During the Vietnam war, neighbouring Laos became the most heavily bombed country in the history of warfare. 2.3 million tonnes of ordnance were dropped at a rate of one plane load every eight minutes, around the clock, for nine years. It cost the American taxpayer $2 million every day, but the cost to the Lao public is still being calculated.
30 years since the ‘Secret War’ ended, large swathes of Laos remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO), making land beyond safe use for farmers. Schools frequently turn up unexploded bomblets beneath the mud floors of classrooms. Since the war finished, an estimated 11,000 people have been maimed or killed by UXO with a high percentage of accidents attributable to curious children.
In spite of widespread controversy over their use in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, the weapon responsible for over 50% of today’s casualties in Laos is still in use by the US and UK forces. They are cluster bombs, capable of scattering hundreds of small munitions over large areas to create a deadly killing field. But between 5% to 30% fail to explode, creating de facto mine fields that haunt civilian populations long after hostilities have ceased. In Laos, where the munitions were undergoing development, failure rates are estimated at the higher end of this scale.
Cluster Bombs, Laos