CHIP VISITOR CENTRE

Between 1964 and 1973, during the Vietnam war Laos was involved in a so-called "secret" war. On the one hand the American, Thai, South Vietnamese and Philippine troops; on the other hand, the North Vietnamese army supported by the communist forces, namely the Soviet Union and China. For nine years, the US Air Force bombed the country, destroying villages and killing thousands of Laotians. The U.S. Army drops more than 260 million cluster bombs (compared to 97 million in Vietnam over the same period) and 30% of these are UXO (unexploded ordinance), munitions that have not exploded on impact. Today, it is estimated that nearly 80 million UXOs are scattered beneath Laotian soil.
COPE is a local co-operative founded in 1997, working in collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Centre, which manufactures and distributes prosthetic devices to UXO victims. The centre provides very interesting information and explanations (in English) on the extent of the bombings, the damage caused, the actions taken, and testimonies from victims. Documentaries, including Kim Mordaunt's Bomb Harvest, can also be seen in a cinema set up in a reconstructed bunker used by the Pathet Lao during the war that led to the 1975 revolution. A visit not to be missed! You can participate in your own way by buying items - cards, books, t-shirts, etc. - in the centre's shop or by making a donation.