Buried, U.S. Bombs in Laos
Big Story
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58m
Tiny Laos has the sad distinction of being the most bombed country in history because of an overt military intervention by the U.S. During the Vietnam War, the Nixon administration dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos, more than twelve times the amount dropped on Japan in World War II, or a ton of bombs for every person living in the country. Almost a third did not explode, and for decades, up until now, these bombs have killed and maimed scores of people in rural areas and paralyzed economic growth.
In this poor, little-known Southeast Asian country, we follow an all-women bomb disposal team working to clear the countryside of hidden dangers. Along the way, we meet with bomb victims struggling to survive and the organizations that are leading rehabilitation and land reclamation efforts. Drawing on rare archival footage, activists and security experts unpack the dark story behind America’s “Secret War” and the lack of accountability that endures to this day. For Laotians, the impact is anything but secret.
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