What I Learned On The Ground In Laos

From the desk of Murphy Nosanchuk, Legacies of War Advocacy Ambassador, Intern Emeritus, and Mines Action Fellow

There is a tangible difference between the academic knowledge of a subject and the application of that knowledge. When I began my work with Legacies of War in 2021, it was during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I worked remotely, seeing faces periodically over Zoom and getting a crash course in modern Laotian history through videos and books. I knew the thip khao was a mascot of our organization, but I had never seen one in person. I talked about my job with friends and family, talking about this country that I had to point out on a map and only knew a handful of things about. Academically, I understood Legacies’ mission and why it was important, but there was something that did not click until I actually stepped foot in Laos.

The ground itself is not magic. I didn’t step foot off the plane and instantly start speaking Lao. I was fighting a twelve-hour time difference and had a weekend in Luang Prabang to do some tourism before the actual work began in earnest. I had never been in Southeast Asia before, and I knew there were certain things I just wanted to do. I knew Laos was the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita, but I also knew there were myriad Buddhist temples, flavorful soups, and elephants to see. I made sure to see all of them in my time, each one turning a bullet point on a list into something I had actually experienced.

Before heading to the airport to leave Luang Prabang, I stopped at the UXO Lao Visitor Center. After a weekend of wats and kaipen, this small museum pushed through the barrier that many tourists, myself included, put around themselves. While there were many amazing experiences awaiting me in Vientiane, this museum set in stark relief the fact that I was here to do a job. The world is a complicated place, and amongst all the wonders of Laos—sometimes directly beneath them—lay remnants of the Secret War that can and have thrown thousands of lives into disarray. It was the first time I had seen cluster munitions in person. I saw rusted 1911 handguns and a pair of first-generation M16s, laid out not as memorials to the valiant soldiers of the US military as I have seen them in every other museum, but as remnants of aggression. As an American, that changes things. There is context in these spaces, and they put everything else into perspective.

Of all the opportunities I had while in Laos, the most impactful to me was the chance to help teach children about the history of UXO. Most of them had never heard of these dangers, putting them at the same risk as countless children across the globe who may see a bombi and think it is a toy. But as we discussed the history and the dangers, even in careful terms, it was clear that these kids understood the gravity of the situation. I recall one girl saying that she had goosebumps just from the concept, and that has stuck with me. Before going to Laos, I knew the statistics of UXO death. I knew that children were disproportionately affected. But in that classroom, the thought of putting faces to numbers seemed impossible. Something clicked inside me that can never be shut off. It is profoundly unfair that these children need to learn about these sorts of things at a young age, and it is an unmatched tragedy that children like them can and will come to actual harm due to the persistence of UXO. For me at least, there is no moving past that.

Of course, it is not just the next generation that left an impact. If you are reading this, you may have had the pleasure of speaking with people like Sera Koulabdara, Anna Phommachanthone, and Lee Po Cha. I met advocates working today to bring about a world free from UXO, heard their stories, and had the privilege to work alongside them in person. I had worked with Anna and Sera back in 2021, but that was limited by Zoom and hundreds of miles. On this trip, I was able to get face to face with new and former coworkers, advocates from across the US and the world working together to ensure that future generations are free from UXO. If you have never sat in on one of Legacies’ calls, I highly recommend it. If you have but have never been to Laos, I highly recommend it. Working back in 2021 was fulfilling, but being able to dive in fully was something without comparison. The more you give yourself to the movement, the more it offers back to you. I wouldn’t have believed that until I did it, but now that I have, I can agree without hesitation.

It is easy to feel disconnected from things that feel far away. Modern life makes it easy to check Instagram, see a post about an important topic, and then just scroll past and forget about it a moment later. There’s a structure of checking boxes and squaring away tasks as completed once a minimum has been passed. Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. If you are reading this, you already know that. Laos is a beautiful country full of wonderful people and is also the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. Again, these two facts are easy to just read and move past. But if one opens oneself to complexity, to digging deeper and engaging with the complicated realities on the ground, scrolling past becomes a thousand times harder.

Several weeks later, as the holidays bring family together to talk about the past year, I find myself asked a lot of questions about Laos. Where is it? Is the food spicy? Why did I go there? Unlike previous years, I could now not only answer questions as to what kinds of things happen in Laos, but also begin to answer some of the why questions. In past years, I had understood why Legacies’ mission was so important on an academic level, but now I think I am beginning to really understand the motivation that drives Legacies and countless local and international partners towards the goal of a world free of UXO. I have seen a world not free of UXO, and I now feel the push to advocate for people across the globe who deserve better. The trip has sparked within me a genuine desire to no longer teach children about the dangers of UXO, but to teach them about the history of UXO and the brave people who made said danger a thing of the past.