Laos, a small Southeast Asian country, holds the unfortunate title of being the most heavily bombed country, per capita, on the planet. During the Vietnam War, the United States conducted a secret bombing campaign against Laos, dropping over 2 million tons of bombs over a span of 9 years. To this day, unexploded bombs continue to plague the country, posing a significant threat to the lives of its people.
Australian bomb disposal specialist Laith Stevens has made it his mission to train a new generation of “big bomb” experts to deal with the dangers left behind by the US “Secret War”. Stevens’ team has been responsible for finding and detonating countless bombs and other explosives, often in treacherous and remote areas of the country.
During the Vietnam War, Laos was a neighboring country that was also affected by the conflict. The U.S. government secretly dropped more than two million tons of bombs on Laos between 1964 and 1973 in an attempt to disrupt the supply lines of the communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese forces. This bombing campaign, known as the “Secret War,” left Laos the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in history.
The scale of the problem is immense. Over 580,000 bombing missions were conducted over Laos during the Vietnam War, which means that nearly one bombing mission was carried out every eight minutes for nine years. As a result, over 20,000 people have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance in Laos since the end of the war, with a third of the victims being children.
According to estimates, around 30% of the bombs dropped on Laos failed to detonate, leaving unexploded ordnance (UXO) littered across the country, particularly in the eastern and northeastern regions. These UXOs pose a constant threat to the population, as they can be accidentally triggered by farmers, children, and even animals.
As a result, Laos has experienced more than 20,000 casualties from UXO explosions since the end of the Vietnam War, with more than 40% of those being children. The clearance efforts have been slow and dangerous, as clearance teams must manually locate and defuse each explosive device.
The Australian bomb disposal specialist, Laith Stevens, is one of the many experts who have traveled to Laos to help train new bomb disposal teams. Stevens, who has been working in Laos for over a decade, has helped train dozens of young people in the safe disposal of UXOs. His work has been vital in ensuring that the country can slowly and steadily clear the remnants of the Secret War.
Despite these efforts, children in Laos continue to be at risk. Many of them collect scrap metal from the bomb sites, hoping to sell it for a few cents. Unfortunately, they often mistake live explosives for scrap, leading to accidents and deaths.
Even as Stevens and his team work to clear the dangerous remnants of war, local children are still risking their lives by searching for scrap metal from bombs and other explosives. This scavenging is an all too common sight in many parts of Laos, where families are often forced to rely on selling scrap metal from bombs as a source of income.
For these children, the risk of injury or death is high. The explosives they are searching for can be highly unstable, and even a small bump or impact can trigger an explosion. Despite the risks, many of these children feel that they have no other option. With poverty being widespread in Laos, families are often forced to choose between sending their children to school or sending them to work in dangerous jobs such as bomb scavenging.
The situation in Laos serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting consequences of war. Even long after the guns have fallen silent, the people of Laos are still living with the threat of death and injury from bombs left behind by a conflict that ended over four decades ago. But amidst the devastation, there are also stories of courage and determination.
The work of Laith Stevens and his team is a testament to the bravery of those who are willing to face danger to make their community safer. They are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, using the latest technology and techniques to locate and neutralize bombs that have been hidden for decades.
Their work is not just about clearing up the mess of the past. It is also about building a better future for the people of Laos. By removing the threat of unexploded bombs, they are creating safer communities where children can go to school and parents can go to work without fear of harm.
But more needs to be done. Despite the efforts of Stevens and his team, there are still many unexploded bombs scattered across the country. The scale of the problem is immense, and the cost of clearing it up is high. Governments and aid agencies need to step up and provide the resources necessary to make Laos safe again.
Ultimately, the tragedy of Laos serves as a powerful reminder of the devastating impact of war on innocent civilians. The legacy of the Vietnam War lives on in the unexploded bombs that continue to threaten the lives of the people of Laos. It is up to all of us to do our part in helping to clear up the mess of the past, and to create a better future for the people of this beautiful country.
The story of the bomb graveyard in Laos is a tragic reminder of the devastating effects of war, and the long-lasting impact it can have on civilian populations. The efforts of Stevens and his team, along with other bomb disposal experts, are a testament to the incredible bravery of those trying to clean up the mess and make Laos safe for its people.
