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Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Laos

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Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Laos Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 5 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 32 April 2001 Laos Country Profile Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU (CISR) Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Profile, Country (2001) "Laos," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 5 : Iss. 1 , Article 32. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol5/iss1/32 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Profile: Laos s s DEMINING In 1996, the government established a national office, the UXO Lao, to coordi­ nate UXO clearance and awareness and LAOS implement a national UXO strategy and MYANMAR demining projects. UXO Lao is one of the nation's largest employers, with Lao People's Democratic Republic over 1,000 employees. There are several Burma Karen State, from 1998, report that it programs involved in mine/ UXO clear­ produces nearly one civilian land mine ance in Laos. MAG, HI, NPA, World Vision amputee per day. Reports also state HISTORY Australia, Gerbera and MiiSearch all HISTORY that 30 percent of landmine victims die support demining efforts in Laos. In prior to any medical care. The first united kingdom of Laos, Lan 1999,622 hectares of land were cleared, From 1942-1945, when British rule was Xang, was established in June 1354, and 90,000 mines were destroyed. In restored, the Japanese occupied when Fa Ngum was crowned king. The mines present in Laos, the primary addition, 178,846 people were pro­ Myanmar, also known as Burma. In DEMINING kingdom covered much of modern threat to civilians is UXO. Bombing dur­ vided with UXO awareness information. 1948, the British granted Myanmar in­ Thailand. In 1690, Lan Xang fell to a se­ ing the Indochina War, especially from More than 951 ,000 people benefited dependence, allowing the country to There are no humanitarian demining ries of invasions and was split into three 1964-1973, resulted in the release of from the operations. UXO Lao had set establish a policy of neutrality and iso­ operations in Myanmar, though some kingdoms. It was not reunited again tons of cluster bomb units that did not target goals for 2000 to clear 1,005 lation in international affairs.This policy of the ethnic groups have cleared until 1899, when France joined upper explode on impact as planned.There is hectares of land in 857 villages, destroy­ was strained by Chinese pressure in the known to be mine users. Two stockpiles, mines. The Myanmar Red Cross is con­ and lower Laos as part of French an unknown number of UXO in Laos, ing approximately 100,000 UXO. They northeast. A 1960 boundary treaty be­ numbering in the thousands, are in the sidering developing a land mine aware­ Indochina. Laos gained official inde­ estimated by various sources to be be­ also have plans to visit more than 759 tween the two countries has eased ten­ hands of ethnic militias. Of Myanmar's ness program. pendence from France in 1949, but the tween 500,000 and several million. villages with mine awareness programs sions. A U. N. elected prime minister 14 states and divisions, 10 are mine­ growth of communist and anti-com­ Handicap International (HI) reported in for over 190,000 people. ruled from 1960 to 1962, until Ne Win infested, with concentrations in eastern REALITY CHECK munist factions prevented the forma­ 1997 that over 3,800 villages, with a staged a coup. Win disbanded the par­ Myanmar, Karen, Karenni states and the tion of any unified government until population of 1.3 million, have been REALITY CHECK liament, abandoned the constitution Tenasserim Division, yet no reliable es­ In attempts to overthrow the SPDC, 1975. affected by UXO and mines. The se rious and began nationalizing industry. In timate of the number of mines con­ armed ethnic parties have waged vio­ land mine problem ca uses not only the A press release from the Lao Human 1974, Myanmar became a one-party so­ taminating the country exists. It is be­ lent struggles. With no end in sight, the A protracted civil war broke out in risk of causality, but it also affects Laos 1960 Rights Council Inc. details reports in cialist republic. Win stepped down in lieved that the SPDC actively maintains consequences of these conflicts are between the Pathet Lao, a communist by adding time, expense and hazard to Laos that the Russian and Vietnamese 1981, bu remained chairmarrohhe mine fields along the border with mounting.Tatmadaw units, active near faction headed by the North Vietnam­ new economic development. Land de­ governments have been supplying the Burma Socialis rqgram arty (BSPP). Bangladesh, replacing exploded mines Myanmar's border with Thailand, have ese, and government forces backed by nial and barriers to development are Lao Communist government with"bio­ with new ones as necessary. been charged with making local civil­ the Thai and South Vietnamese. In pressing issues. The UXO problem has 1973, logical and chemical weapons." The ians walk through suspected mine a ceasefire was reached, and a new coa­ profound effects on food production, weapons have been used to kill Hmong CASUALTIES fields to trigger the bombs. This grue­ lition government was formed. The infrastructure development, water and and Loatians in Laos since the end of some tactic, known as "human mine Pathet Lao gained control in 1975, af­ sanitation, school and hospital addi­ the Vietnam War. Reports indicate that Estimates of landmine casualties in sweeping," is not limited to the ter a series of communist victories in tions, and other important economic the Lao Communist government has 1999 place the number at 1,500. In Tatmadaw militia. Reports in late 1999 Vietnam and Cambodia. The Pathet Lao development. used biological and chemical weapons 1994, the U.S. Department of State es­ and early 2000 indicate that human established the first Lao People's to kill more than 50,000 people in Laos timated that landmines produced mine sweeping is occurring in Karen Democratic Republic. CASUALTIES since 1975. 1,500 victims per year, which suggests State during military assaults on Shan that the number of landmine victims State army locations and during opera­ lANDMINEs/UXO OVERVIEW A survey done by HI in early 2000 stated per year has remained at a high level tions against army bases in the CONTACT I NFORMATION that from 1973-1996, there were 1,171 for the past five years. Statistics from Tenasserim Division. Laos is not known to produce or export casualties from landmine accidents and National Programme Director AP mines. It is thought that Laos does 9,473 victims of UXO accidents. During UXO LAO CONTACT INFORMATION maintain a stockpile of mines, but the the first four years after the war, an av­ P.O. Box 345 The Union of Myanmar amount is unknown. There is no evi­ erage of three accidents occurred per Vientiane, LAO PDR 2300 S Street NW dence of recent use of AP mines by Lao­ day. The number has now dropped to Tel: (856-21) 414896/415767 Washington, D.C. 20008 tian military. Although there are AP an average of 240 accidents per year. Fax: (856-21) 415766 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 202-332-9044 Published by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2001 • 134 . 1 • 135 • .
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