On 5 September, Obama became the first in office US president to visit the isolated Southeast Asian nation of Laos. I’m proud to say that during his visit he acknowledged how the USA’s governmental policies during the Vietnam War had such a devastating impact on this peaceful nation. For during the 1960s and 1970s the US military dropped more than 2 million tons of ordnance onto its beautiful landscape. The equivalent to 1 bomb every 8 minutes for 9 years. The result left an estimated 80 million unexploded cluster bombs littered around the countryside. When I visited Laos nearly two years ago, I was made aware of this atrocity for the first time. A story I feel the US has tried to keep quiet for more than 40 years. I pleased to hear that Obama has promised additional aid to help in the clean up efforts that Hillary Clinton started several years ago, but there is much to be done. Below you can read more about my 2014 visit to the NGO Cope that is helping with this challenging task and how this act is a constant threat for those who live there:
I’m Proud to Be An American – But Not Today
Laos – 22 October 2014
I never really liked history classes when I was in school. Why did we need to know about events that happened in the past? What was the relevance to me? Bored, I never paid much attention.
As I’ve began travelling the world, I’ve found a new profound love for history. Suddenly I see. To understand where a country is today, you need to understand its past. As I visit places, I also see how it all interconnects. With other countries, with the architecture, with the culture of a nation, with places I’ve been before. I see how the past has impacted a nations today and it’s future. This really hit me hard today as I learned about the history of Laos and about the Secret War I don’t remember from my history lessons or wasn’t ever told. This is what I learned:
Laos PDR is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. From 1964 to 1973, during the Second Indochina War, the US Air Force dropped a plane load of bombs on Laos every eight minutes for nine years. It is estimated that at least 78 million unexploded cluster submunitions (bombies) are in Laos today. Every year 300 people are killed or injured by unexploded ordnances. These bombies, are estimated to cover 30% of their land and are often buried. In a country whose village livelihood depends on farming, you can imagine the impact. Whilst cooking over open fires, ploughing the land, or children playing in the forests, you never know when you might come across a bomb. I can’t imagine living in a country where you had to worry about this daily as you tried to make your living.
We visited an organisation called COPE that is helping destroy the unexploded bombs and to provide livelihoods to those affected. A very sobering moment. Made me feel very ashamed to be an American. And humbled when I asked our guide how did the Lao people feel about Americans because of this. His response, “Its in the past”.
I’m not sure this is something I could forgive a nation. Forgive maybe, but not forget. But that’s the Lao people living in the now. Now we must focus on making things better for the future. What’s done is done.
Mortified at my countries actions, I left a dismal 20,000kip donation. Nothing, but all my travellers budget could afford today. Later I bought a peace bracelet from a shop made from the aluminium of a bomb casing that had been dropped on the Xieng Khouang province during the secret war. Choosing to spend my last money of the day on this purchase instead of having the pizza I really wanted. Partly to support the villagers of Ban Napia who had made it, but more importantly as a reminder for me to never forget. To never forget, how privileged and lucky I am to have the life I do and to never forget those that have sacrificed and and suffered so that I could have that life.
