Kratie, Cambodia, June 2013
It is the summer of 1970, people in Laos are already used to listening explosions every now and then in the forest and worst of all near their homes. By this time around is unthinkable to live close to the Ho Chi Min trail. The cold war has hit them hard and nobody at that times knows anything about it but themselves. The CIA and the US army disguised as a false airline company by the name Air America, alternate droppings in the zone with humanitarian help like rice, medicine and what was worst of all B-52’s, bombs to be more exact. Their objective was to cut down the supply of weapons and goods to southern Vietnam through the Ho Chin Min trail, the trail used by the Vietcong to fuel their efforts against the southern rebels and the US army. The other objective of this incomprehensible strategy of death was to stop the communist group of Laos by the name of Pathet Lao and support the Central Government of Laos headed by the king Savang Vatthana.
Different sources in the internet and guide books estimate that a B-52 impacted Laos’s territory every 8 minutes 24 hours a day between 1964 and 1973. A total of 260 million bombs were dropped but 80 million failed to explode, then. These bombs are still exploding today leaving a legacy of death and destruction with no one held responsible. These bombs also affected the development of the land. Especially in the Bolaven Plateu, where the Ho Chi Minh trail happened to be.
It is said in the Lonely Planet guide that the US media was banned from actually mentioning the country Laos in any of their reports, removing any trace of even suspicion of the genocide that was being committed by their government. Laos is regarded today as the most bombarded country per capital in the history of the planet and not many people are aware of that. My friend Alejandra Oseguera wrote a wonderful article about her experience with Milan, a son of the protagonists of the war and now owner of a bar called Bombie bar, a place that is filled with pictures, documentaries and evidence of the nightmare that these people had to go through. He says that sometimes when US Americans learn about this in his bar, they ask for immediate forgiveness, some of them even shed a couple of tears, for they had absolutely no idea of what had happened.
After so much terror and still consequences of the war being felt throughout the country you might think that the people would hold resentment to anyone entering its border for whatever reason. I remember our friend Xio, who received us in his house for a night, he told us that 30 years ago people from the villages would run away from the Falangs (Lao word for foreigner) because they were very afraid. But now and after a very short time of the war our experience has showed us that not only their fear has come to pass, but some of them are much eager to stretch a hand to help. For me this renews hope in mankind, a hope that signifies that with time and disposition forgiveness and healing can be achieved.
There is still much to do, but as we cycled the country and got more in contact with the people we found the main reason of this hope resides in its people. Sometimes while riding I could only think of the suffering and injustice that the people I was seeing were probably forced to endure. But my reflections were most of the times interrupted by a cheering, festive and happy Sabaidee (Hello in Lao) from these same people. I felt guilt for feeling pity for them because I could see in their eyes that they held no resentment to anyone whatsoever.
To them and to this wonderful country I dedicate these pictures that represent for me the spirit of its people. Because they reminded me that there will always be hope for those who learn to see the light even in their darkest hours.
A special thanks to Alejandra Osegura who gave me the opportunity to taste Phonsavan and meet Milan even though we did not cycle there.
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