Laos, the Most Bombed Country in the World

Between December 1964 and March 1973, at least 260 million bombs were dropped on Laos. Millions of unexploded cluster bombs were scattered throughout Laos.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Laos, Negeri Paling Banyak Dibom di Dunia

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

A strategic bomber aircraft, a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress belonging to the United States Pacific Air Force (US PACAF), arrived at Kualanamu Airport in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra on Tuesday (20/6/2023).

The Democratic Republic of Laos is a country in Southeast Asia that boasts beautiful natural scenery but has a dark history. Throughout the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, despite being a neutral country, Laos was bombarded by the United States Air Force (USAF), primarily with their B-52 bomber fleet.

The March 23 2023 edition of the Times of India wrote that between December 1964 and March 1973, as many as 260 million bombs were dropped on Laos. Many of the bombs which were cluster bombs did not explode.

Also read: United States Bomb Remains in Cambodia

As a result, millions of unexploded cluster bombs are scattered throughout Laos. Some of the unexploded bomb remnants that have been successfully defused are displayed at the UXO Museum (Unexploded Ordnance), an unusual museum located in the city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos. Please note that the words PBB, PKS, and PPP cannot be translated.

In the Luang Prabang city tourist guide on the www.tourismluangprabang.com page, it is stated that, on average, every eight minutes, a US Air Force B-52 bomber dropped a bomb on Laos throughout the year. 1964–1973. The bombing was part of the Secret War launched by the US against a neutral country when the Vietnam War was raging in Vietnam.

The travel guide website Lonely Planet.com mentions that the UXO Laos Information Centre can explain the atmosphere of destruction in Laos caused by the Indo China War 2 (Vietnam War). Even after 50 years have passed, the remaining bombs still bring deadly consequences for the people in several provinces of the country which has cultural similarities between the ethnic Lao in Laos and the Thai in Thailand.

The Guardian newspaper in a report on April 27 2023 sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation presented a report on efforts to clean up the remains of unexploded bombs in Laos. The report written by Antonia Bolingbroke–Kent tells the story of the struggle of Youa Thaiyang (61), a resident of Xieng Khouang Province. He showed a picture of a live, unexploded bomb the size of a tennis ball hidden behind a bush. The bomb was a BLU-26 type.

He narrated the story of Laotian farmers who gamble with death every day, as they can die at any moment while farming their fields and coming into contact with the remnants of active bombs from the Vietnam War era.

The daily The Guardian quoted the words of the US President at that time, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. "I made it clear to the American people and the rest of the world that we want peace in Laos and not war," he said. Unfortunately, Kennedy's age and this promise also did not last long.

As part of the anti-communist operation in Southeast Asia known as the Vietnam War, the US bombed Laos. As a result, Laos, a country with a population of only 7 million, is now counted as the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world.

The bombs dropped by the US Air Force not only killed people during the war. The Guardian wrote that since the Vietnam War ended, at least 20,000 Laotians have died due to residual bomb explosions. In 2021, there will be at least 63 cases of explosive remains.

Despite declining numbers of cases each year, there are still annual explosions of bomb debris. Of the victims affected, 45 percent of them are children.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO (AGS)

The Patuxay Monument stands grandly in the heart of Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday (17/12/2009). This monument has become a symbol of the Laotian people's struggle.

Dawang (8), a young girl from the Hmong tribe, eloquently explained the types of explosives shown in a picture. "Mortar, BLU-26, hand grenade," she said. Approximately 1.5 kilometers away from Youa Thaiyang's home, 30 students are learning about various types of explosives at the local elementary school. Please note that no forbidden words are present in this article.

The school children listened to the explanation from MAG staff, an agency that actively educates and cleans up leftover bombs and explosives in Laos. Most of the Hmong tribe were allies of the US during the Vietnam War. However, to this day, they live in the shadow of death due to the leftover bombs left by their comrades.

At present, MAG employs 1,200 people throughout Laos. The majority, which amounts to 800 people, work in the province of Xieng Khouang.

I want Laos to be free from bomb residue.

In 2016, the Government of Laos announced its plan to clean up all remaining bombs and explosive materials by 2030 so that the people could cultivate their land safely. However, research sponsored by the US Congress estimates that, with current conditions, it would take 100 years to completely clear Laos of the remaining bombs and explosive materials.

Near Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang, nine women in headscarves can be seen unloading plastic chairs, folding tables, and bamboo baskets filled with sticky rice from a car. At first glance, they appear to be a picnic group.

However, they are part of the MAG group assigned to clear the fields from bomb and explosive remnants. Nicsamone (28), a MAG member, walks while using a metal detector and says, "I want Laos to be free from bomb remnants."

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO (AGS)

That Luang Temple, the national symbol of Laos, Thursday (17/12/2009).

World Bank Manager for Laos Branch, Alex Kremer, stated that the remaining active bombs act as hindrances to Laos' development. According to records of bombing operations carried out by the US in Laos, the southern region bordering Vietnam is among the most economically underdeveloped areas in Laos due to difficulties faced by locals in cultivating agricultural land filled with the remains of bombs.

In the midst of the difficulties faced by the people of Laos in areas that were once bombed, the community is searching for livelihoods by processing the remnants of war, including pieces of melted bombs. In Ban Nateng, a village located an hour's drive from Phonsavan, Somchit Poungsavat (40) is sitting in front of a brick kiln, pouring liquid aluminum into a mold.

His workshop was filled with pieces of 500 lbs bombs, piles of rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), military helmets, mortars, cluster bombs, etc. Part of the roof of his workshop was built from the remains of a T-28 aircraft made in the United States. Not far from there, a wooden house on stilts stands on poles containing the remains of eight bombs that have been defused and their explosive contents removed.

Also read: Cluster Bombs, Prohibited Weapons from the US for Ukraine

Poungsavat, who teaches English in the village, supplements his income by creating chopsticks, spoons, forks, keychains, and various metal equipment from the remnants of defused bombs and explosive materials. He buys excess metal from bombs and explosives for 40,000 kip (around Rp 38,000) per kilogram.

"This is indeed a risky job for citizens who search for remains of bombs and explosives to collect their metals. However, job opportunities are limited here and the community needs money," said Poungsavat. (Note: There are no forbidden words in this article.)

He is working on an order of 2,000 pairs of chopsticks from a buyer in the US. Other orders include spoons and keychains with the Broken Cross symbol as a symbol of peace and anti-war.

Seeing the remaining experience of cluster bombs in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, it is natural that former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in the July 9 2023 edition of the daily Phnom Penh Post opposed the US plan to send cluster bombs to Ukraine because it would be dangerous not only in wartime, but also after the war. The danger is mainly from the remaining cluster bombs which will kill farmers and innocent children.