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Today we went to see the exhibit and a documentary film abt UXOs, left over from US's secret war in Laos during the Vietnam War. Now, I am not here to bash the Americans, but one cannot help feeling heart-broken seeing the Lao ppl, esp children still facing deaths and injuries so many years after the Vietnam War.
According to the film, betwn 1964 and 1973, more than two million tons of bombs were dropped in Laos in a war that was in contravention of the Geneva Convention. The war was "secret" cuz Laos was a neutral country even tho both the Vietnamese and US were fighting on its soil.
After the Vietnam war, there were still million of UXOs, including the tennis ball size cluster bombs that children often pick up. There are also huge unexploded bombs under the soil. Farmers are killed or injured when they are working in the field and hit a UXO.
It is so sad to see the legacy of war still hurting the people of this country !!!
Haricot
in the town of Luong Probang, Laos
2011-01-15
19h31 local time
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【維基百科】胡志明小道又稱胡志明小徑(Ho Chi Minh Trail)，是1959年由北越政府領袖胡志明下令開闢支援南方作戰的通道，繞道老撾、柬埔寨境內，可從北部榮市經過中部非軍事區通往南方戰場，故稱為「胡志明小道」。
1959年6月10日，胡志明部隊首次通過「胡志明小道」向南方運送武器裝備。「胡志明小道」共有5條主路、29條支路，還有其它捷道、旁門左道，總長近2萬公里。1960年美軍終於發現胡志明小道，調派T-28教練機展開偵察，1964年胡志明又對小道展開擴建工作，可以行駛卡車，還建立地下兵營、倉庫、油庫等。
1964年底美軍B-26轟炸機開始轟炸胡志明小道，並以UC-123飛機噴灑脫葉毒劑，一直持續到1965年幾乎每天都有美方軍機往老撾進行轟炸，造成北越軍重大的傷亡。面對瘋狂的空襲，「胡志明小道」的運輸車必須夜間行駛。從1964年到1967年六年之間，美軍總共出動戰機18萬多架次空襲「胡志明小道」，造成胡志明部隊約4.6萬車輛毀壞，但中國仍大量提供胡志明部隊軍需，使得美軍的轟炸終始無法奏效。在此期間共有132架美軍戰機被擊落。
1968年初，美軍在胡志明小道投下20多萬枚電子感測器，為美軍轟炸機提供了準確的資訊，北越軍開始以牛群、猩猩、猴子作為干擾，使得美國計劃再度落空。1971年「胡志明小道」每星期約有9000輛車次通過，1972年戰事已經接近尾聲，美國實施碘化銀人造雨，形成狂暴雨，小徑泥濘難行，通車數量降至900輛。1973年1月27日美越簽署停戰協定，一直到戰爭結束，美國始終無法根除胡志明小道的問題，使得北越軍的作戰物資始終源源不絕。
hari big brother， my previous comment was locked by Blogger at the SPAM section of your COMMENT， because I setup a URL link， please kindly enter there to release it simply by clicking NOT SPAM. Tks
Space
Space:
Thanks for the notice. You comment is now "NOT SPAM".
Space:
>> .... 胡志明小徑
I really appreciate the added info you have supplied, which will enhance my discussion with our local Laos tour guide.
I did not know that the US had even tempered with the regional weather to disrupt the Viet Cong's supply line !!!
I guess when it came to winning the war, nothing matterd to those far away from the front-line and those on the receving end :(
Hari Big Brother，IF you have not left that tourist guide I hope you may convey to him that there is some one far away who understand and support the Lao pple to claim for compensation from the Americans for the next 10,000 years.
Space:
The tourist guide said some ppl are actually rejecting help from the US govt, out of historical grudge and suspicion !!!
On the other hand, Laos is wokring with the UN to get rid of UXOs and support the victims, even tho the US is a part of the UN program group.
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