US bombing in Vietnam War killing Laotian people to date
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Around 270 million US bombs dropped in Laos during the Vietnam War are still killing people today.
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US bombing during Vietnam War leaves a deadly legacy to the Laotian people.
Countless unexploded bombs shelled on Laos by the US during the Vietnam War are still killing people decades later.
In total, the US military dropped approximately 270 million bombs in Laos during what became known as the US "secret war", a mission led by the CIA during the Vietnam War.
Sonjak Bualapha, who lives in Xiangkhouang Province, survived the US bombing. He was only a young man when the war began. He became blind and lost his arms as a result of his inability to escape the bombing.
"The bomb already fell before we could even make it to the bunker. My father died, and both my brother and I were injured. I was disabled as I lost my hands and my eyes were blind," he said.
The United States left a large number of unexploded ordnance (UXO) during that time period. Some of them have been preserved in a UXO Garden in Xiangkhouang Province, which has become powerful evidence of the US army's atrocities in Laos.
The constant bombing by the United States deeply traumatized and disrupted the lives of those who lived through that difficult time.
"During the period of time when US imperialism bombed Laos' Xiangkhouang Province, people could only dig bunkers among mountains and forests or hide inside caves to avoid bombing," said Khanthong Vongamkha, political commissar of a troop under Xiangkhouang Province's military command.
For the time being, the Lao government has been clearing UXO for over 20 years; however, there are still countless US bombs scattered between mountains, which has been a nightmare for the Laotian people.
"The great number of UXO in Laos has posed a great threat to the agricultural production, especially to farmers. When they plant crops like rice, cassava, and corns on the farmland, they may face danger. Each year, a large number of people die because of UXO," said Phonekeo Orladom, commander of Lao UXO removal unit.
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