Laos ratified the agreement, on August 1 2010.

Mr Phoukhieo Chanthasomboun

Although extensive progress has been made in efforts to remove UXO and educate the population of its dangers, hundreds of people are still killed and many more injured each year.


Furthermore, about one-third of people killed and injured every year by cluster sub-munitions are children, Mr Phoukhieo said.

During the Indochina war from 1964-1973, Laos became the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world.

In a total of 580,000 bombing missions that were conducted – one mission every eight minutes around the clock for almost ten years – over 275 million cluster munitions were dropped on the country, of which about 30 percent (75 million) did not explode.

The UXO was scattered across 14 of Laos’ 17 provinces, covering an area of about 87,000sq km out of the country’s total 236,800sq km.

Between 1964 and 2008, more than 50,000 people were killed or injured by UXO, according to the NRA’s Victim Assistance Unit.

Up until 2009, the number of UXO casualties was about 300 people per year, of which 40 percent were children, but the number dropped to about 117 in 2009 and less than 75 in 2010, Mr Phoukhieo said.
A major reason for the reduction in the number of casualties and deaths can be attributed to initiatives undertaken by the government and international organisations.

In 1995, the Lao government established the Lao National UXO Programme (UXO Lao), to clear bombs in the provinces of Luang Prabang, Huaphan, Xieng Khuang, Khammuan, Savannakhet, Saravan, Xekong, Champassak and Attapeu.

More than 30,000 hectares of land were cleared between 1996 and May 2011 and more than 1.3 million munitions destroyed, including large bombs, cluster sub-munitions, mines and other UXO fragments.

In addition, UXO Lao staff have visited almost 130,344 villages and conducted community awareness pro-grammes on the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

Laos has also become a leader in the international struggle to ban the manufacture, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions.

In November last year, Laos hosted the First Meeting of States Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Thongloun Sisoulith.

The convention not only deals with banning cluster munitions but also recognises the importance of assistance to victims and the clearance of contaminated areas. To date, 109 countries are party to the convention and 59 have ratified the agreement.

Over 1,200 delegates from 122 countries, and 159 international organisations attended the meeting. While in attendance, 40 countries ratified the agreement and 47 became new signatories to the convention.

During the meeting, Laos announced a reduction in the country’s bombs to meet its legal obligations under the convention and to reach its Millennium Development Goals by 2020.

Eradicating the threats posed by UXO is also in line with the government’s National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in Laos, “The Safe Path Forward II” for 2011-2020, the seventh National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2011-15, which includes the concepts of the poverty eradication programme, and the National Standards for UXO Mine Action in Laos.

To commemorate the anniversary of the convention’s entry into force Laos is organising a march from Vientiane’s Patuxay Park to the President’s Palace on Sunday from 6:30 to 7:30 am.
Following the march there will be a football competition and a display of UXO at Chao Anouvong Stadium from 8am to 4pm.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update July 30, 2011)

Laos needs to clear UXOs

 By Malaylack
 (KPL) Over 55,000 Lao people have been fallen to UXOs victims from 1964-2008, said Mr. Phoukhiew Chanthasomboun, Head of Lao UXO Office at a press conference on 29 July.

In order to celebrate the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 1 August, the Lao UXO Clearance Team has prepared many activities such as walk for health at Patusay movement, a football match and UXOs display at the Chao Anouvong stadium on 31 July.

The Cluster Munitions is a convention for prohibiting all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of Cluster Munitions.

Lao government is focusing on clearance of cluster munitions in Laos to make the safe lands for people to farm, said Mr. Phoukhiew.

Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita, after over 270 million cluster munitions were dropped on the country during the war from 1964 to 1973.

He said that more than 80 million items of cluster munitions are scattered in 14 provinces of countrywide out of 87,000 square kilometers or about 1/3 of total area in the country.
The UXOs still contaminates much of Laos, with about 300 people killed or injured last year, of which 40 percent of whom are children, said Mr. Phoukhiew.

Since 1996 to 2011, the UXO has destroyed and removed 1,306,658 items of UXO out of 30,074 hectares, according to the statistic of the Lao UXO, he continues.

Out of total, of which 6,131 bombs, 533,541 bombies, 6,637 mines and 760,349 other cluster bombs have been destroyed.

During Indochina war from 1964 to 1973, the Lao population numbered over 3 million. New imperialist force dropped about 3 million tonnes of bombs on Lao territory, about 30 percent of which failed to detonate.

On average, one tonne of bombs descended on each Lao citizen. These bombs have caused great suffering for decades, especially among innocent farmers and children living in remote areas.

Lao PDR hosted the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions or Oslo Accord �Turn Vision into Action� was held in Laos from 9 to 12 November.

The meeting was attended by more than 1,225 representatives from 122 countries and 159 international organizations and NGOs.

40 countries have ratified the Cluster Munitions Convention and 87 countries signed the Convention.
The meeting has approved four documents of Vientiane Declaration, Vientiane Action Plan, work plan for 2011 and reporting formats to free the world cluster munitions.
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US FUNDING TO IMPROVE REHABILITATION FOR DISABLED

The United States has agreed to provide funding of US$1.4 million to the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) for a three-year project to improve orthotic services for people disabled by unexploded ordnance.

The agreement was signed at a ceremony early this week at the centre by US Ambassador to Laos Ms Karen Stewart and Chairman of the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise and Director General of NRC Dr Thongchan Thepsomphou.

The funding will support the development of the Lao Rehabilitation Programme, through the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE).

The funding comes from the USAID Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund. Combined with more than US$427,000 in contributions from the NRC and COPE, the project will commit nearly US$1.85 million to three major intervention areas – identification of appropriate orthotic components, improving current orthotic training and training materials, and building the capacity of an orthopaedic workshop to increase production.

Dr Thongchan thanked the US government and people for assisting Lao people with disabilities to improve their quality of life.

He said the Lao government has cooperated with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) since 1990.

The latest funding contribution will serve to assist people disabled by unexploded ordnance to receive improved services and enhance their living conditions, he added.

Ms Stewart said that the US government and people stand ready to assist Lao people disabled by unexploded ordnance remaining from the Indochina war

The US government is pleased to work with the NRC in collaboration with COPE to help people with disabilities nationwide lead a better life, she added

COPE is a local organisation founded in 1997 that works with the Lao government to develop capacity in the provision of rehabilitation services for disabled citizens.

Under the project, over a period of 36 months, health clinicians based at national and provincial rehabilitation centres will work with orthotic mentors from COPE to develop best practices for the design and prescription of orthotic components, write treatment protocols for best practice approaches to patient services with better data from improved patient feedback and statistical references.

The Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund works with USAID to respond to the needs of civilian victims of conflict in war-affected areas, especially those who have sustained mobility-related injuries from unexploded ordnance, antipersonnel landmines and other direct and indirect causes of disability.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Sisouphan Amphonephong
(Latest Update July 28, 2011)

EU, MAG give 600,000 to Laos to manage UXO projects

 By Soulaphone Kanyaphim 

 (KPL) The European Union and Mines Advisory Group (MAG) have given 6.81 billion ki p (EUR 600,000) to the Lao government to finance the management of UXO projects in three districts, Boualapha, Mahasay and Xaybouathong in Khammouane province.
The MOU on the assistance was signed in Vientiane Capital on July 8 between Director of the National Regulation Authorities (NRA) for UXO/ Mine Action Sectors in Loas, Mr. Phoukhiew Chanthasomboun and MAG Country Programme Manager, Mr. David Hayter in the witness of EU Charge dAfaires to Laos, Mr. Henry Prankerd, representatives from relevant ministries, authorities and relevant sectors.

Three districts will receive 600,000 Euro in a period of two years. An amount of EUR 100,000 will be as contribution from the United States of America.

EU follows through on UXO grant promise

The European Union (EU) has begun disbursing grants to the unexploded ordnance (UXO) sector in Laos, as outlined in the First Meeting of State Parties on the Cluster Munitions Convention held in Vientiane last November.

In response to the Lao government’s commitment to meet its obligations under the convention, the EU recently launched a project formulation mission to define EU support to the UXO sector from 2011-2015.
As stated at the November meeting, 4 million euros have been earmarked.

The first funding disbursement took place in Vientiane on Friday, marking the start of a new project to help local authorities manage UXO projects in the districts of Bualapha, Mahaxay and Xatbuathong in Khammuan province.

The three districts will receive 600,000 euros over two years. As this is a co-funded project, the United States of America has contributed about 100,000 euros.

“Next year we expect to launch two programmes, one specific to the UXO sector and the other open to any development sector related to poverty reduction,” EU Charge d’Affaires to Laos Mr Henry Prankerd said.

The funding will be channelled partly through a call for proposals for actions proposed by NGOs and partly through the Trust Fund mechanism of the United Nations Development Programme.

Director of the National Regulation Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sectors in Laos, Mr Phoukhiew Chanthasomboun, said the Lao government includes UXO clearance as one of its national development priority projects.

UXO not only poses a great risk to people’s lives and causes injuries and property damage, but also hinders their daily activities and slows development, he said.

The government is committed to doing all it can to rid Laos of UXO and free up more land for agriculture and other farming activities.

It is hoped that people can live without fear of UXO, live life normally and achieve their full potential, thus contributing to the government’s commitment as stated in the Oslo Treaty, Mr Phoukhiew added.

T o achieve and realise national goals and commitments, accurate information and updated data are necessary to help local authorities to improve their development planning process and prioritise UXO clearance in line wit h national development and poverty reduction plans.

“I strongly believe that the projects to be implemented in these three districts of Khammuan will be a step forward in improving future UXO clearance planning,” Mr Phoukhiew said.

“ I believe the results of this project will be of great benefit for UXO actors and development agencies. The lessons learned in this particular project will be shared with everyone involved in other prov inces as well as the donors.”

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) will partner closely with Lao agencies and international organisations to maximise the impact and elicit the best value for money from this grant, MAG Country Programme Manager Mr David Hayter said.

“As you can see, this is a substantial investment by the EU through MAG to local authorities. It recognises not only that bombs need to be cleared from Lao soil, but also that the Lao authorities are central to ensuring the quality and efficiency of the process, and this project is a major contribution to achieving these aims,” he added.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update July 11, 2011)

Former Ambassadors to Laos Call on Secretary Clinton to visit country and Increase Funding for Unexploded Bomb Removal in Laos

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, 2011 – Six former United States ambassadors or chiefs of mission to Laos have written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her to visit Laos during her upcoming Southeast Asian trip and to commit to substantially increasing U.S. funding for the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind during the Vietnam War.

“During the war,” the ambassadors wrote, “over 2 million tons of U.S. munitions were dropped on Laos, more than was dropped on Germany and Japan combined in the Second World War. On a per capita basis, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in history. Up to 30 percent of these bombs failed to detonate, and UXO in Laos continues to impede development and cause hundreds of casualties each year.”

All six former ambassadors endorsed Legacies of War’s recommendation for the United States to increase its funding to the UXO sector in Laos to $10 million per year for the next 10 years. This would add to the contributions of other international donors to help clear priority land for farming and development and keep civilians safe from the threat of UXO.

The ambassadors noted the significant progress that has been made in clearing UXO in Laos. Over 1 million UXO have already been destroyed and 23,000 hectares have cleared for agriculture. The ambassadors also emphasized, however, that “there is still so much more to do.”

Brett Dakin, Chair of the Board of Directors of Legacies of War, said he hoped the letter will lead to a concrete increase in U.S. funding. “When six highly respected ambassadors call on the U.S. to do more to support UXO clearance in Laos, this means something has got to be done. I do hope that their judgment and years of experience in representing the United States abroad will be taken into account in determining future U.S. funding for UXO removal.”

The letter was signed by the following former United States ambassadors or chiefs of mission to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Theresa A. Tull, Harriet Isom, Wendy J. Chamberlin, Charles B. Salmon Jr., Victor L. Tomseth, and Douglas A. Hartwick. Collectively, they served in Laos from 1983 to 2004.

UXO casualties down but challenges remain

Vongphone lost his hand to a cluster bombPhoto: Toby Fricker/IRIN

VIENTIANE, 6 July 2011 (IRIN) - The number of people involved in unexploded ordnance (UXO) accidents in Laos, the world's most cluster-bombed country, has dropped from an average of 300 a year to 117 in the past two years, according to government statistics. 




However, the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action (NRA) estimates more than 200,000 hectares of prime agricultural land still have to be cleared. 

From 1964 to 1973, US aircraft dropped more than two million tonnes of ordnance on Laos, including 277 million cluster sub-munitions, 30 percent of which failed to detonate, according to the NRA. 

The situation today is that all 17 provinces of the country and approximately 25 percent of villages suffer from various degrees of UXO contamination, the NRA reports. 

Yet despite the drop in casualties, 49-year-old farmer Vongphone still feels nervous every time he steps into his rice fields, his only source of livelihood. He lost his left hand five years ago when he set off a cluster bomb while farming. 

"There is still a lot of UXO contamination on the farmland and people are afraid. It's hard for me to work with only one hand. I can't even support myself and the family is poorer," he told IRIN. 

The government's new 10-year plan was presented at the Geneva inter-sessional meeting for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which bans the use, stockpiling and production of cluster munitions, on 27 June. 

It focused on clearing land in the 42 poorest districts affected - mostly along the old Ho Chi Minh trail running from the north to the south along the Vietnamese border. 

The government has prioritized about 22,000 hectares to be cleared in the next 16 years. 

"We need to give people more access to land and improve public utilities and infrastructure such as rural roads. The communication between villages and districts is missing," said Maligna Saignavongs, a senior government adviser to the NRA. 

UXO Lao, the national clearance operator, supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has cleared about 24,000ha since starting operations in 1996. 

In Xieng Khouang Province, northern Lao, 31-year-old Khamtoun and her team are clearing land for a new village development project. In just two weeks, 108 unexploded cluster bombs have already been found. 

Photo: Courtesy of UNDP Laos

UXO clearance outside a school

"I want to clear all the land so people will be safe from the bombs and then people can earn their livelihoods safely," Khamtoun told IRIN. 

Meanwhile, the long-term impact on communities is severe. 

Vongphone and his wife Bounmee had to take three of their children out of school after his accident. "We didn't have enough money to support them. Even the roof of our house was broken and I had to ask for support from the neighbour to help fix it," said Bounmee. 

The 2008 CCM entered into force in August 2010. The government of Laos hosted the First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010, which resulted in the adoption of the Vientiane Declaration and Action Plan. 

Under Article 6 of the Convention, all states in a position to do so are obliged to provide assistance to those affected. This is critical for Laos if it is to scale up its work in the UXO sector. 

Saleumxay Kommasith from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told IRIN he hoped the Vientiane Action Plan would ultimately result in more international funding. 

In 2010, the UN said about US$30 million a year was required for the UXO sector. 

In the treaty's inaugural year, cluster munitions have been used by non-signatory states, including Thailand and Libya, according to Human Rights Watch.

Laos presents 10 year plan for UXO clearance

Laos has unveiled its 10 year plan to implement the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions to development partners as part of efforts to mobilise funding to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Assistant Minister of Fore ign Affairs Mr Alounkeo Kittikhoun and Lao delegates presented the plan at the mid-term meeting of States Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions held from June 27 to 30 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The meeting discussed the progression of state parties in implementing the convention since their first meeting in November 2010 in Vientiane and will prepare a report to be adopted at the second meeting of States Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which will be held in Lebanon in September.

The meeting is also discussing coordinating mechanisms to monitor and encourage more effective implementation of the convention.

About 400 delegates from 70 member countries, observer nations, international organisations and NGOs are attending the meeting.

Mr Alounkeo is representing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Thongloun Sisoulith at the meeting.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update June 30, 2011)