Stories from UXO-affected communities
Over two million tons of cluster bombs were dropped on Laos during the second Indochina War (1964-1973), making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. An estimated 30 percent of the sub-munitions dropped failed to detonate on impact. Five decades after the war, this unexploded ordnance (UXO) continues to kill, injure and hamper development in some of the poorest regions of the country. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) works to find and clear UXO and return safe land to rural communities. I interviewed a number of villagers and NPA staff to learn about their experiences.
Ms. Keo
“The planes dropped many bombs in this area,” recalls Ms. Keo (89) as she recounts memories from the war. Just like many other families in southern Laos, Ms. Keo and her husband and children were living in an improvised underground bunker, hoping to shield themselves from the impact of the bombs. Although she personally escaped harm, her mother and sister suffered injuries from bomb fragments. Fortunately, they received timely medical treatment at a local clinic. Ms. Keo recalls always being on high alert during those years: “We had no time to be sad or scared, we constantly had to watch out for planes or soldiers coming and be ready to escape.”
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Half a century later, Ms. Keo and her family lead a modest but happy life in a wooden house surrounded by shade trees, chickens and a handful of goats. She is relieved that the UXO that had lingered on her land since the war are finally being cleared. Due to her deteriorating eyesight, she cannot witness the NPA clearance team in action, but they diligently keep her informed about their progress and assist her when she needs to evacuate for controlled demolitions.
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"I am very proud of the NPA team and appreciate the work you are doing here. I just want to say thank you very much for conducting this operation, it makes life safer for everyone."
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Mr. Dan
83-year-old rice farmer Mr. Dan lives with his wife and 6-year-old niece. Their home is situated in the middle of a rice field that has been in Mr. Dan’s family for generations. During the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s, Mr. Dan spent most of his time in the forests, fighting as part of the Lao People's Liberation Army. When the war ended, he returned to his land only to find it riddled with unexploded cluster submunitions dropped by American war planes.
Mr. Dan explains that he frequently encountered these bomblets while working in his field. With animated gestures, he demonstrates how he would delicately pick them up and carry them to the edge of his field, taking utmost care to keep his hands as steady as possible. Cautiously, he would place all items onto a pile, cover them with wood, and set them on fire in an attempt to destroy them. Mr. Dan estimates that he found and destroyed over 200 UXO items in the first few years following the war, and he continued to discover new ones almost every year since. “In the past, there was no organization around here specializing in UXO clearance. Although I felt nervous, I had no choice but to destroy the items myself,” Mr. Dan explains. The safety of his children, who worked alongside him in the fields, was always a cause for concern. Fortunately, no one in his family ever got injured by these encounters.
In recent weeks, NPA cleared the last remaining UXO from Mr. Dan’s field, just in time for the planting season. Vibrant green rice plants emerge from the soil that is finally safe to use again, not only for Mr. Dan, but also for the generations to come:
“Thank you for clearing my land. I might not have many years left, but I still have young nephews and nieces. [...] I am very happy that they won’t be at risk of explosions when using the land in the future.”
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Ms. Vongvilay
Ms. Vongvilay, a 39-year-old manager at the local primary school, shares her home with her husband and two sons, Dodo (6) and Kham (4). The family possesses a small plot of land where they cultivate vegetables and bananas. After learning about the high level of UXO contamination in their area, Ms. Vongvilay became very concerned about the safety of her children. “Whenever my children are out of my sight and I can’t see what they are doing, I worry that they might come into contact with a UXO,” she said. Despite their fears, the family could not stop farming their land, as they relied on it for their food security. They did become more cautious, taking extra care when digging and plowing.
NPA recently began clearance operations on the family’s land. Ms. Vongvilay appreciates the regular updates about UXO items found and is grateful for the team’s hard work and dedication. She knows that in just a matter of days, the entire community will be free from the threat of UXO explosions, bringing her a sense of relief and peace of mind.
“We are beyond happy that NPA is assisting us with this meaningful activity. We would not have the capability to clear the land ourselves.”
Ms. Chen
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“I was just 5 years old when the accident happened. The weather was very cold, so my 7-year-old brother, 10-year-old sister and I decided to make a fire to keep ourselves warm. Our parents were not with us at the time. As we gathered around the fire there was a sudden explosion. Then everything became a blur. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, I just saw blood pouring out of me. Hearing the explosion, our parents and cousins rushed to our aid. They discovered that my sister, Pan, had sustained severe injuries. The blast had caused a big wound in her stomach and her intestines were coming out. I had a bomb fragment in my hand, causing profuse bleeding. Fortunately, my brother was unharmed. We didn’t have a car, so my parents and cousins used towels to carry me and my sister to the nearest hospital, 2 kilometers away. Thanks to medical intervention, my sister eventually recovered and now leads a fulfilling life as a teacher. My hand healed well after a small operation to remove the fragment.”
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Ms. Chen, now 35 years old, later understood that the heat of the fire had caused a UXO buried in the ground to detonate. Driven by her personal experience, Ms. Chen became determined to expand her knowledge and skills to tackle the issue of UXO contamination in her community and beyond. In 2009, she joined NPA as a deminer, and steadily progressed within the organization. Currently serving as a team leader, she is responsible for ensuring the effective and safe execution of clearance operations in the field.
- Written for Norwegian People's Aid