Lao PDR

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 05 August 2015

Five-Year Review: State Party Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010. Lao PDR hosted and served as President of the convention’s First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010. It has participated in all of the convention’s subsequent meetings. Lao PDR served as the convention’s co-coordinator on clearance and risk education in 2012–2014. It works to promote universalization of the convention and has condemned new use of cluster munitions. Lao PDR has elaborated its views on several important issues relating to interpretation and implementation of the convention.

In its initial transparency report provided in 2011, Lao PDR confirmed it has never produced cluster munitions and has no stockpile, including for research or training. Lao PDR states that it has never used or transferred cluster munitions.

Policy

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 18 March 2009. It was among the first 30 ratifications that triggered the entry into force of the convention on 1 August 2010.

Lao PDR has expressed its intent to enacting specific legislation for the convention. It has listed existing laws and decrees under national implementation measures in its transparency reports.[1] In 2013, Lao PDR informed States Parties that it intends to “establish laws which adequately and fully reflect the high standards achieved in this convention.”[2] In April 2014, it confirmed that “national legislation that covers our remaining legislative obligations under the Convention” will be drafted by the Ministry of Justice in consultation with relevant agencies.[3]

Lao PDR submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 25 January 2011 and has provided annual updates ever since, most recently on 6 May 2015.[4]

As the most heavily contaminated country in the world in terms of cluster munition remnants, Lao PDR’s support was a crucial element in the success of the Oslo Process that produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[5] Lao PDR participated extensively in the Oslo Process and advocated strongly against proposals to weaken the treaty text.[6] Lao PDR hosted a key regional conference on cluster munitions in Xiengkhuang in October 2008.

Lao PDR continued to play a leadership role in the work of the Convention on Cluster Munitions ever since. It hosted the convention’s historic First Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane in November 2010 and served as president. It has participated in all of the convention’s subsequent Meetings of States Parties, including the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San José, Costa Rica in September 2014, where it made several statements.

Lao PDR has attended all of the convention’s intersessional meetings held in Geneva, most recently in June 2015. It has participated in regional workshops on cluster munitions. 

Lao PDR served as the convention’s co-coordinator on clearance and risk reduction education in  2012–2014.

Lao PDR has undertaken many efforts to promote the universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. At the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2014, Lao PDR urged all nations that have not yet done so to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and “send a strong message” against the use of cluster munitions.[7]

At the UN General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee on Disarmament in October 2014, Lao PDR spoke about the harmful and costly legacy caused by cluster munition use and stated “We therefore condemn the continued use of cluster munitions in some parts of the world and urge those countries who have not done so to ratify or accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions as soon as possible.”[8]

During the Fifth Meeting of States Parties, the CMC held a film screening for delegates of “On Cleared Ground,” a feature-length documentary film about soccer in one of Lao PDR’s most heavily unexploded ordinance (UXO) contaminated provinces.[9]

Lao PDR is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Interpretive issues

Lao PDR has elaborated its views on several important matters related to its interpretation and implementation of the convention. In June 2011, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official informed the Monitor, “With regard to your question on relations with states not party to this convention, we are aware of the different interpretations of the Article 21. For us it is clear that we strongly support the full prohibition of cluster munitions, including those activities during the joint military operations, transiting, foreign stockpiling and investment in the production of cluster munitions.”[10]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In its initial Article 7 report, Lao PDR declared that it “has no stockpiles” of cluster munitions and was not retaining any cluster munitions for training and research.[11]

Lao PDR reported that it has never produced cluster munitions.[12]

Lao PDR also has stated that it has never used or transferred cluster munitions.[13]

The United States (US) used air-delivered cluster munitions extensively between 1964 and 1973, dropping more than two million tons of ordnance, including more than 270 million submunitions. The 50th anniversary of the 1964 start of the US air campaign saw major US media outlets cover the legacy of cluster munition contamination in Lao PDR, but with few if any references to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and Lao PDR’s leadership role in creating it.[14]



[1] Lao PDR declared various selected articles of the penal code including on illegal production, possession, and use of war weapons and explosives; illegal trade of war weapons and explosives; and robbery, embezzlement, and looting of war weapons and explosives. It has also listed laws and decrees related to the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form A, 25 January 2011. The 2015 report lists a new victim assistance strategy as well as the NRA’s provisional approval of a new survey procedure. Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form A, 6 May 2015.

[2] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fourth Meeting of States Parties, Lusaka, 11 September 2013. Lao PDR previously indicated that the relevant sections of the penal code might be amended to reflect its obligations under the convention. Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, 16 April 2013; and statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, 18 April 2012.

[3] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, 7 April 2014.

[4] Various time periods have been covered by Article 7 reports provided on 25 January 2011 (for the 24-year period from 1 January 1996 to 30 November 2010), 22 March 2012 (for the period from 1 December 2010 to 31 December 2011), 28 March 2013 (for calendar year 2013), 30 April 2014 (for calendar year 2013), and 6 May 2015 (for calendar year 2014).

[5] Lao PDR’s struggle against cluster munitions was profiled in a 2014 documentary by Al Jazeera. See, “Legacy of War in Laos,” Al Jazeera - The Stream, 13 May 2014.

[6] For more details on Lao PDR’s cluster munition policy and practice through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), pp. 103–105.

[7] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fifth Meeting of States Parties, San José, 2 September 2014. Notes by the CMC.

[8] Statement of Lao PDR, UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, New York, 22 October 2014.

[9] The CMC held the film screening in collaboration with the governments of Costa Rica, Lao PDR, and Sweden, and the Costa Rican Football Federation. See, CMC, “The Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” undated but 2014.

[10] Email from Maytong Thammavongsa, Director of UN, Political, and Security Affairs Division, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2011.

[12] Ibid., Form E, 25 January 2011. The form is completed as “Non applicable.”

[13] Letter from Saleumxay Kommasith, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25 February 2009; and interview with Saleumxay Kommasith, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vientiane, 31 March 2011. Historical photographic and testimonial evidence, however, shows that the former Royal Lao Air Force used US-supplied cluster munitions during the Indochina War.


Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 26 October 2017

Policy

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Lao PDR officials have stated on many occasions that the government made a decision in 2004 to accede but that the country needs time to prepare to meet the treaty’s obligations. In December 2012, Lao PDR reiterated that it would work toward accession but did not provide any timeline.[1]

In July 2011, Lao PDR provided a voluntary Article 7 transparency report. The report notes that landmines may be used, possessed, or traded, if sanctioned. It states that there has been no survey regarding mined areas and that there are no specific warnings posted for mined areas, only warnings for areas with unexploded ordnance (UXO). It does not provide any information regarding its stockpile but does state that a small quantity of antipersonnel mines is held for training in mine detection.[2] Lao PDR had previously said that its voluntary Article 7 report, when submitted, would allow the international community to “understand the facts and reality on the ground.”[3] Lao PDR has not submitted an updated Article 7 report since.

The Lao government has cited the treaty’s mine clearance obligation and deadline under Article 5 as an obstacle to accession. Lao PDR also expressed concern regarding the possible diversion of resources from UXO clearance activities to a focus on antipersonnel mines.[4]

Lao PDR sent observers to the Mine Ban Treaty Twelfth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in December 2012 where it made a statement on its efforts toward accession to the convention. It has not attended a meeting since. It also attended the Bangkok Symposium on Enhancing Cooperation & Assistance in June 2013 in Bangkok.

On 5 December 2016, Lao PDR voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 71/34 calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. This was the tenth consecutive year it has voted in favor of the annual resolution, after abstaining in all previous years.

Lao PDR is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but not Amended Protocol II on landmines.

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

In 2008, Lao PDR acknowledged that it has used mines in the past “to protect its borders.” It also said that the government does not export antipersonnel mines although it holds a small stockpile.[5] Lao PDR’s voluntary Article 7 report states that it has not used antipersonnel mines for more than two decades and that the country has no production facilities.[6]



[1] Statement of Lao PDR, Mine Ban Treaty Twelfth Meeting of States Parties, Session on Universalization, Geneva, 6 December 2012.

[2] Form A of the Article 7 report notes that sanctions in the penal code prohibit production, possession, use, or trade of war weapons, although not specifically mines, unless legally sanctioned. Form B states that the information will be provided when it is available. Form C notes that “no survey on anti-personnel mines has been carried out, therefore the information on the locations of mine fields are lacking [sic].” Form D states that the Ministry of Defence retained a “small quantity of APMs [antipersonnel mines] for the training in mine detection…” On Form E, Lao PDR stated that it has no antipersonnel mine production facilities. Forms F, G, and H state that “no information is available.” Form I states that “there is no specific warning about APMs [antipersonnel mines], but only UXOs that could be also valid for landmines. Since the contamination areas are so wide, UXO marking signs were set up only at the project areas.” Form I includes a total of mine victims as a percentage of a casualty figure from 1964–2008, and notes that Lao PDR will continue to destroy mines when they are found during the course of UXO clearance. Mine Ban Treaty Voluntary Article 7 Report (for the period to 31 December 2010), Forms A–I.

[3] Statement by Khonepheng Thammavong, Permanent Mission of Lao PDR to the UN in Geneva, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on General Status and Operation, Geneva, 20 June 2011.

[5] Statement by Amb. Maligna Saignavongs, NRA, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on General Status and Operation, Geneva, 2 June 2008.


Mine Action

Last updated: 19 November 2018

 

Treaty status

Mine Ban Treaty

Not a party

Convention on Cluster Munitions

State Party

Article 4 deadline: 1 August 2020

Not on track to meet deadline

Mine action management

National mine action management actors

National Regulatory Authority (NRA)

United  Nations agencies

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mine action strategic plan

“Safe Path Forward II” (SPF) plan, revised 2015

Lao PDR UXO Plan for 2016–2020

Annual workplan for 2018

Mine action standards

Lao PDR National UXO/Mine Action Standards

New “Lao PDR UXO Survey Procedures” were approved in July 2018

National Standard on Mine Clearance Operations

Operators in 2017

National NGO:

UXO Laos

 

International NGOs:

Sterling International

HALO Trust

Mines Advisory Group (MAG)

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)

Humanity & Inclusion (HI, formerly Handicap International)

16 national and international commercial companies are accredited

Laoatian armed forces has five humanitarian demining teams

Extent of contamination as of end 2017

Landmines

Extent unknown

Cluster munition remnants

Unknown, but massive. At least, 500km2 CHA has been identified

Other ERW contamination

Yes

Land release in 2017

Landmines

No planned or systematic mine clearance. However, 38 mines were destroyed during EOD operations

Cluster munition remnants

200km2 confirmed as hazardous

33km2 cleared

117,974 submunitions destroyed

(Discrepancies between data sources exist, see below)

Other ERW

27,545 other ERW destroyed

Progress

Landmines

The extent of mine contamination is much less than that of ERW, including cluster munition remnants. Systematic mine clearance is not commonly conducted, but the nationals standards state that, “at some stage in the future these areas will have to be addressed”

Cluster munition remnants

A Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and NRA study recommended that Laos PDR develop a policy for the prioritization of UXO clearance[1]

A national cluster munition remnants survey (CMRS) is ongoing, that is intended to form the basis for long-term planning and prioritization of clearance

Notes: UXO = unexploded ordnance; CHA = confirmed hazardous areas; ERW = explosive remnants of war; EOD = explosive ordinance disposal.

 

Mine Contamination

While by far the greatest contamination in Lao Peopele’s Democratic Republic (PDR) is from ERW, including cluster munition remnants, it is also contaminated by antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, but the extent is not known. During the Indochina conflict of the 1960s and 1970s, all sides in the war laid antipersonnel mines, particularly around military installations and patrol bases. Mined areas also exist in some border regions as a legacy of disputes or tensions with or within neighboring countries.[2] A HI survey in 1997 found mines in all 15 provinces it surveyed, contaminating 214 villages.[3] In the past clearance operators have estimated Lao PDR may have 1,000 mined areas.[4]

The remote location of many of these areas means that mines have little impact and are not a clearance priority. Of 115,554 items of UXO destroyed by operators in 2017, only 38 (0.03%) were mines.[5] The NRA, however, has stated that antipersonnel and antivehicle mines were “used in abundance” and observed that “with a steady expansion of land use “mined areas” will become “areas for growing concern.”[6] 

The NRA reports that “gravel mines” had all degraded but remaining mine types included United States (US)-manufactured M14 antipersonnel blast mines, M16 bounding fragmentation mines, M18 claymore mines, and M15 and M19 antivehicle mines, Soviet or Chinese PMN antipersonnel blast mines, POMZ fragmentation stake mines, and TM41, TM46, and TM57 antivehicle mines.[7] 

According to NPA, 12 of Lao PDR’s 17 provinces are believed to contain landmines, but the details and nature of the contamination are unknown, and NGOs do not have access to mined areas.[8]

 

Cluster Munition Contamination

Lao PDR has the world’s highest level of contamination by unexploded submunitions as a result of the Indochina War of the 1960s and 1970s. The US conducted one of the heaviest aerial bombardments in history, dropping more than two million tons of bombs between 1964 and 1973,[9] including more than 270 million submunitions (known locally as bombies). The failure rate is not known.

Lao PDR does not yet have a reliable estimate of cluster munition contamination. US bombing data indicate 70,000 individual target locations across Lao PDR. Fourteen of the country’s seventeen provinces are contaminated, with nine heavily affected: Attapeu, Champasak, Houaphanh, Khammouane, Luang Prabang, Saravan, Savannakhet, Xekong, and Xiengkhuang.[10] International operators believe total cluster munition contamination is likely to amount to less than 2,000km2.[11] Over the last two years, around 500km2 of CHA has been identified during a nationwide survey that aims to provide a baseline estimate of cluster munition contamination by the end of 2021.[12]

Submunitions accounted for almost 78% of all items cleared in 2017,[13] a decrease from the 84% the previous year.[14] Cluster munition remnants continue to present a humanitarian and socio-economic challenge, causing deaths and injuries and contributing to food insecurity by limiting safe access to potentially rich agricultural land, as well as adding to the cost of development projects when land needs to be cleared.[15] High-risk activities, such as foraging on contaminated area or lighting fires directly on the ground surface, also continue to pose a risk and result in cluster munition accidents.[16]

 

Other explosive remnants of war and landmines

Extensive contamination from other ERW includes both air-dropped and ground-fired UXO, though the extent of contamination is not known. Clearance operators have reported the presence of at least 186 types of munition in Lao PDR.[17] These range from 20lb fragmentation bombs to 2,000lb general-purpose bombs and sometimes bigger items,[18] as well as artillery shells, grenades, mortars, and rockets.[19] Lao PDR is also contaminated, but to a much lesser extent, by antipersonnel mines and antivehicle mines (see the 2017 Lao PDR Mine Action profile for details).

 

Program Management

The NRA was in the process of transferring from the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) as of September 2017. The NRA management reported that day-to-day work at a central level already reflected the new arrangements, but that a formal handover of responsibilities had not yet taken place.[20] The NRA has a interministerial board composed of 22 representatives from government ministries.

According to Lao PDR’s national standards, “The Lao PDR National Regulatory Authority (NRA) is the authority responsible for the overall management of UXO/mine action within Lao PDR. This responsibility includes establishing requirements for mine clearance operations and ensuring that these requirements are met.”[21] According to the NRA itself, responsibility for clearance of mined areas in Lao PDR predominantly falls under the remit of the Laoatian armed forces, and if landmines are discovered the army is called to destroy them.[22]

The UNDP provides programmatic and technical support to the NRA and UXO Lao, including with regard to information sharing and coordination, albeit at a reduced capacity compared to previous years.[23]  Further capacity development in information management, quality management, and operations support, is provided primarily to UXO Lao, and to a lesser extent the NRA, through a US-funded grant manager, Sterling International. As part of its work, Sterling International has also provided training in both survey and data analysis and correction to UXO Lao and international clearance operators.[24] In May 2018, it was announced that Tetra Tech had won the new tender for this role.

Memorandum of understanding procedures in Lao PDR are reported to be complex and heavy, causing significant delay and impeding the implementation and expansion of survey and clearance, including by preventing the acquisition and import of equipment.[25] 

There is a sector working group process, led by the chair of the NRA board, and co-chaired by the UNDP and the US Ambassador in Vientiane, which works with donors and meets several times a year.[26]

 

Strategic planning

The Lao government adopted UXO clearance as a ninth Millennium Development Goal in 2010, targeting removal of all UXO from priority agricultural land by 2020.[27] During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in September 2016, Lao PDR launched sustainable development goal (SDG) 18, which aims to reduce the numbers of casualties caused by UXO, improve the socio-economic development of affected areas, and guarantee better support for victims.[28]

Strategic goals were set out in the “Safe Path Forward II” plan, as revised in June 2015, when the NRA set a number of specific targets for the remaining five years up to 2020. These included non-technical survey of 3,860 villages, pursuing technical survey, keeping clearance as a priority of the government’s poverty eradication program, bringing down the number of casualties to less than 40 a year, and providing medical care, vocational training, and economic support to 1,500 UXO victims.[29] There is also a multi-year workplan, the Lao PDR UXO Plan for 2016–2020, which was approved in March 2016.[30]

The socio-economic development plan (2016–2020) and Agreement No. 65/PM of 2016, on the approval of Priority Development Areas (2016–2020), inform land release prioritization. By 2018, the government had identified 231 focal development areas (FDAs) across Lao PDR.[31] The NRA also reports that it cooperates with relevant ministries and local authorities to identify annual clearance needs.[32]

In September 2017, the GICHD and the NRA conducted a review of the prioritization system in Lao PDR. It concluded that, “there are few mechanisms in place to link macro-level prioritization policies with more specific procedures and policies that take place at a micro level.”[33] It reported that, “there are no observed systems in place to support the planning, monitoring or reporting of progress in the Government of Lao PDR policy of supporting UXO clearance in FDAs…Most micro-level prioritization decisions appear to be made by the UXO operators themselves with minimum substantive input from districts and provincial level authorities.”[34] Its key recommendation was that the NRA, with relevant stakeholders, should develop a policy for the prioritization of UXO clearance.[35]

A first-ever UXO sector annual work planning meeting, hosted by the NRA, took place in Vientiane province on 8–9 February 2018, with participation from HALO Trust, MAG, NPA, HI, UXO Lao, victim assistance (VA) operators, national and provincial authorities, and donors. The resulting annual UXO sector-wide survey workplan in Lao PDR for 2018 aimed to survey a total of 622 villages.[36]

 

Plans for cluster munition survey 

In March 2016, the NRA issued a paper entitled, “From Survey to Safety, Quantifying and Clearing UXO Contamination in Lao PDR,” that states the aim of producing Lao PDR’s first baseline estimate of cluster munition contamination by the end of 2021 through a national cluster munition remnants survey (CMRS), which comprises non-technical and technical survey.[37]  The planned survey underscored the focus on tackling the threat of cluster munitions rather than general battle area clearance.[38]

The paper called for completing non-technical survey of all villages in the 14 cluster munition-affected provinces within four years, at an estimated cost of US$6.84 million, and technical survey of all evidence points in five years (by the end of 2021), at a projected cost of at least $20 million.[39]

In July 2017, the NRA reported that of 3,860 villages targeted for non-technical survey in the 2016–2020 workplan, 2,873 are known to be impacted by cluster munition remnants,[40] and require CMRS as part of the nationwide survey, though the process by which the list was elaborated is unclear. The NRA has recognized that there may be anomalies in this list.[41]

Once technical survey is 30% complete; the government should be able to provide an estimate of total cluster munition contamination. Survey will be conducted mostly by international NGOs and UXO Lao, possibly with some involvement of the Lao PDR army in non-technical survey. The paper also states that the government expects that international humanitarian operators will cease conducting clearance after technical survey has been completed.[42]

The GICHD/NRA paper, “Prioritization Policy, Procedures and Practices related to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” notes that as the number of CHAs is likely to rise as technical survey proceeds nationwide, UXO clearance will be unable to keep pace. It states that to deal most effectively with the increasing backlog of clearance tasks, prioritization will be necessary.[43]

 

Standards (cluster munition remnants and other ERW)

New national survey standards, drafted in consultation with operators, were officially approved by the chair of the NRA on 4 July 2018,[44] following a delay due to an issue with the Lao translation of the document.[45] They specify the minimum requirements for CMRS in Lao PDR.[46] They were drafted in consultation with clearance operators.[47]

As part of the new survey standards, non-technical survey is to be carried out on whole villages (i.e. all land within a village boundary), not just individual areas of land, with the aim to identify evidence points for follow-on technical survey. An additional aim during survey is to correct errors or omissions found with data in IMSMA or in operator files.[48] Whenever possible, cluster munition remnants and other ERW identified during non-technical survey are recorded and destroyed the same day, while non-technical survey is ongoing, allowing villagers to see action being taken on the information they have provided.[49] Technical survey is only carried out based on cluster munition evidence points and is also conducted on whole villages.[50]

According to the national survey standards, clearance must only be conducted in CHAs, unless either “official agreements with the NRA permit a dispensation” or “the UXO clearance is being paid for by a client and 100% clearance without survey is a requirement of the agreement.”[51] The NRA maintained the need to retain some flexibility to accommodate donor stipulations that sometimes require full clearance of UXO for development projects such as schools.[52] 

 

Standards (landmines)

Lao PDR’s national standards make a clear distinction between UXO clearance and mine clearance, and for the purposes of the national standards “UXO does not include hand laid mines but it may include disposal of ‘one off’ mines located during EOD roving tasks.”[53] As such, the National Standard on UXO clearance, only relates to UXO clearance operations and not to mine clearance operations.[54]

If a mine is located during UXO clearance, work is immediately ceased and “the clearance supervisor should then assess the situation and determine if the mine is a random one or part of a mined area. If the mine is assessed as being part of a mined area, work on the site is to cease and the matter reported to the tasking authority. Details of mined areas are to be reported by the clearance organization concerned to the NRA head office and the NRA provincial office.”[55] 

According to Lao PDR’s national standard on Mine Clearance Operations, “Mine clearance operations; the systematic locating and clearing of hand laid mines in known or suspected mined areas, are not commonly conducted in Lao PDR. However, it is known that mined areas exist in Lao PDR and at some stage in the future these areas will have to be cleared.”[56] The standards also note that, “Some relatively small scale mine clearance has been carried out by UXO LAO and by commercial operators in the past but mine clearance operations are not regularly carried out as a deliberate mine action activity in Lao PDR.”[57] 

According to the National Standards, “Mine clearance operations are considerably more dangerous than UXO area clearance operations and the requirements and procedures for mine clearance are more stringent. When mine clearance operations are necessary they are only to be carried out by accredited mine clearance organizations with personnel with the appropriate training and equipment and specific mine clearance operating procedures.”[58]

 

Quality management

The NRA reported that its quality management capacity is extremely limited, with only two quality management teams to cover sector-wide clearance.[59]

 

Information management

The national IMSMA database has multiple data problems, including incorrect or incomplete historical data, missing data from the migration to IMSMA, and delays in entering new or corrected data into the database.[60]

Sterling International, which provided capacity support to the UXO Lao Information Management department to identify and correct historical data, developed a tool to help identify data issues in IMSMA.[61] A 2017 report by Sterling International said analysis of data in the NRA IMSMA database found errors affecting up to 14% of the 67,000 entries on the database. Sterling believed that the errors could affect 22% of the area recorded in the database as cleared or technically surveyed. The errors included operators’ misreporting of coordinates and mistaken entry of reports into IMSMA. Other errors included use of the wrong GPS format or the wrong map datum. The result was to put many tasks in the wrong location. Sterling found that the errors occurred mostly with UXO Lao’s work and mostly between 2004 and 2010 but that it affected “many” organizations.[62] In 2018, evidence of falsification of UXO Lao’s cluster munition remnant CHA data in Houaphanh province came to light, and is subject to internal and external investigation.[63]

 

Operators

Land release operations in Lao PDR are conducted by a range of implementing partners including the national operator, UXO Lao; international NGOs, HALO Trust, HI, MAG, and NPA; commercial clearance operators; and the Lao PDR armed forces. Demining personnel of the national and international clearance operators, excluding commercial operators, totaled approximately 2,452 in 2017, of whom 680 were women, roughly unchanged from the previous year.[64] 

UXO Lao, the oldest and largest clearance operator in Lao PDR, is a government organization operating under the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.[65] Operating in nine provinces (Attapeu, Champasak, Houaphanh, Khamouane, Luang Prabang, Saravan, Savannakhet, Xekong, and Xiengkhuang), it employs 1,381 staff (of whom 351 are female). In Luang Prabang, UXO Lao operates with funding from Norway and management support from NPA.[66] Its 2017 capacity comprised of 80 clearance teams, 15 technical survey teams, and nine non-technical survey teams.[67]

HALO Trust’s survey and clearance efforts are focused on Savannakhet province, where it is currently operating in the four most contaminated districts: Nong, Phine, Sepon, and Vilabouly.[68] As of the end of 2017, HALO Trust was employing a total of 303 national staff (45% women), which included a clearance capacity of 10 teams and a survey capacity of 14 teams. It has been granted permission in 2018 to work in 538 villages across 14 districts in Savannakhet province, with first priority given to the six most heavily contaminated districts to the east.[69] 

HI saw a big reduction in capacity in 2017, due to a fall in funding. In 2017 it had five clearance/technical survey sections. It ceased technical survey operations in February 2017 and instead prioritized clearance.[70] As of April 2018, HI had ceased land release operations in Savannakhet province, and had started a new project in Houaphanh province in the north of Lao PDR.[71]

MAG is operational in two provinces in Lao PDR: Xiengkhuang (Khoun, Paxai, and Nonghet districts) in the north and Khamouane (Boualapha district) in the south. Seventeen mine action teams (MATs) carried out survey and clearance in Xiengkhouang, while five teams focused exclusively on clearance activities in Khamouane. Also based in Xiengkhouang, MAG has two quality management teams, a mechanical support team, and a 15-person community liaison team that conducts non-technical survey, risk education, and dangerous area reporting. MAG subcontracted two NPA teams for six months to carry out CMRS in Khamouane after which MAG conducts follow-on clearance of the CHAs created by NPA.[72]

At the end of 2017, MAG employed 395 staff (25% female). However, with the shift to implementing a survey project in Xiengkhouang, as well as increased funding, MAG expanded significantly in both provinces in early 2018. By May, MAG was employing 528 staff (31% women). The additional teams were recruited and trained at the end of 2017 and focused predominantly on Xiengkhouang, where MAG will conduct CMRS across the entire province as well as clearance of priority areas.[73] 

NPA is operational in the three southern provinces of Attepeu, Saravan, and Xekong. In addition, and as mentioned above, NPA is also subcontracted by MAG to carry out CMRS in Khamouane.[74] Furthermore, NPA acts as the project coordinator for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) bilateral support to Lao PDR, through UXO Lao’s operations in Luang Prabang, in the north of the country.[75] Survey and clearance output was lower than in previous years due to a two-month stand-down period without field operations due to the delays in the issuing of a Memorandum of Understanding. [76] NPA employed 189 staff in survey and clearance operations in 2017, comprising 23 CMRS teams and one BAC team.

Lao PDR accredited 16 commercial companies in 2017,[77] of which 13 were active.[78] International commercial operators include Auslao UXO Clearance, BACTEC (Battle Area Clearance, Training, Equipment and Consultancy), Milsearch, and Munitions Management Group (MMG). Accredited national commercial operators include ASA Power Engineering, GREAT Company, Lao BSL UXO Clearance, Lao Uneod Cooper, L&B UXO Clearance, Longlo Lao UXO Clearance, OUMMA UXO Clearance, PSD, SBH, Sengphet UXO Clearance, and XTD UXO Clearance. One additional national commercial company, Phanvila, was registered in 2017.[79]

The Laoatian armed forces has five humanitarian teams in total.[80] Lao army engineers not involved with humanitarian teams and not coordinated by the NRA were reportedly due to start clearance of UXO, which was holding up construction work on the US$6 billion Laos-China high speed railway.[81] According to the NRA, Lao army engineers started clearance in 2017, under the Engineering Department of Ministry of National Defense, but as of April 2018, no cluster munition data was available.[82]

 

Land Release (landmines)

No planned or systematic mine clearance was conducted during 2017, though 38 mines were reported to have been destroyed by operators in 2017, according to Lao PDR’s transparency reporting under the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Convention on Conventional Weapons.[83]

The NRA reported a slightly lower figure of 23 mines destroyed during clearance, technical survey, and roving/spot tasks in 2017 (three mines destroyed by the Laoatian armed forces; one by HALO Trust; one by MAG; two by NPA; and 16 by UXO Lao).[84]

The mine destroyed by MAG was an unfuzed M16 antipersonnel mine that was reported as having been found in a forest in Nonghet, Xiangkhouang province.[85]

NPA confirmed that it did not destroy any antipersonnel mines in 2017 in Lao PDR, and it believes that the two mines reported by the NRA as having been destroyed by NPA in 2017 were in fact due to an NPA reporting error during database entry.[86]

According to UXO Lao’s own data, 34 antipersonnel mines were destroyed during its operations in 2017, of which 17 were destroyed during roving tasks/spot tasks, and the remainder during ERW survey and clearance.[87]

 

Land Release (cluster munition remnants)

The almost 200km2 of land confirmed as hazardous through survey in 2017, based on NRA data, was an increase on the 180km2 confirmed in 2016, based on operator data.[88] The amount of land released by clearance, which totaled 33km2 in 2017, was a slight increase on the 30km2 cleared in 2016.

 

Survey in 2017 (cluster munition remnants)

The NRA reported that non-technical survey was conducted by HALO Trust, MAG, NPA, and UXO Lao in 2017, in a total of 223 villages, during which 4,082 cluster munition remnants were destroyed.[89] In addition, technical survey in 2017 identified almost 200km2 as cluster munition-contaminated, and resulted in the destruction of nearly 29,000 cluster munition remnants and almost 4,000 items of other UXO (see table below).

Technical survey of cluster munition-suspected area in 2017[90]

Operator

Area surveyed

(m2)

Area identified

(m2)

Submunitions destroyed

Other UXO destroyed

Lao Army 58

140,000

0

4

0

HALO Trust

25,746,250

8,453,279

1,989

578

HI

1,387,500

622,230

99

6

MAG

67,174,283

65,179,171

5,957

11

NPA

54,544,335

53,990,927

4,927

107

UXO Lao

100,716,905

71,265,845

15,939

3,257

Total

249,709,273

199,511,452

28,915

3,959

 

A “UXO Hot Line” was approved on 28 November 2017, to make it easier for members of local communities to report unexploded ordnance[91] and to request support in the aftermath of an incident.[92]

 

Clearance in 2017 (cluster munition remnants)

The clearance results for 2017 as reported by the NRA and in Lao PDR’s Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 transparency report are not the same.

According to the NRA, just over 33km2 of cluster munition contamination was cleared, in the course of which 84,977 submunitions were destroyed, along with 135 bombs, 23 mines, and 23,451 other items of UXO (see table below).[93]

Battle area clearance by operator in 2017[94]

Operator

Roving tasks

Clearance tasks

Area cleared (m2)

Submunitions destroyed

Bombs destroyed

Other UXO destroyed

Mines destroyed

Army 58

14

1

42,251

51

2

132

3

Lao Army

0

2

35,841

0

0

0

0

HALO Trust

619

39

1,510,067

5,243

19

2,400

1

HI

100

6

177,686

1,564

33

350

0

MAG

2,148

111

4,760,152

10,888

12

1,501

1

Milsearch

6

121

731,177

40

0

21

0

MMG

0

13

435,645

24

0

77

0

NPA

390

13

255,973

5,674

4

956

2

UXO Lao

1,105

886

25,075,490

61,493

65

18,014

16

Total

4,382

1,192

33,024,282

84,977

135

23,451

23

According to the Article 7 report, a total of just over 41.8km2 was cleared in 2017 across 13 provinces (see table below).[95] However, this includes almost 5.8km2 of clearance reported for LAUNC, which was not in fact cluster munition clearance. This clearance was conducted in support of dam projects, irrigation, crops, and forestry, and other areas, but on land not contaminated with cluster munitions or other ERW.

Battle area clearance by province in 2017 according to Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report[96]*

Province

Area cleared (m2)

Attapeu

3,360,393

Bolikhamxay

2,357,251

Champasak

2,206,176

Hophanh

1,777,402

Khamouane

3,474,401

Luang Prabang

1,288,788

Oudomxay

35,841

Saravan

2,935,606

Savannakhet

8,646,986

Vientiane (province)

317,213

Xekong

1,092,027

Xaisomboun

3,147,844

Xiengkhuang

11,180,359

Total

41,820,287

* Includes almost 5.8km2 cleared by LAUNC on land not contaminated by cluster munitions or other ERW.

Taking the total clearance figure of 33 km2, 2017 clearance output represents a slight increase compared to 2016, when 30.17km2 was cleared (or alternatively, a slight decrease compared to the 34.1km2, according to Lao PDR’s Article 7 report for 2016).

Operational challenges in clearance tasks include heavy rains during the wet season; high scrap-metal contamination and fragmentation from other UXO; difficulty accessing tasks due to flooding and vehicles getting stuck in the mud; and the proximity of high-voltage pylons and power lines.[97]

UXO Lao reported that lack of support from the community on the vegetation cutting required prior to survey and clearance operations, also posed a challenge,[98] especially with regards to cutting of vegetation beyond the direct area of land that will be used. As is the case with MAG and NPA, UXO Lao mainly trains and deploys local people to cut vegetation, but unlike the international operators, it does not receive specific funding for this activity.[99] HALO Trust undertakes all of its own vegetation cutting.[100]

At the micro level, prioritization of clearance tasks in Lao PDR is in part dictated by the wet and dry seasons. During the dry season, operators are able to access and clear paddy fields, while in the wet season, they focus on clearing grazing and community land.[101]

 

Progress in 2018 (cluster munition remnants)

In 2018, Lao PDR began its national CMRS baseline survey, with funding from the US. The first phase of the survey involves six province-wide surveys by international operators HALO Trust, MAG, and NPA of all villages suspected or confirmed as cluster munition-contaminated, according to the NRA’s village list, in Attapeu, Champasak, Saravan, Savannakhet, Xekong, and Xiengkhuang.[102]

 

Convention on Cluster Munition Article 4 Compliance

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Lao PDR is required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 August 2020.

Given the extent of its cluster munition contamination, Lao PDR will need to submit a deadline extension request by the start of December 2018. It is expected that initial results from the national CMRS will inform Lao PDR’s estimate of the true extent of contamination for the purposes of the extension request, but that a more accurate assessment of contamination will not be known until the nationwide survey is completed.[103]

Over the last five years, Lao PDR has cleared almost 237km2 (see table below).

Five-Year Summary of Clearance

Year

Area cleared (km2)

2017

33.02

2016

30.17

2015

41.30

2014

67.78

2013

64.86

Total

237.13

The NRA has highlighted the challenges in balancing resources for survey and clearance.[104]  While nationwide CMRS is essential to quantify the extent of actual contamination in Lao PDR, there is also a need for follow-on clearance in priority areas, which also demands significant resources.[105] Over the last two years, around 500km2 of CHA has already been identified, and as the nationwide CMRS progresses this area of confirmed contamination is expected to continue to increase rapidly.[106]

The clearance of cluster munition remnants in Lao PDR will take many years and will require long-term national capacity and funding. In 2018, the NRA aimed to clear 5,000 hectares (50km2) of CHA, based on existing capacity.[107]

 

 

 

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the primary mine action research in 2018 and shared all its country-level landmine reports (from “Clearing the Mines 2018”) and country-level cluster munition reports (from “Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2018”) with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.

 



[1] Kathryn Sweet, “Prioritisation policy, procedures and practices relating to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” GICHD and NRA, September 2017, p. 11.

[2] NRA website, “UXO types: Mines,” undated.

[3] HI, “Living with UXO, National Survey on the Socio-Economic Impact of UXO in Lao PDR,” Vientiane/Brussels, 1997, p. 7.

[4] Interview with Michael Hayes, Programme Manager, MAG, Vientiane, 5 February 2004.

[5] Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol V Article 10 Report (for 2017), Form A; and Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form F.

[6] NRA website, “UXO types: Mines,” undated..

[7] Ibid.

[8] Email from Ulric Eriksson, Operations Manager, NPA, 1 May 2018.

[9] “US bombing records in Laos, 1964–1973, Congressional Record,” 14 May 1975.

[10] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, Assistant to the Director, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, Director, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[11] Interviews with international operators, Vientiane, 3–7 May 2016.

[12] Interviews with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, and Thipasone Soukhathammavong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018; and NRA, “From Survey to Safety, Quantifying and Clearing UXO Contamination in Lao PDR,” March 2016.

[13] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[14] “Sector Achievements” for 2015 and 2014, received from the NRA, Vientiane, 4 July 2016, and 11 May 2015.

[15] Lao PDR, “The Safe Path Forward II,” National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic 2011–2020, 22 June 2012.

[16] Interviews with Robby Dehondt, Sterling International, in Sepon, 11 May 2018; and with Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, in Sepon, 11 May 2018.

[17] Landmine Action, Explosive remnants of war and mines other than anti-personnel mines, Global Survey 2003−2004 (March 2005), p. 104.

[18] NRA website, “UXO types: Bombs,” undated.

[19] NRA, “National Survey of UXO Victims and Accidents, Phase 1,” Vientiane, 2009, p. 39.

[20] Kathryn Sweet, “Prioritisation policy, procedures and practices relating to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” GICHD and NRA, September 2017, p. 10.

[21] Lao PDR National UXO/Mine Action Standards (NS), “Chapter 12: Mine Clearance Operations,” undated, p. 5.

[22] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[23] Interview with Olivier Bauduin, UNDP, Vientiane, 2 May 2018; and email, 10 July 2018.

[24] Interview with Hugh Hosman and Marco Heuscher, Sterling International, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[25] Interviews with international operators, Lao PDR, 1–12 May 2018.

[26] Interview with Phil Bean, US Political-Military Affairs/Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA), and Olivier Bauduin, Sterling International, in Geneva, 14 February 2018.

[27] “Laos: new MDG to tackle UXOs,” IRIN, 12 November 2010.

[28] Statement of Lao PDR on National Implementation Efforts, Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 4–5 September 2017.

[29] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 4 May 2016.

[30] Kathryn Sweet, “Prioritisation policy, procedures and practices relating to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” GICHD and NRA, September 2017, p. 11.

[31] Presentation by Saomany Manivong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[32] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[33] Kathryn Sweet, “Prioritisation policy, procedures and practices relating to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” GICHD and NRA, September 2017, p. 3.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Ibid.

[36] UXO Survey Plan of UXO Sector in Lao PDR in 2018, February 2018.

[37] NRA, “From Survey to Safety, Quantifying and Clearing UXO Contamination in Lao PDR,” March 2016.

[38] Interview with Allan Poston, UNDP, Vientiane, 6 May 2016.

[39] NRA, “From Survey to Safety, Quantifying and Clearing UXO Contamination in Lao PDR,” March 2016, pp. 1–3.

[40] Email from Olivier Bauduin, UNDP, 10 July 2018.

[41] NRA, “Lao PDR UXO Survey Procedures,” draft, 20 September 2017; and interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[42] NRA, “From Survey to Safety, Quantifying and Clearing UXO Contamination in Lao PDR,” March 2016, pp. 1–3.

[43] Kathryn Sweet, “Prioritisation policy, procedures and practices relating to UXO clearance in Lao PDR,” GICHD and NRA, September 2017, p. 7.

[44] Emails from Olivier Bauduin, UNDP, 10 July 2018; and from Nigel Orr, Sterling International, 13 July 2018.

[45] Interviews with international operators, UNDP, and US PM/WRA, Lao PDR, 1–12 May 2018.

[46] NRA, “Lao PDR UXO Survey Procedures,” draft, 20 September 2017.

[47] Interviews with international operators, Lao PDR, 1–12 May 2018; and with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[48] NRA, “Lao PDR UXO Survey Procedures,” draft, 20 September 2017.

[49] Ibid.

[50] Ibid.

[51] Ibid.

[52] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[53] Lao PDR National UXO/Mine Action Standards (NS), “Chapter 0: Introduction and Glossary,” undated, p. xi.

[54] Lao PDR National UXO/Mine Action Standards (NS), “Chapter 7: UXO Clearance Operations,” undated, p. 5.

[55] Ibid., p. 13.

[56] Lao PDR National UXO/Mine Action Standards (NS), “Chapter 12: Mine Clearance Operations,” undated, p. 5.

[57] Ibid., p. 5, note 1.

[58] Ibid., p. 5.

[59] Ibid.

[60] Ibid.; email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018; and interviews with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018; and with Hugh Hosman and Marco Heuscher, Sterling International, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[61] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[62] “Data errors on IMSMA,” Nigel Orr, Technical Adviser, Sterling International, 26 April 2017.

[63] Interviews with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018; and with Thipasone Soukhathammavong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[64] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[65] Presentation by Saomany Manivong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

 

[67] Ibid.

[68] Interview with Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, in Sepon, 11 May 2018.

[69] Email from Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, 18 July 2018.

[70] Email from Julien Kempeneers, Humanitarian Mine Action Coordinator, HI, 30 April 2018.

[71] Ibid.

[72] Email from Blossom Gilmour, Country Director, MAG, 25 June 2018.

[73] Ibid.

[74] Email from Aubrey Sutherland, NPA, 21 June 2018.

[75] Interview with Aubrey Sutherland, NPA, 1 May 2018.

[76] Emails from Ulric Eriksson, NPA, 1 May 2018; and from Aubrey Sutherland, NPA, 21 June 2018.

[77] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[78] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties, Session on International Cooperation and Assistance, Geneva, 4–5 September 2017.

[79] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[80] “Progress and Plans of Lao People’s Army,” presentation by Lao Army Humanitarian Team, 8 November 2016.

[81] Souksakhone Vaenko, “Army deployed to clear UXO for Laos-China railway,” Vientiane Times, 6 January 2017.

[82] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[83] CCW Protocol V Article 10 Report (for 2017), Form A; and Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form F. It also reported the destruction of 90,160 cluster munition remnants, 124 bombs, and 25,232 other UXO items. However, this is not consistent with data provided by the NRA and operators. See the land release of cluster munition remnants section of this profile.

[84] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[85] Email from Neil Arnold, Technical Operations Manager, MAG, 10 September 2018.

[86] Email from Ulric Eriksson, NPA, 27 September 2018.

[87] Email from Nigel Orr, Sterling International, 3 October 2018.

[88] The NRA reported 101.48km2 confirmed as hazardous in 2015 and 113.41km2 in 2016 but its data included major discrepancies with operators’ results. In particular, the NRA did not record any survey activity by HALO Trust and reported that NPA had confirmed 12.14km2 as hazardous area.

[89] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[90] Ibid. There was a discrepancy between technical survey data reported by the NRA, compared to data reported by the clearance operators. HALO Trust reported surveying 36,182,500m2 through technical survey, and confirming 22,981,244m2 as cluster munition remnant-contaminated. During technical survey HALO reported destruction of 1,893 submunitions and 629 other items of UXO. Response to questionnaire from Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, Sepon, 11 May 2018. MAG’s data on 2017 technical survey matched that of NRA’s almost exactly, with the exception that MAG reported destruction of 12, rather than 11, items of other UXO during technical survey. Email from Neil Arnold, MAG, 9 May 2018. NPA reported surveying 56,317,500m2 through technical survey, and confirming 53,963,776m2 as cluster munition remnant-contaminated. During technical survey NPA reported destruction of 3,709 submunitions and 448 other items of UXO. Email from Ulric Eriksson, NPA, 1 May 2018.

[91]  Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form A.

[92]  Email from Jason Villamil, HALO Trust, 23 June 2018.

[93] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[94] Ibid. Clearance data reported by Lao PDR for LAUNC (LAO UNEOD COOPER Co., Ltd), on 14 tasks totaling 5,799,051m2 has been excluded. Clearance work by LAUNC in 2017, was in support of dam projects, irrigation, crops, and forestry, and others, in the provinces of Bolikhamxay, Champasak, and Xaisomboun. However, no items of cluster munition remnants or other ERW were reported as having been destroyed during these projects. In addition, there was a discrepancy between clearance data reported by the NRA and the data reported by the clearance operators. HALO Trust reported 1,324,314m2 of BAC, and destruction of 3,265 submunitions (1,640 during BAC and 1,625 during EOD callouts) and 1,533 other items of UXO (1,203 during BAC and 330 during EOD callouts). Response to Mine Action Review questionnaire from Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, Sepon, 11 May 2018. MAG reported a slightly higher amount of BAC (4,734,636m2), but the same number of items destroyed: 10,888 submunitions (3,238 during BAC and 7,650 EOD call outs) and 1,513 items of other UXO (421 during BAC and 1,092 during EOD callouts). Email from Neil Arnold, MAG, 9 May 2018. NPA reported 369,904m2 of BAC, and destruction of 7,472 submunitions (1,305 during BAC and 6,167 during EOD callouts) and 1,188 other items of UXO (19 during BAC and 1,169 during EOD callouts). Email from Ulric Eriksson, NPA, 1 May 2018.

[95] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form F.

[96] Ibid.

[97] Presentation by HALO Trust, Sepon, 10 May 2018.

[98] Presentation by Saomany Manivong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[99] Ibid.; and interviews with Ulric Eriksson, NPA Laos, Saravan, 4 May 2018; and with Neil Arnold, MAG, Phonsavanh, 6 May 2018.

[100] Interview with Olivia Meader, HALO Trust, Sepon, 11 May 2018.

[101] Interviews with international and national operators, Laos, 1–12 May 2018.

[102] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties, Session on International Cooperation and Assistance, Geneva, 4–5 September 2017; and interview with Phil Bean, US PM/WRA, and Machut Shishak, Political/Economic Counselor, US Embassy, Vientiane, 3 May 2018.

[103] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[104] Email from Bouala Thongsavanh, NRA, on behalf of Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, 30 April 2018.

[105] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 4–5 September 2017.

[106] Interview with Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, NRA, and Thipasone Soukhathammavong, UXO Lao, Vientiane, 2 May 2018.

[107] Ibid.


Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 19 November 2018

In 2017, 9 donors contributed US$37.9 million to support mine action in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), a 10% increase compared to the $34 million in 2016.[1]

In September 2016, the United States (US) announced it would provide $90 million over three years to support unexploded ordinance (UXO) survey and clearance operations.[2] Consequently, the US provided nearly 80% of all international funding in 2017.

In 2017, the government of Lao PDR reported a contribution of some $750,000 to its own mine action program, mainly to cover administrative costs such as rent, equipment, and personnel expenses.[3]

 

International contributions: 2017[4]

Donor

Sector

Amount

(national currency)

Amount

(US$)

US

Various

US$30,000,000

30,000,000

European Union

Various

€2,400,000

2,712,240

Norway

Clearance and victim assistance

NOK21,220,000

2,566,553

Japan

Capacity-building and clearance

¥118,668,500

1,058,595

United Kingdom

Clearance and risk education

£476,277

613,921

Ireland

Clearance

€500,000

565,050

Luxembourg

Clearance and risk education

€150,000

169,515

Sweden

Clearance and risk education

SEK1,000,000

117,055

Canada

Capacity-building and risk education

C$78,700

60,613

Total

 

 

37,863,542

 

With more than $182 million received from 2013–2017, international contributions to Lao PDR have averaged some $36 million per year.

 

Summary of international contributions: 2013–2017[5]

Year

Amount

(US$)

% change from previous year

(US$)

2017

37,863,542

+10

2016

34,146,649

-10

2015

38,214,976

+3

2014

37,251,423

+7

2013

34,827,039

-14

Total

182,303,629

 

 



[1] Canada, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 1 May 2018; Japan, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 30 April 2018; Sweden, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 23 April 2018. United Kingdom, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 30 April 2018. Emails from Leah Murphy, Desk Officer, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Section, Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 25 September 2018; from Ingrid Schoyen, Senior Advisor, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25 September 2018; from Katherine Baker, Foreign Affairs Officer, Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 9 and 24 October 2018;  response to Monitor questionnaires by Frank Braun, Desk Disarmament, Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 March 2018; and by Frank Meeussen, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Export Control, European External Action Service, 25 October 2018.

[2] The White House, “Fact sheet: US-Laos relations,” 6 September 2016.

[3] Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 26 April 2018.

[4] Average exchange rate for 2017: C$1.2984=US$1. €1=US$1.1301; ¥112.1=US$1; NOK8.2679=US$1; £1=US$1.289; SEK8.543=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 11 January 2018.

[5] See previous Monitor profiles. Totals for international support in 2016, 2015, and 2014 have been updated as a result of revised EU and US funding data.


Casualties

Last updated: 16 March 2018

 

Casualties

All known casualties (between 1964 and 2017)

50,754 mine/unexploded remnants of war (ERW) casualties: 29,554 killed and 21,200 injured

Casualties in 2017 [1]

Annual total

41

31% decrease from

59 in 2016

Survival outcome

4 killed; 37 injured

 

Device type causing casualties

9 ERW; 32 unexploded submunition

Civilian status

41 civilian

Age and gender

23 adults:

9 women; 14 men

18 children:

9 boys; 9 girls

 

Casualties in 2017—details

The majority of casualties in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) in 2017, 78%, were caused by unexploded submunitions.This continued a change from 2016 when unexploded submunitions were recorded as the vast majority of casualties at 86% of the annual total, whereas submunition casualties represented less than half the total recorded casualties compared to ERW casualties in 2014 (47%) and 2015 (43%). Children made up 44% of all annual casualties recorded for 2017. The 19 incidents causing 41 casualties in 2017 occurred in eight provinces: Attapue, Bokeo, Champasak, Saravane, Savannakhet, Saysomboun, Sekong, and Xiengkhaung. Xiengkhaung recorded the most annual casualties in a province, with eight. 

By the end of 2017, the Monitor had identified at least 50,754 casualties, of which 29,554 were killed and 21,200 were injured.[2] The first phase of a nationwide casualty survey recording retrospective data was completed in 2008, which identified 50,136 mine/ERW casualties between 1964 and 2008. Of these, ERW caused the most casualties, followed by landmines, and then unexploded submunitions.[3] Between 2009 and 2017, a further 618 casualties were reported.[4]

Cluster munition casualties

The total of 32 unexploded submunition casualties reported for 2017 was a decrease on the 51 reported for 2016. Of the 2017 total, 16 casualties were children and the other half were adults.[5] Unexploded submunitions were reported to have caused 7,761 casualties in the period 1964–2017.[6]



[1] Unless otherwise indicated, casualty data for 2017 is based on: email from Bountao Chanthavongsa, UXO Victim Assistance Officer, National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector (NRA), 21 February 2018.

[2] This total is based on the NRA National Survey of UXO Victims and Accidents Phase 1, which collected data on casualties between 1964 and 2008, and Monitor analysis of data from 2009 to 2017. However, the 2008 data is not complete, as information for that year depended on the date of the visit to the surveyed community and no data was collected after October 2008. See NRA, “National Survey of UXO Victims and Accidents Phase 1,” Vientiane, undated but 2009, pp. ix–x.

[3] NRA, “National Survey of UXO Victims and Accidents Phase 1,” Vientiane, undated but 2009, pp. ix–x.

[4] Analysis of available data by the Monitor.

[5] Emails from Bountao Chanthavongsa, NRA, 11 May 2017, and 21 February 2018.

[6] Emails from Michael Boddington, NRA, 18 and 26 August 2010; CMC, “CMC Media Coverage Report: First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Vientiane, Lao PDR 9–12 November 2010”; NRA casualty data provided by Bountao Chanthavongsa, NRA, 29 March 2013; emails from Bountao Chanthavongsa, NRA, 3 August 2015, 11 May 2017, and 21 February 2018.


Victim Assistance

Last updated: 18 July 2018

Victim assistance action points

  • Intensify efforts to improve access to rehabilitationservices from remote and rural areas, including allocating resources to bring beneficiaries for rehabilitation and ensuring that transport is available.
  • Hold regular disability sector coordination meetings and link victim assistance coordination with the development of disability strategies.
  • Improve state support for psychological and social assistance, including peer-to-peer counseling and survivor-driven economic activities.
  • Coordinate the rapid implementation of recently adopted legislation as well as existing policies and planning that could hasten developments in the availability and accessibility of services.

Victim assistance planning and coordination

Government focal point

The National Regulatory Authority (NRA) Victim Assistance Unit

Coordination mechanisms

Technical Working Group on Victim Assistance (TWGVA) together with district and provincial focal points

Coordination regularity/frequency and outcomes/effectiveness

The NRA reported that coordination and collaboration through the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare with the Ministry of Health on

assistance to explosive remnants of war (ERW) victims increased[1]

Plans/strategies

The NRA unexploded ordnance (UXO)/Mine Victim Assistance Strategy 2014–2020

 

Lao PDR reported that there had been no changes since 2015 to the National plan and budget, including timeframes

 

Lao PDR has its own national Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), “SDG18: Lives Safe from UXO,” launched during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)Summit in Vientiane in September 2016. SDG18 targets include support to healthcare and livelihoods of UXO victims

Disability sector integration

The victim assistance strategy authorizes the NRA to cooperate with the National Committee for Disabled and Elderly People (NCDE) to develop a sector-wide strategy for persons with disabilities; with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare to ensure adequate employment access; and with the Ministry of Health on the physical and psychological needs of cluster munition victims[2]

Survivor inclusion and participation

Representatives of the Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA), Lao Disabled Women’s Development Center (LDWDC), and Quality of Life Association (QLA)–Xieng Khouang province, actively participated in consultative processes and special events, including annual review meetings and ERW sector-wide working group meetings[3]

Latest victim assistance reporting

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report for calendar year 2017

 

Statement on victim assistance at the Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties in September 2017[4]

 

Lao PDR has made a statement on victim assistance at each Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions since its entry into force

 

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare holds primary responsibility for the needs of, and related services to, persons with disabilities through the NCDE. Service providers enter into memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the relevant state ministries responsible for the sector in which the NGOs will operate.[5]

International commitments and obligations

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) is responsible for significant numbers of cluster munition victims and survivors of other ERW, as well as landmine survivors, who are in need

 

In 2012, Lao PDR estimated that there were some 15,000 mine/ERW survivors still living, including approximately 2,500 survivors of unexploded submunitions[6]

Mine Ban Treaty

No

Convention on Cluster Munitions

Yes

Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol V

Yes

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Yes

 

In its initial report on the CRPD submitted in 2017, Lao PDR stated, “War with foreign aggressors has taken its toll on the lives and assets of the multiethnic people and had a heavy impact of the farmland and mountainous forest land used for foraging. 25% of the country is littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO). Between 1964 and 2008, a total of 50,000 people have fallen victim to UXO, of whom 30,000 died and 20,000 survived, 13,500 becoming disabled. These victims included women and children. The repercussions of the war, especially these UXO, have become a major obstacle for the Lao people and socio-economic development and constitute a cause underlying the underdevelopment and poverty of the Lao multiethnic people.”[7]

Laws and policies

A New Decree on Associations No. 238 of 2017, which replaced a 2009 law, was issued in August 2017 and came into effect on 15th November 2017. It was reported that under the new law, requested funding from foreign sources must first be approved by the government, resulting in longer time periods for accessing funds, or to adopt national self-fundraising practices.[8]

The National Health Sector Reform Strategy 2013–2025 aims to ensure universal healthcare coverage by 2025.[9]

Lao PDR reported that the government works together with the LDPA to organize training and seminars for court officials and other relevant bodies concerning the rights of persons with disabilities to access the justice system and procedures for assistance in the event of a problem or complaint.[10]

The Decree on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Decree No. 137, 2014) adopted alongside the Decree on the Organization of Operation of National Committee for Disabled People and the Elderly (Decree No. 232) was the primary relevant legislation.[11]

Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International, HI) continued to support efforts to establish strategic planning for implementation of the Decree on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at national and local levels. Thus, HI technically supported the NCDE and Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in developing the policy framework for persons with disabilities in Lao PDR. The project aimed to conduct an inclusive process with persons with disabilities and representative organizations and 12 consultative meetings, in order to facilitate the development of the national disability strategy and its corresponding measurable action plan in 2017.[12]

Social protection programs support war veterans with disabilities unable to work, however, there were no social protection programs to support other persons with disabilities in similar situations.[13]

Major Developments in 2017–2018

Through the end of June 2017, World Education Laos (WEL) completed a multi-year the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project for the disability sector that began in 2014: Training, Economic Empowerment, Assistive Technology, and Medical and Physical Rehabilitation (TEAM).[14]

In 2017, USAID opened a call for implementers, in order to provide US$15 million in funding over a five-year period for services and support to the disability sector in Lao PDR.[15] The five-year USAID Okard project, managed and implemented by WEL, intended to improve and sustain the independent living and functional ability of persons with disabilities in three target provinces: Vientiane (the capital), Xieng Kuang, and Savannakhet. WEL is the lead implementing agency for the project, with support from partners including HI, the Ministry of Health, the Center for Medical Rehabilitation, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Cooperative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE), Quality of Life Association (QLA), and Laos Disabled Peoples’ Association (LDPA). The project has three main components: health, economic empowerment, and stakeholder engagement. Each component is further broken down into key interventions that interconnect and mutually reinforce components and activities proposed in order to achieve the intended results.

Needs assessment

No new needs assessment was reported in 2017. A sector-wide assessment and data system was planned under the Okard project in 2018.

Medical care and rehabilitation

The ICRC trained Laotian medical staff in first aid and trauma management, particularly for injuries resulting from mines and ERW, with technical support from the Thai National Institute for Emergency Medicine.[16] Through WEL and Quality of Life at least 120 survivors received medical treatment; community first aid training continued.[17]

Access to rehabilitation services and follow-up consultations remained challenging for persons with disabilities living in remote areas. The Ministry of Health operates five physical rehabilitation centers for civilians and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare runs one for war veterans. COPE, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and others finance the provision of assistive devices and subsidize all physical rehabilitation services, including by covering transportation and lodging expenses for patients.[18] COPE assisted 225 ERW survivors with rehabilitation, including prosthetic devices.[19]

In 2017, there was only one qualified doctor specializing in rehabilitation medicine in Lao PDR.[20] In June 2017, the ICRC and the Ministry of Health signed, and began implementing, a five-year agreement to strengthen capacities in prosthetics and orthotics and establish clinical and managerial standards for physical rehabilitation services in accordance with the ministry’s plan to improve the availability of rehabilitation services.[21]

HI worked on improving servicesat the five rehabilitation centers. This included supporting the design and implementation of a national rehabilitation strategic action plan and corresponding guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health; a more effective training program through the Center of Medical Rehabilitation and Medical Technologies Faculty, and establishing a management system. A national rehabilitation taskforce with five sub-taskforce groups was to be established.[22]

Social, psychological, and economic inclusion assistance

HI ran a project to support persons with disabilities, including survivors and their family members, with income-generating and livelihood activities.[23]

WEL and the QLA provided vocational training and economic support specifically for survivors. Survivors also received education scholarships through WEL. Through the QLA, more than 200 survivors received education scholarships and over 100 survivors were provided economic inclusion support, and in 2016, one particularly poor survivor also received a house and several others had repairs made to their homes.[24]

Victim assistance providers and activities

Name of organization

Type of activity

Government

Centre for Medical Rehabilitation

Physical rehabilitation, community-based rehabilitation, prosthetics and wheelchair production: the only wheelchair producer in Lao PDR

Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE)

Capacity-building for health staff in prosthetics, orthotics, and physiotherapy through a network of five Ministry of Health rehabilitation centers nationwide; provided direct support for beneficiaries in collaboration with the Ministry of Health

National

Quality of Life Association (QLA) –Xieng Khouang province

Economic inclusion; information center; fundraising; education, peer support, and advocacy; immediate initial medical support to survivors through the War Victims Medical Fund (WVMF)

International

Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR)

Economic inclusion and livelihoods for persons with disabilities, especially for women with disabilities; accessible sports

Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International, HI)

Capacity-building of the rehabilitation sector; economic inclusion; support to the Laos Disabled People’s Association (LDPA); awarenessworkshops for the dissemination of the national disability-inclusive health and rehabilitation strategy to staff of the Center for Medical Rehabilitation and provincial rehabilitation centers and the faculty of medical technology

World Education Laos (WEL)

Financial support for initial medical treatment and continuing medical care in seven provinces; medical services capacity-building; income-generation activities; education support; and psychosocial support and follow-up

ICRC

Support to the physical rehabilitation sector

 



[1] NRA, “UXO Sector Annual Work Plan 2017 (Interim Update),” 19 September 2017.

[2] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Working Group on Victim Assistance, Geneva, 9 April 2014.

[3] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H.

[4] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H; and statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Seventh Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, September 2016.

[5] Notes from Monitor field mission to Lao PDR, 11–12 June 2015.

[6] Statement of Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Meeting of States Parties, Oslo, 12 September 2012; and Mine Ban Treaty Voluntary Article 7 Report (for up to end of 2010), Form J.

[7] Initial Report of the Lao PDR on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD_C_LAO_1), 6 October 2017.

[9] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme (PRP), “Annual report 2016,” Geneva, 2017, p. 52.

[10] Lao PDR, Initial CRPD Report, “Article 13: Access to justice,” 2017.

[11] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H; and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), “Civil Society Organization Report to the Second Session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022,” New Delhi, 2–3 March 2015, p. 3.

[13] “Universal Periodic Review (UPR 18),” Stakeholders Report prepared by Lao Disability Network, Lao PDR, coordinated by LDPA, undated but 2014.

[14] WEL, “TEAM Laos Project Overview,” undated; TEAM, “Project Updates,” undated; and interview with WEL VAST, Vientiane, 12 June 2015.

[15] Federal Grants, “Disability Sector Support Activity in Lao PDR,” 16 June 2017.

[16] ICRC, “Annual Report 2017,” Geneva, 2018, p. 350.

[17] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H.

[18] ICRC PRP, “Annual report 2016,” Geneva, 2017, p. 52.

[19] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H.

[20] TEAM, “Champion of Rehabilitation Medicine in Lao PDR: Associate Professor Dr. Bouathep Phoumind,” 26 April 2017.

[21] ICRC, “Annual Report 2017,” Geneva, 2018, p. 351.

[22] HI, “Countries we work in: Laos,” undated; and HI, “HI– Federal Information– Laos Country Card – 2017,” undated.

[23] HI, “Countries we work in: Laos,” undated; and HI, “HI– Federal Information– Laos Country Card – 2017,” undated.

[24] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form H.