UXO LAO – CMAC SUCCESSFUL COMPLETED THE FOURTH ON-THE-JOB-TRAINING

  The fourth theme of exchange focused on “Technology Application  and Methodology Development; Survey and Clearance and SOP”  and was carried out through four-weeks-on-the-job-training, including   two weeks in Cambodia and two weeks in Lao PDR

 There were 11 participants attending the whole course of four-week   on-the-job-training, 5 for CMAC and 6 for UXO Lao and they are  working  core persons  who are working in operation sections in CMAC  and UXO  Lao Headquarters and  Provincial offices/Demining units.

 The first session took place from 24^th April – 5^th June 2016 at CMAC   Headquarters in  Phnom Penh, Demining Unit 5 and UXO site visit in   Kompong Cham province, Technical  Institute of Mine Action and   Harvesting Program Site in Kompong Chhnang  province. The second   session in Laos took place from 22^nd May – 02^nd June 2016 at UXO Lao Headquarters in Vientiane and Xiengkhuang Province.

In addition to the training program, both sides organized for city sightseeing on weekends of the first week of training, participants were given a chance to visit various tourist and historical sites in Siem Reap province, Vientiane capital and Xiengkhuang province.

On the last day, all training participants had share what they have gained from four-week on-the-job-training with UXO Lao and CMAC management, along with Senior representatives of JICA Lao office and representative from JICA Cambodia office. At the end of the closing ceremony, certificates of completion were distributed to all training participants, handed-over by UXO Lao Director Mr. Thiphasone SOUKHATHAMMAVONG, and H.E. Mr. Ek BOLIN, Director of Support and Human Resource of CMAC and Mr. Shunsuke SAKUDO, Senior Representative of JICA in Lao PDR at UXO Lao Headquarter.

Dr. Khampheng XAYSOMPHENG paid a visit to UXO Lao in Xiengkhuang

Between 28 – 31 March 2017, His Excellency Dr. Khampheng XAYSOMPHENG, Labour and Social Welfare Minister and Prof. Dr. Chaleun YEARPAOHER, Minister to the Prime Minister Office, Government’s Spokesman and delegations visited to Vientiane, Xaysomboun, Xiengkhuang and Huaphanh Provinces to steer the works of labour and social welfare.

On this occasion, Minister and his delegations also paid a visit to UXO Lao Xiengkhuang Province and its clearance site.

Photo credit to: Labour and Social Welfare Information’s Facebook Page.

Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited UXO Lao in Champasak province

On 23 February 2017, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium, accompanied by her delegations paid a visit to UXO Lao in Champasak province.

During this visit, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited mine risk education teams in Nongsai village, Bachieng district, Champasak province and was briefed by UXO Lao Director Mr. Thiphasone Soukhathammavong on UXO Lao operation in Lao PDR, detailing UXO Lao’s achievement since its establishment in 1996 and mine risk education operation.

Mr. Thiphasone highly valuated on this visit of Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium and also expressed his highly thanks to the government of Belgium for continuous support on UXO clearance  in Lao PDR.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia of U.S Department of State visited UXO Lao’s Clearance Site in Xieng Khouang

On 16 January 2017, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia of the U.S Department of State. W. Patrick Murphy visited UXO Lao’s clearance site in Phou Houm village, Pek, district, Xieng Khuang Province.

Mr. Murphy and his team was briefed by UXO Lao’s Provincial Coordinator, Mr. Kingphet Phimmavong on the site information, including progress so far since the team began to work on the site in Mid-December 2016 and expected to complete the site by Mid-March 2017.

In addition, UXO Lao Director, Mr. Thiphasone Soukhathammavong also explaining about “UXO Lao’s New Concept of Operations”, particularly on the new survey and clearance which now focusing on an evidence based.

UXO Lao thanked the Deputy Assistant Secretary for visiting the site.

New US Ambassador paid a visit to UXO Lao’s Technical Survey Site in Savannakhet Province

On 4 November 2016, the new US Ambassador to the Lao PDR, Ms. Rena Bitter, paid a visit to a UXO Lao technical survey (TS) site in Tam Louang village, Nong district, Savannakhet province.

Ambassador Bitter was able to observe the field base team operating in the site to survey and generate the boundary of UXO contamination, established as Confirmed Hazardous Area (CHA), and logged for later clearance.

She was briefed by the TS team leader Mr. Chonevilay SOULINTHONG at the start of her visit. The team had begun working on the site on 31 October 2016, with five cluster munitions or bombies (type BLU 26) found so far. Some parts of the site are covered by dense jungle which causes problems for the team. The team leader said that this could be helped by having a vegetation-cutting team to support the work. This would increase the pace of the survey and clearance.

Before leaving the site, the Ambassador was given the chance to activate the detonation of all five cluster bombs that the team found on that day (see picture).