Three plain of jars sites freed of UXOs

(Vientiane Times, 22 August 2005)

Khonesavanh Latsaphao

Three sites at the plain of jars were cleared of unexploded ordnance in Xieng Khuang province last Wednesday.

Laos worked in collaboration with UNESCO to clear the unexploded ordnance remaining from the Indo-China war in the tourism sites where there is still a high risk of unexploded ordnance.

“This will provide local villagers an opportunity to earn income with increasing tourism in the province,” said Xieng Khuang Vice Governor Mr Heuangvilay Sorsamphanxay.

The three primary sites cleared at Thong Hai Hin (plain of jars) in Pek district feature over 250 jars over an area of 25 hectares. The Thong Hai Hin Phu Salato area, in Paxay district features 90 jars on two adjacent hillsides separated by a road. The site covers 10 hectares and the Thong Hai Hin Laat Khai area, also in Paxay district, contains 150 jars over an area of 35 hectares.

The Manager of the Mines Advisory Group, Joane Durham, said, “This clearance of UXOs will help the government's objective of having the culturally significant plain of jars placed on the World Heritage list to promote tourism.”

Last year over 15,000 people travelled to visit Xieng Khuang, especially the plains of jars.

Xieng Khuang is one of the least developed provinces of the country. The Government needs to develop economic and social policies designed to alleviate poverty in the province.

UXOs remaining from the Indo-China war pose a hurdle to finding a solution to the issues of poverty and food security for the rural population in the province.

The clearance project was conducted in three phases over seven months.

“We have put signboards to indicate wherever we have cleared UXOs around the plain of jars,” said Joane.

“In the three sites we found 175 UXOs and we destroyed them.”

The Lao PDR is one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world. It suffered from intense ground battles and aerial bombardment during the Indo-China-War.

Over 580,000 bombing missions dropped more than two million tonnes on the country of ordnance during the nine-year period.

The northern province of Xieng Khuang has a diverse ethnic population. Eighty-eight percent of the population are from ethnic groups.

According to the bombing records provided by the US States Department, Xieng Khuang province is one of the most heavily bombed places on earth.

During the war, from 1964 to 1975, Xieng Khuang was of immense strategic value. Hence it became a focal point for some of the most intense bombing in the country.

This bombing activity, and the ensuring ground battles, left a massive amount of life threatening unexploded ordnance on the plain of jars.

It is estimated that up to 30 percent of the more than two million tonnes of explosive ordnance dropped on Lao failed to detonate.

The high number of UXOs has made agriculture difficult. This has forced many people to make a living from the dangerous practice of collecting unexploded metal to sell as scrap.

The accident rate among those earning an income from this practice is the highest in the country. According to a 1997 survey, 45 percent of unexploded ordnance accidents in Xieng Khuang were related to handling or playing with unexploded ordnance.