In Laos, unexplored ordnance continues to maim and kill Lao people. The incident I spoke of in Muang Ngoi, where a local villager was critically injured by a US bomblet, was not an isolated case. This maniacal legacy of an illegal, undeclared, and supposedly secret war, still threatens the Lao people. It is a daily, and deadly, risk of everyday rural life here.
Thousands and thousands of Lao men, women, and children have been killed or horribly maimed by cluster bombs. These senseless casualties are, of course, in addition to the thousands of Lao who were killed or wounded during the actual bombing campaigns, throughout the course of the Indochina War.
So, I urge you to get involved. If you are a US citizen, write your Senators and urge them to push for US participation in the United Nations land mine treaty efforts. Regardless of your citizenship, contact COPE in Vientiane. This great organization employs victims of cluster bombs to manufacture prosthetic limbs for other victims of unexplored ordnance. COPE uses local workers and local materials to keep costs low. They are good people dealing with a daunting task. They could use your support.
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