I-Nong Khiaw, osebeni lomfula i-Nam Ou eNyakatho Laos-isithombe ngo-Dawn Starin |
Wngidabula imifudlana egcwele uhlaza futhi ngehla ngenyuka izintaba engekude kangako nedolobhana elithulile laseNong Khiaw osebeni loMfula iNam Ou enyakatho yeLaos, nganamathela kumqondisi wethu. Le ndawo yake yaba yingxenye ye-Ho Chi Minh Trail edumile futhi yaqhunyiswa kakhulu ngamabhomu abantu baseMelika phakathi neMpi YeVietnam.
Asizange sinyathele noma yiziphi izikhali ezingaqhuma (ama-UXO), kodwa sahlangana nendoda endala, ekhubazekile ihlezi emthunzini wesihlahla. Umqondisi wethu wasitshela ukuthi, "Eminyakeni engaba ngu-20 edlule walahlekelwa ukubona nemilenze yakhe kuma-UXO afihlwe emhlabathini lapho ehlanza indawo yepulazi lakhe. Kodwa, wayenenhlanhla. Umfowabo wafa." Lapho ngibuza ukuthi abantu basendaweni “bayabazonda yini abantu baseMelika ngalokho okwenzekile,” umqondisi wethu wachaza ukuthi “abantu balapha abanaso isikhathi sokuzonda, banesikhathi sokutshala nokuvuna nesokupheka nokudla kuphela.”
Ngakusasa ekuseni lapho ngizulazula edolobhaneni ngadlula ingadi eyayigcwele amabhomu amadala namabhomu kanye nezikhali zempi ezazingaziwa. Umnikazi wensimu, isisebenzi sokususa i-UXO esesathatha umhlalaphansi, wachaza ukuthi, "Lezi zipho ezivela emindenini kaKennedy kanye noJohnson kanye noNixon emindenini yethu zilapha ukuze kungabikho muntu okhohlwa ukuthi abantu bafa futhi basafa nanamuhla."
Emazweni aseNtshonalanga, ngenxa yemizamo yokuzibandakanya kosaziwayo, umhlaba uxwayiswe ngobungozi bama-UXO eMozambique naseCambodia. Eqinisweni, kwakuyiLaos eye yahlupheka kakhulu kunanoma yiliphi elinye izwe futhi yiLaos eqhubeka nokuhlupheka iminyaka eyishumi ngemva kweshumi leminyaka, cishe nama-UXO amaningi kunanoma yiliphi elinye izwe.
Kusukela ngo-1964 kuya ku-1973, i-United States yenza imisebenzi yokuqhuma kwamabhomu engaphezu kwengxenye yesigidi futhi yehlisa amathani angaba yizigidi ezimbili emigomeni nasemahlathini eLaos. Ngokwesilinganiso, indiza egcwele amabhomu yayina njalo ngemva kwemizuzu eyisishiyagalombili, ubusuku nemini iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye, okwenza iLaos ibe izwe eliqhunyiswe kakhulu ngamabhomu emhlabeni—umuntu ngamunye.
Lezi zinombolo azibandakanyi amabhomu ayizigidi ezingama-250-280 (amabhomu eqoqo), amaphesenti angama-30 awo asalele engaqhume phansi. Lezi zinombolo aziqali ukumboza amabhomu esandla, amarokhethi, namagobolondo asalele ngaphansi kwenhlabathi engaphezulu noma ama-defoliants kanye nezibulala-khula, okuhlanganisa i-Agent Orange.
I-US yayingakaze ilwe ngokusemthethweni neLaos. ICongress ayizange ivume futhi abantu baseMelika abazange baziswe. ILaos yayiyizwe elingathathi hlangothi. Imithetho yamazwe ngamazwe evimbela ukuhlaselwa kwamazwe angathathi hlangothi yaphulwa. I-U.S. yayiyishaya indiva imithetho. Nakuba i-Geneva Convention ivimbe izikhali zamakhemikhali, i-U.S. ayizange ikushaye indiva lokhu futhi yehlisa i-napalm ne-dioxin.
Isitjali sebhomu e-Laos-isithombe ngo-Dawn Starin |
Ngokusho kweLao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme-inhlangano esebenzela ukufundisa umphakathi, ukunciphisa inani labantu abalimala, ukuqinisekisa ukuvuselelwa nokusekelwa kwabasindile be-UXO, nokwandisa indawo etholakalayo yokukhiqiza ukudla-lezi "zipho" zishiye ngaphezulu. kunamakhilomitha-skwele angama-87,200 omhlaba, ezweni lonke elingamakhilomitha-skwele angama-236,800, engcupheni yama-UXOs.
Ngo-2006, i-UNICEF yenze ucwaningo nge-UXO Risk Education Needs futhi yathola ukuthi kunezinga eliphezulu lokuqwashisa nokuthi bobabili abantu abadala kanye nezingane bayaqonda izingozi ezihlobene nama-UXO. Kodwa-ke, izakhamuzi ezihlala ezindaweni eziningi ezimpofu zivame ukubhekana nokuqiniswa okuphoqelelwe. Kuphakathi kokuthi bayaqhubeka nempilo yobumpofu obukhulu noma bazama ukufaka ama-UXO ezimpilweni zabo. Akukho ukukhetha ngempela. ILaos iyizwe elimpofu kakhulu elinabantu abakhulayo. Ngeshwa, lokhu kusho ukuthi kunengcindezi eqhubekayo yokwandisa ukukhiqizwa kokudla emhlabeni ongcolile. Abalimi abaphelelwe yithemba kumele balinganise indlala ngokutshala ukudla emasimini avundile kodwa anezimayini.
Ngokusho kwelinye ilungu le-Lao National UXO Program, "ama-UXO awagcini nje ngokwenza kube nzima ukulima umhlaba, futhi akwenza kube nzima ukwakha imigwaqo edingeka kabi nezikole nezibhedlela ezindaweni eziningi zasemaphandleni. Futhi, abantu abalimele cishe ngeke bakwazi ukuya esibhedlela.Ngisho noma befika esibhedlela futhi bathole ukwelashwa, bazokhubazeka kabuhlungu impilo yabo yonke futhi babe umthwalo emndenini wabo ngoba bengakwazi ukuzondla. isimo esingenakwenzeka lapha."
I-Landmine Monitor, umkhankaso wokucwaninga nokuqapha woMkhankaso Wamazwe Ngamazwe Wokuvinjelwa Kwezibhomu Ezigqitshwayo, ihambisana nokukhathazeka kwalesi sisebenzi se-UXO. Banqume ukuthi iningi lezisulu liphuma ezinhlangeni ezincane ezihlwempu ezindaweni zasemakhaya, kanti izibhedlela kanye nezikhungo zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo zisezindaweni zasemadolobheni, okwenza ukunakekelwa kwezempilo nokwelapha kube nzima.
Ukuhambahamba emadolobheni amaningi namadolobhana asenyakatho yeLaos, kusobala ukuthi abantu abaningi baye baphendula lezi zikhali zaba amathuluzi akhayo. Izigxobo zothango, izigxobo zengadi, izisekelo zendlu namajoyinti, abatshali bezindlu, amabhodwe okupheka, izimbazo, amasikela, izinsimbi zezinkomo nezimbuzi, izitebhisi, imigodi yokosa inyama, izigaxa kanye nama-anvils kungezinye zezinto ezicatshangwayo engizibonile. Amalambu, amabhodwe ezimbali, izihlalo, kanye namathini kadoti aklanywe ngokomthetho avela ezindaweni eziningi zokudlela, ezitolo, nasemahhovisi abhekelela ukuhweba kwezivakashi e-Luang Prabang.
Lapho ngitshela isisebenzi se-UXO ukuthi lokhu kubonakala kuwukusetshenziswa okuyingqayizivele nokwakhayo kwezinto ezake zacekela phansi, wachaza ukuthi “amabhizinisi angathembekile, abaklami bangaphakathi, abavakashi abacebile kanye nezakhamuzi zakwamanye amazwe bakhokha imali enhle ngalezi zikhathi zempi. izinsalela kanye nabalimi abampofu banesinye isisusa sokuphuma babeke izimpilo zabo engozini…. Lokhu akuyona into okufanele ibongelwe; lokhu kufanele kumiswe. Abantu abampofu balahlekelwa izimpilo zabo ngoba abantu abacebile bafuna ukuba nezikhumbuzo zempi zangaphandle njengezinto zokuhlobisa. ."
Abadayisi bezinsimbi ezilahliwe nabo bangenisa imali ngokunyuka kwamanani ensimbi. Manje ama-UXO asephenduke isivuno semali. Kuthiwa izakhamuzi zibolekwa—ngokuvamile ngenani—imishini yokuthungatha insimbi eshibhile ukuze iye emaphandleni ifuna imadlana eyengeziwe yokondla imikhaya yazo.
Ngambuza ukuthi uyayibona yini indlela yokuyiyeka lento. “Cha,” esho. “Ayikho indlela esingavimba ngayo abantu ukuthi bafune futhi bazame ukuqoqa izinsimbi inqobo nje uma abantu bempofu futhi nenani lezinsimbi ezilahliwe liphezulu…. Njengamanje, ngokwesibonelo, ngenkathi mina nawe sihlezi lapha sikhuluma phakathi. Luang Prabang, imindeni yonke esiFundazweni saseKhammoune iphuma nemitshina yensimbi eshibhile ukuze iqoqe noma yini engayithola ukuze idayise. Babeka ukuphila nezitho zabo engozini."
Izikhali ezikhonjiswe engadini ehhovisi le-UXO LAO eLuang Prabang-isithombe ngo-Dawn Starin |
Ngabuza ukuthi bangaki abantu abafa minyaka yonke. "Ngeshwa, ayikho impendulo. Akukho datha ethembekile. Akubona bonke abalimele nokufa okubikwayo. Ngokusemthethweni kube nezingozi ezingu-11,000 13,000 kuya ku-1973 2000 kusukela ngo-XNUMX kuya ku-XNUMX futhi cishe ingxenye yazo yabulala. Eqinisweni, akukho database jikelele ekhona futhi lokho kusho ukuthi kungase kube nokubikelwa okuningi, izidumbu eziningi esingazi lutho ngazo."
Ngokwenhlangano iLegacies of War, bangaphezu kuka-34,000 abantu, iningi labo okuyizingane, asebeshonile noma balimele selokhu kwamiswa ukuqhuma kwebhomu. Okungenani abantu abasha abangama-350 bafa unyaka ngamunye.
Isikhulu se-UXO sathi, "Esifundazweni saseLuang Prabang phakathi neminyaka eyi-9 edlule, sasusa okungenani izingcezu ze-21,000 zezinhlamvu, kuhlanganise namabhomu eqoqo le-10,000. Futhi, kufanele uqaphele ukuthi i-Luang Prabang yayingesinye sezifundazwe ezincane kakhulu eziqhunyiswa ngamabhomu. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi eLaos kunamabhomu ayizi-79,500,000 250 XNUMX. Amaphesenti angu-XNUMX azo zonke izigodi athintekile.Kuzothatha okungenani iminyaka engu-XNUMX ukuhlanza iLaos—okungenani lokho.Mhlawumbe kuningi kakhulu.Ngokuqinisekile, hhayi esikhathini sokuphila kwami noma eyakho noma noma ubani ophilayo namuhla. UXO-wise lena cishe indawo embi kakhulu emhlabeni. Kodwa, kwazi bani? Ngazo zonke izimpi eziyimfihlo eziqhubekayo nawo wonke amabhomu abulalayo awela phezu kwe-Afghanistan ne-Iraq, ezinye izindawo zingase zisibambe. . Abantu abafundi. Ohulumeni—uhulumeni waseMelika—akakwazi ukufunda noma mhlawumbe abakwazi ukunakekela.”