laos Archives - Antiwar.com

For Cluster Bomb Survivors, War Far From Over

VIENTIANE, Laos – Eighteen-year-old Phongsavath Manithong rubbed his eyes with the back of his arms as he described how his life changed forever. He was not even born yet when U.S. military pilots dropped millions of tiny explosives onto Laos. But almost four decades after war ended for this South-east Asian nation, it is people … Continue reading

Cluster Munitions Treaty Leaves US Behind

BANGKOK – A campaign to rid the world of cluster munitions has still to rope in the U.S. government, a major producer and stockpiler of the deadly payload, on the eve of a key global conference in Laos to ban its production and use. The mixed messages that Washington has been sending are expected to … Continue reading

Laos Takes Center Stage in Cluster Bombs Treaty

BANGKOK – After being relegated to the shadows for decades by its more powerful neighbors, Laos is finally taking the lead role in a global campaign to ban the use of cluster bombs. It is a role that the poverty-stricken South-east Asian nation of 6.3 million people easily qualifies for. After all, it is the … Continue reading