Key
developments since May 2001: In 2001, 8.74 million square meters of land
were cleared in nine provinces. Mine risk education was provided to an
estimated 182,000 people in 766 villages. According to UXO LAO records, 35
people were killed and 87 injured by UXO or mines in 2001.
MINE BAN POLICY
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos)
has not acceded to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. In the general debate of the UN
General Assembly’s First Committee in October 2001, a Laotian
representative stated, “We share the concern of the international
community over the deadly consequences caused by the indiscriminate use of
anti-personnel landmines. In this respect, while noting the Ottawa Convention,
our view remains that States have the legitimate right to use such weapons for
the defense of their national independence and territorial integrity as provided
for in the Charter of the
UN.”[1]
Laos for the first time participated as an observer in the annual Meeting of
States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, held in Nicaragua in September 2001. On
this occasion the Lao delegate called for financial support for mine and UXO
clearance in Laos, but made no comment about intentions regarding the Mine Ban
Treaty.[2] Laos also attended
the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing Committee meetings in January 2002,
but it did not participate in the May 2002 meetings. From 13-15 May 2002, the
director of UXO LAO (the national implementing agency for mine/UXO action)
attended the regional seminar, “Landmines in Southeast Asia,”
hosted by Thailand in Bangkok. He made a presentation on mine clearance, but no
remarks on the ban treaty.[3]
Laos also participated in the regional seminar of stockpile destruction held in
Malaysia in August 2001.
Laos has been absent from every vote on the pro-mine ban UN General Assembly
resolutions since 1996, including Resolution 56/24M in November 2001. Laos is
party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its original Protocol
II on landmines, booby-traps, and other devices but it did not participate in
CCW meetings including the second review conference.
PRODUCTION, TRANSFER, STOCKPILING, USE
Laos is not thought to produce or export mines.
Laos is believed to maintain a stockpile of antipersonnel mines, but no specific
information is available. It is believed that there are some old minefields in
use for security and border control in the north of the
country.[4]
Laos is mainly affected by unexploded ordnance
(UXO). The problem is the legacy of the Indochina War, especially from 1964 to
1973, when it is estimated that more than two million tons of ordnance were
dropped on Laos.[6] Of 18
provinces, 15 report significant contamination from UXO.[7] More than 25 percent of villages
have reported UXO
contamination.[8] The most
severely contaminated area in the country is the eastern border of Savannakhet
province, where the Ho Chi Minh Trail used to
be.[9]
As the population is growing, wells are being dug and land prepared for
agriculture activities, but it is difficult to select sites to develop for
irrigation and agriculture purposes as there is a high risk of hitting a mine or
UXO when using a hoe or
plow.[10] The high UXO
contamination has had an impact on development, slowing down or even causing the
abandonment of projects. Mine/UXO clearance priority is given to areas of
public utility such as schools, clinics, hospitals and roads. Many agricultural
areas needing demining are considered too small for immediate action. It is
reported that villagers resort to demining themselves, driven by the need to use
land and ensure family food
security.[11]
MINE/UXO CLEARANCE
UXO LAO is responsible for clearance activities
throughout the country.[12] The
UXO LAO national mission is to “reduce deaths and injuries from UXO and to
open up land for agriculture and other
development.”[13] To
pursue its mission in opening up land, UXO LAO uses five types of clearance
operations, including roving clearance, surface area clearance, shallow area
clearance, deep area clearance, and deep search. Roving clearance teams are
teams that respond to emergency requests where the presence of UXO is a threat
to villagers and property. In 2001, roving teams made 2,107 visits to villages
in nine provinces.[14]
In 2001, UXO LAO clearance and roving teams removed or destroyed 82,724
explosive war remnants, including 513 landmines, and 37,520 bombies. A total of
8.74 million square meters of land was
cleared.[15] The targeted
clearance of 9.5 million square meters for 2001 could not be met due to weather
constraints in some provinces.
In 2001, UXO LAO received the support of six international Partners: Handicap
International Belgium, Mines Advisory Group, World Vision Australia, Norwegian
People’s Aid, GERBERA and a detachment of Belgian Military Advisors.
Handicap International Belgium, funded by the European Union, provided
explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technical advisors and equipment in
Savannakhet province. In 2001, EOD technical advisors focused on capacity
building of district and provincial office staff. They also developed a level
of competency to measure progress of the capacity building effort. Handicap
International Belgium is planning to withdraw from Savannakhet by the end of
2004.[16]
World Vision Australia has provided technical advice and training for UXO
clearance in Khammouane province since 1999. In 2001, the EOD training program
included advanced render safe procedures for bombs, advance recovery procedures,
and on-the-job training.[17]
Mines Advisory Group (MAG), based in the UK, began clearance in Xieng Khouang
province in 1994, and in Saravane province in 1997. By the end of 2000, MAG
completed the process of transferring operations to UXO LAO; MAG handed over to
UXO LAO trained personnel and about US$1 million worth of equipment. In 2001,
MAG provided technical expertise to assist UXO LAO with total quality management
and training.[18]
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has been operational in Sekong and Attapeu
provinces providing training to UXO LAO technical personnel. At the end of
2001, NPA transferred responsibility for the provincial work to UXO LAO. In
2002, NPA is supporting UXO LAO with a financial advisor and a senior advisor
engaged in EOD training and monitoring field
operations.[19]
GERBERA is a commercial demining company based in Germany. Since 1996,
GERBERA has been developing UXO LAO’s clearance capacity in Houaphan
province and since 1998 in Luang Prabang
province.[20]
The government of Belgium has provided four military EOD advisors to support
UXO LAO in Champassak province. The support will continue to
2003.[21]
As a major step in the development of national capacity building in the first
half of 2002, the first Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal course was conducted
at UXO LAO’s National Training Center, in Y’lay
village.[22]
The UXO LAO target for 2002 is 8.09 million square meters of land cleared,
including 5.75 million square meters of agricultural land. UXO LAO is also
engaged in clearance in support of a number of internationally-funded
development projects aimed at: building schools; constructing walking paths,
access roads, bridges, irrigation canals, fishponds and wells; creating
infrastructure such as irrigation and drainage canals to improve crop
production; and building infrastructure for water and sanitation projects. UXO
LAO plans 1,392 visits to villages by roving teams to remove surface
ordnance.[23]
The Survey Unit of UXO LAO is responsible for the collection of data that is
used to prioritize areas to be cleared. Survey members use Global Positioning
Satellite (GPS) units and maps to identify the exact location of UXO. In 2002,
UXO LAO is continuing to adapt its database to be compatible with the
Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA).
Costs of Clearance
According to UXO LAO, in 2001 the average cost of
clearance was US$3,551 per hectare (US$0.36 per square meter). Costs ranged
from US$1,563 per hectare cleared in Xieng Khouang province to US$9,338 per
hectare cleared in Khammouane
province.[24]
COORDINATION AND PLANNING OF MINE ACTION
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare is
responsible for the coordination and implementation of UXO clearance and
awareness activities. The Ministry hosts and chairs meetings of the National
UXO LAO Steering Committee and provides assistance and coordination with other
ministries and provincial authorities. The National Steering Committee is the
policy making body for UXO LAO and provides guidance and direction. It includes
representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security,
and a representative from each of the nine mine/UXO-affected provinces, the
National Programme Director, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF).[25]
Each UXO LAO Provincial Headquarters identifies its own priorities through
consultation with provincial and district authorities. They prepare work plans
that are then submitted to the UXO LAO National Office for consolidation and
resource planning prior to acceptance and approval by the National Steering
Committee.[26]
In 2002, one of the goals is to work toward the creation of a National
Authority for UXO action. The National Authority is expected to ensure a proper
regulation of every UXO-related activity in the country and to coordinate with
concerned ministries on overlapping interests and responsibilities. It will also
be a focal point for the international mine action
community.[27]
MINE/UXO RISK EDUCATION
UXO LAO Community Awareness (CA) teams continue to
provide mine/UXO risk education. Using a participatory approach the CA teams
deliver their messages through school presentations, question and answer
sessions, radio quiz shows, drama, puppet shows, games and group discussion. The
CA teams coordinate and cooperate with implementing partners including UNICEF,
Lao Women’s Union, Lao Youth Union, Ministry of Education, the Lao
National Drama and Puppet Troupes and national and local radio and
television.[28] UNICEF funds
many of the UXO awareness projects.
During 2001, the CA teams visited 766 villages and presented Mine/UXO
Community Awareness activities to an estimated 182,000 persons, including 75,000
children. In 2002, UXO LAO plans 753 visits to
villages.[29]
In 2001, UXO LAO, with support from UNICEF, conducted three small-scale
studies into Behavior/Attitudes/Knowledge of communities related to CA team
visits. The results overall showed that there was a high level of understanding
and awareness of UXO issues in villages where CA teams have visited. However,
this knowledge does not necessarily translate into behavior change, particularly
among young boys and men who gain social status from the perception that people
who handle UXO are brave. Economic, social-cultural, physical and technical
factors interact in determining unsafe behavior. The studies were limited to 12
villages in three different
provinces.[30] As follow up to
the study, UXO LAO plans to undertake an in-depth study on UXO awareness and the
numerous interlocking factors related to UXO
incidents.[31]
MINE ACTION FUNDING
Total mine action funding for Laos in 2001
amounted to an estimated US$7.5 million, including about US$4.1 million for UXO
LAO and about US$3.4 million provided directly to NGO
partners.[32]
Total expenditures for UXO LAO in 2001 were $4,089,348. Most of this came
from the UXO LAO Trust Fund: $3,406,307.00. Additional funds from UNICEF
($235,076), the UXO LAO revolving fund ($418,514) and the US State Department
($29,451).[33]
In 2001, the Trust Fund received funds from Canada (US$95,074), Denmark
($586,581), Finland ($290,957), Luxembourg ($250,000), the Netherlands
($532,712), New Zealand ($173,581), Norway ($279,230), and the United States
($879,643).[34]
Contributions to implementing partners in 2001
include:[35]
Australia provided World Vision Australia with US$593,154 for mine/UXO
clearance in Khammouane province.
Belgium provided $496,074 and an in-kind contribution (no estimated value
available) of EOD advisors for Champassak province.
The European Union provided €700,000 ($670,264) to Handicap
International Belgium for its operations in
Savannakhet.[36]
Germany provided $868,900 to Laos for Gerbera’s operations in Houaphan
and Luang Prabang provinces.
Norway provided NOK 3.5 million ($388,888) to Norwegian People’s Aid
for assistance in Attepeu and Sekong provinces.
The United Kingdom aid agency DFID provided $302,455 to MAG in Saravane
province for part of
2001.[37]
The United Nations Volunteers, through the United Nations Voluntary Special
Fund, supported the Provincial Staff Capacity Building Project with
$112,500.
In addition to the above information provided by UXO LAO,
Denmark reports that it provided $1,965,783 to the Mines Advisory Group in
2001.[38] Canada reports that
it provided US$228,621, including $96,873 for UXO LAO and $131,748 for a Garneau
International victim assistance
program.[39]
The United States has been the largest donor to the Lao mine and UXO
clearance program, having contributed almost US$18 million since the fiscal year
1996. It supported training programs and capacity building to the Lao National
Demining Office and National Training Center. The US reports that in 2001 it
provided US$520,000 to the UXO LAO Trust Fund, and US$293,000 for demining
equipment.[40] UXO LAO reports
that in 2001, US in-kind donations included: Equipment Support for US$682,000;
Truck Procurement for US$360,000; Advanced Training for
US$700,000.[41] The United
States has confirmed its intention to continue supporting LAO UXO through the
UNDP Trust Fund in 2002.[42]
The UXO LAO operational budget for 2002 is US$4.9 million, plus a 3 percent
Trust Fund administration charge to
UNDP.[43] As of March 2002, UXO
LAO had received or had a commitment for US$3.2 million from the United States,
Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Japan, and New Zealand. Additional funding was
pledged by the Republic of Korea (US$50,000), The Netherlands (US$500,000),
Canada (US$100,000), and UNDP (UNMAS Voluntary Trust Fund, US$100,000), plus
estimated interest from 2000 and 2001 (US$150,000) for a total of
US$900,000.[44]
As of March 2002, UXO LAO had a US$844,028 funding shortfall for 2002. UXO
LAO stated this lack of funding threatens closure of activities at some time
during the year.[45] Landmine
Monitor was informed that as of 15 July 2002, work would be reduced in all
provinces, except Xieng Khouang, due to funding
constraints.[46] It was
expected that the situation would be temporary.
UXO/LANDMINE CASUALTIES
In 2001, 122 new UXO/mine casualties were reported
in Laos; 35 people were killed and 87 injured. Of these, 92 were males and 30
were females. Children make up 42 percent of the reported casualties. Precise
information is not available on whether the casualties were caused by UXO or
landmines, though most if not all were caused by
UXO.[47] Data collection on
mine/UXO casualties could be improved and it is very possible that the number of
incidents is under-reported.[48]
Reported casualties increased in 2001; in 2000, 39 people were killed and 63
injured by UXO.[49]
UXO/Landmine Casualties 2001
Number of Casualties
Xieng Khouang
13
4
9
6
7
2
11
Savannakhet
32
9
23
12
20
9
23
Champassak
24
11
13
7
17
6
18
Attapeu
15
5
10
1
14
4
11
Sekong
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
Houaphan
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
Saravane
6
1
5
2
4
2
4
Khammouane
9
3
6
3
6
1
8
Luang Prabang
21
2
19
19
2
6
15
Total
122
35
87
51
71
30
92
[50] On 15 March 2002, two
members of a UXO LAO clearance team were killed in a UXO explosion in Xieng
Khouang province.[51]
SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE
UXO incidents frequently produce upper body
injuries, including blindness, loss of upper limbs, and lacerations. In Lao PDR,
medical and surgical facilities with the capacity to adequately assist mine/UXO
casualties are limited. UXO incidents frequently produce upper body injuries,
including blindness, loss of upper limbs, and lacerations. Health care is
unavailable to persons who cannot afford to pay for it, and some services are
only available in the capital, to which few of the rural poor have
access.[52] The cost of
treatment is often beyond the means of the victims. In Khammouane Province,
World Vision Australia assists mine/UXO casualties by paying for transportation
to a medical facility.
The War Victims Assistance Project, supported by the US Leahy War Victims
Fund and administered by Consortium Laos, was started in September 1995 to
upgrade the medical, surgical, and emergency services of district and provincial
Lao medical personnel and institutions in Xieng Khouang Province. As of May
2002, one provincial and five district hospital have received medical equipment,
supplies, and assistance in emergency ward rehabilitation/renovation, and more
than 300 medical staff received training in emergency rehabilitation or
laboratory services. Under the War Victims Medical Assistance Fund, 79 UXO
casualties had access to free medical
treatment.[53]
The Ministry of Public Health’s National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC)
and the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) continues to
provide prostheses, orthoses, and other assistive devices, to persons with
disabilities, including mine/UXO survivors. The work of COPE is governed by a
National Plan of Action. COPE’s services are delivered through the NRC in
Vientiane, and four provincial centers in Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang,
Savannakhet and Champassak
provinces.[54] The National
Plan of Action includes: advancing prosthetic services; introducing or upgrading
other medical rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational
therapy, orthopedic surgery, and wheelchairs; the promotion of social and
economic reintegration services by developing athletics and improving access to
vocational training; and developing the capacity of the Lao Disabled
People’s Association.[55]
COPE provides travel expenses for patients who need to come to the Vientiane
center. The Provincial branches outside of Vientiane still suffer from a lack of
equipment, and under skilled
staff.[56] The Provincial
branches cannot produce prostheses. At the NRC in Vientiane, with the
assistance of COPE, activities are run at inpatient clinics, and a school for
the deaf and blind. The center provides accommodation for patients and their
family. COPE activities are funded by World Vision Australia/Laos and a small
grant from a Japanese charity; new sources of funding are being
sought.[57]
In December 2000, AAR commenced a three-year wheelchair production project at
the NCR. Following training in wheelchair production by AAR there are now six
technicians and six disabled persons working on the project. In December 2001,
the construction of a new wheelchair production workshop at the NCR was
completed. The project is fully funded by the Japanese International
Cooperation Agency.[58]
A Canadian NGO, Garneau International, collaborates with Laotian partners in
the sector of landmine/UXO survivor rehabilitation and socio-economic
reintegration.[59] The Canadian
funded project works closely with survivors, their families and communities, and
the Xieng Khouang Province Rehabilitation Center and includes analysis of the
survivors situation, assistance in the area of socio-economic reintegration, and
assistance to Lao government institutions in developing viable community-based
rehabilitation programs.[60]
In January 2001, a Vocational School for the Disabled opened in Ban Sikeud in
Vientiane Prefecture, built and operated by the St Paul Foundation. It enrolled
102 students with a variety of mobility disabilities in a three-year vocational
training program.[61]
The Lao army has its own hospital and rehabilitation center but many military
veterans are treated at the NRC as the army hospital often lacks supplies and
equipment.[62]
UXO LAO is not involved in mine/UXO survivor assistance programs, and it has
been reported that there is a lack of communication between UXO LAO and COPE,
which is compounded by the fact that two different ministries are involved.
Although the Trust Fund founding document makes provision for the support of
survivor assistance programs, currently COPE and the NRC do not have any access
to Trust Fund support.[63]
DISABILITY POLICY AND PRACTICE
There are currently no disability laws in
Laos.[64] There is a move to
develop national plans on comprehensive rehabilitation and prevention of
disabilities, including protection of legal rights of disabled persons at the
national level.[65]
In July 2001, the constitution of the Lao Disabled People's Association
(LPDA) was formally approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare,
having first submitted its proposal in 1996. Activities of the LPDA include
organizing vocational training courses for disabled people and workshops and
conferences on disability issues. In 2001, the LPDA was supported by the Diana,
Princess of Wales Memorial
Fund.[66]
A National Workshop on Mine/UXO Victim Assistance took place in Vientiane on
11-12 October 2001, organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and
supported by Handicap International. Phetdouangechanh Ekbanland, Director of
the International Cooperation division of the Ministry of Labour and Social
Welfare, opened the National Workshop. In his opening speech he stated,
“It is the first time and therefore a very important moment for Lao PDR to
organize a workshop on Mine/UXO Victims Assistance.... It is quite evident that
victims should receive medical treatment. However it is also important to
provide physical and mental rehabilitation as well as to assist the victims and
their families in socio-economic development. Finally the country needs to
develop a better policy and protection to ensure the rights of the People With
Disability (PWD) to have a normal life. The Lao government is considering with
great attention any proposition to strengthen the policy of the party and the
government to assist people who are affected by
mine/UXO.”[67]
Sixteen persons representing Lao PDR attended the Regional Victim Assistance
Conference in Bangkok, 6-8 November 2001, including the Director of UXO LAO, and
the Director of Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Labour and Social
Welfare.
[1] Statement by Ambassador Alounkeo
Kittikhoun, Permanent Representative of the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic to the UN, New York, 16 October
2001. [2] Landmine Monitor Asia Regional
Coordinator’s notes on oral remarks of Lao delegate to the Third Meeting
of States Parties, Managua, 19 September 2001.
[3] Bounpone Sayasenh, National
Programme Director, UXO LAO, “Mine Clearance and Technology: Laos’s
Experience,” Bangkok, 13-15 May
2002. [4] Interview with an expatriate
of a Foreign Embassy, Vientiane, 6 February
2002. [5] See Landmine Monitor Report
1999, p. 483, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 504, for a fuller description
of the landmine and UXO problem in
Laos. [6] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, pp. 550-551 for more details. [7]
Handicap International Belgium, Living with UXO: Final Report National Survey on
the Socio-Economic Impact of UXO in Lao PDR,
1997. [8] Email from Kathryn Sweet,
Programme Office Advisor, UXO LAO, 1 August
2002. [9] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001. [10]
Interview with Dr. Michael Handlos, Program Director, Action Nord Sud,
Vientiane, 5 February 2002. [11]
Ibid. [12] See earlier editions of
Landmine Monitor Report for details on history and structure of UXO
LAO. [13] Lao PDR, “Report on
National Workshop on Mine/UXO Victim Assistance,” Ministry of Labor and
Social Welfare, Vientiane, 11-12 October
2001. [14] UXO LAO, “Progress
Summary Report: 01 January 2001-31 December 2001,” Vientiane, 31 December
2001. [15]
Ibid. [16] Interview with Luc
Delneuville, Handicap International Belgium Country Director, Brussels, 19 June
2002. [17] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001, p.
24. [18]
http://www.mag.org.uk/framindx.htm. [19]
NPA, Humanitarian Mine Action Portfolio,
2002. [20] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p. 10; email from Kathryn Sweet, Programme
Office Advisor, UXO LAO, 1 August
2002. [21] See country report on
Belgium. [22] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
21. [23] Ibid..
14-15. [24] UXO LAO, “Real Cost
and Productivity Analysis Year 2001,” Vientiane, May
2002. [25] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001, p.
7. [26]
Ibid. [27] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
16. [28] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001, p.14. The radio quiz shows have been very
popular and successful, with villagers often writing to the radio station to
request their village host a quiz
show. [29] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
16. [30] Email from Amanda Bissex, Child
Protection Officer, UNICEF, Vientiane, 12 April
2002. [31] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
19. [32] The UNDP Trust Fund Manager
estimated direct funding to partners at US$900,000, largely from Belgium and
Germany. Email, Justin Shone UNDP Trust Fund Manager, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 3
July 2002. [33] UXO LAO,
“Financial Information for 2001,” tables provided to Landmine
Monitor, received in email from UXO LAO, 9 July 2002. The US funds are NADR
1998 monies. [34]
Ibid. [35] Email from Kathryn Sweet,
Programme Office Advisor, UXO LAO, 1 August 2002; and UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001. [36]
HIB reports that this figure is the entire 2001 budget for the Handicap
International Belgium program, which included the contribution of Handicap
International Belgium and Handicap International Luxembourg. Luc Delneuville,
Handicap International Belgium, Country Director, Landmine Monitor Mine Action
Questionnaire, Vientiane, 27 February
2002. [37] MAG reports £210,210 for
July 2001-June 2002 and notes that further funding is not expected from DFID.
Email to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Tim Carstairs, Director for Policy, MAG, 30
July 2002. [38] See Landmine Monitor
country report for Denmark. [39] See
Landmine Monitor country report for
Canada. [40] The US Department of State,
“To Walk The Earth In Safety,” November 2001, p.
19. [41] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, March 2001. [42]
Interview with Justin Shone, UNDP Trust Fund Manager, Vientiane, 8 February
2002. [43] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2001,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
24. [44] UXO LAO, Funding 2002 Report
presented at the UXO LAO National Steering Committee Meeting and Donor
Fundraising Appeal. Vientiane, 7 February
2002. [45] UXO LAO, “Work Plan
2002,” Vientiane, May 2002, p.
25. [46] Email, Justin Shone UNDP Trust
Fund Manager, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 3 July
2002. [47] UXO LAO Summary Report of UXO
Accidents 1 January – 31 December 2001, issued by OPS, UXO
LAO-Vientiane. [48] Interview with
Amanda Bissex, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF, Vientiane, 7 February 2002.
See also Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
555. [49] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 554. [50] “Rising death
toll claims UXO Lao officials in Xieng Khuang province,” Vientiane Times,
22 March 2002. [51]
Ibid. [52] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 555. [53] War Victims
Assistance Project, Lao PDR, Project Fact Sheet,
http://www.usaid.gov/pop_health/dcofwvf/wv/laosdet.html; See also Landmine
Monitor Report 2001, p. 555. [54] COPE
is a partnership between the Ministry of Public Health, Prosthetic and Orthotic
Worldwide Education and Relief (POWER), World Vision, the Cambodian School for
Prosthetics and Orthotics (CSPO), and the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR).
See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
555. [55] Portfolio of Landmine Victim
Assistance Programs, September 2001, p.
74. [56] Interview with Azadi Saryev,
Administrator and Finance Officer, COPE, NRC, Vientiane, 5.February
2002. [57] Email from Azadi Saryev,
Administrator and Finance Officer, COPE, NRC, Vientiane, 11 April
2002. [58] Portfolio of Landmine Victim
Assistance Program, accessed at
www.landminevap.org. [59] Email to
Landmine Monitor (MAC) from Mavis Mains, CIDA Mine Action Unit, 23 July
2002. [60] The project is funded by the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Email to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Mavis Mains, CIDA Mine Action Unit, 23 July
2002. [61] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 557. [62] Interview with Wendy
Moss, Australian Volunteer International, NRC, Vientiane, 5 February
2002. [63] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 556. [64] Ibid., p.
557. [65] Interview with Luc
Delneuville, Program Director, Handicap International Belgium,Vientiane, 8
February 2002. [66] Portfolio of
Landmine Victim Assistance Program, accessed at www.landminevap.org; see also
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
557. [67] Opening Address by Somphan
Phangkhammy, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Chairperson of UXO Lao, and
President of National Committee for Disabled People, to the National Workshop on
Mine/UXO Victims Assistance, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Vientiane,
11 October 2001.
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