Monday, September 12, 2011

Mountains Worth Crying Over

Allan Soutaris posted a nice blog on August 28th on his visit to Laos by motorbike for Back In A Bit. He has some great pictures from his journey but also a nice account including his visit to the Mines Advisory Group in Phonsavan that is working on the removal of UXO (unexploded ordnance) from Laos.

A big thanks to everyone who continues to blog and discuss this issue. US-based groups like Legacies of War still need your support to help legislators understand the history and need of the Lao people and other Southeast Asian communities to be free of these terrible weapons. Unexploded cluster bombs and other munitions cover over 30% of the countryside and it will take decades before enough of them can be completely removed to consider it reasonably safe. Many of today's UXO victims are children whose parents weren't even alive when the war ended.

America leaves many legacies in the many nations it touches. We can do much more to ensure we have responsible policies to ensure that our legacy in Southeast Asia is a positive one.

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