Dear MEL
Topic Readers,
Laos US: Obama regrets 'biggest bombing in
history'
Laos, officially the Lao People's
Democratic Republic, sits in the heart of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered
by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. It is a small country with
a population just under seven million. Most people work in farms to produce
rice mainly for themselves.
So why this tiny country is visited by the
president of the U.S.?
During the Vietnam war between 1964 and
1973, Laos was dropped 260 million bombs by the U.S., more than the total
amount of bomb used during the World War II. If all the bombs detonated as designed,
only the horrific and painful memory remains. However, as much as 30% of the
cluster munitions did not. They are called Unexploded Ordnance, or UXO. Now,
over half of the provinces of Laos are labeled as contaminated by UXO, meaning
anyone, anywhere and at any time, they could detonate. And most likely victims
are innocent children or farmers. Those bombs are indiscriminate, just like the
US policy and constitution.
Enjoy reading and thinking of any actions
could be taken to remove the danger from Laos.
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