Thursday, February 2, 2012

DEPUTY PM CALLS FOR MORE DETAILED REGISTER OF UXO VICTIMS


Deputy Prime Minister Mr Asang Laoly yesterday called on the Lao National Regulatory Authority (NRA) committee to work harder to establish a more detailed register of unexploded ordnance (UXO) victims nationwide.

Mr Asang Laoly ( left ) and Minister to the Government Office Mr Bounheuang Duangphachanh attend the meeting.
Speaking at the NRA’s annual meeting at the Government Office in Vientiane, Mr Asang said data is available regarding the number of UXO victims and survivors since the Indochina War ended in 1975.
However, he said the information needs to be more specific. “There are more than 20,000 UXO survivors in the country, but we want the NRA committee to make clearer distinctions so that we know, for example, how many had to undergo amputations and how many were blinded, as well as their vocational status.”
As chairman of the meeting, Mr Asang congratulated NRA committee members on their UXO clearance work and victim assistance.
He also advised the committee to build a UXO museum to help future generations better understand the efforts of the Lao people in fighting foreign aggressors during the Indochina War.
“Many Lao people born after the 1970s have little knowledge of the Lao fighters who sacrificed their lives to protect the country during the war,” the deputy PM said.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, NRA Consultant Mr Maliya Sayavong suggested that the authority build more dispensaries in UXO-contaminated areas to help people who fall victim to explosions.
He said the NRA needs to source more funding from international donors in order to open more dispensaries around the country.
Meanwhile, the government is looking to clear about 20,000 hectares of UXO-contaminated land each year.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Alounkeo Kittikhoun said this target is achievable if the government continues to seek new clearance methods.
He cited the Japan Mine Action Service’s use of a Komatsu UXO clearance vehicle for a five-month pilot project in Xieng Khuang province, beginning from January 2, as one such innovation.
“This vehicle takes one hour to clear one hectare of all cluster bombs,” Mr Alounkeo said.
“At present, the Lao National UXO Programme (UXO Lao) employs 22 people to clear one hectare per month, with a clearance capacity of 5,000 hectares per year.”
Until now, almost 30,000 hectares of UXO-contaminated land have been cleared since 1996.
Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update February 02, 2012)

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