A hiddenunexploded bomblet, known in Laos as a `bombie’, exploded on Tuesday in Paek District, Xieng Khouang province, tragically killing one child and injuring five adults and seven other children.
The lead of the hospital’s surgical team, Dr Sivay Vongthongchit, has informed the public that three people were severely injured and have undergone surgery to remove the shrapnel, while one of the victims remains in critical condition in the provincial hospital.
While the remaining victims with minor injuries had also received treatment at the hospital, they were quickly taken care of and discharged.
Dr Sivay stated that badly injured patients would need treatment for several days but assured that the provincial hospital would be able to care for them.
The disastrous event occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Nhotngeum Village, at a Hmong family home where relatives and children of the family had gathered for a traditional ceremony.
Chief of the district Police Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel Khamphay Phomchaleun explained that, the relatives were helping the host to prepare food and the children were playing in the front yard when the bombie exploded.
The Lieutenant Colonel speculated that the bombie may have detonated as a result of the the children giving off vibrations from jumping rope in the yard.
The bombie likely belongs to one of more than 270 million cluster munitions that showered Laos during the Indochina War (1963-1974) when US warplanes discarded over 2 million tonnes of ordnance across the small country.
Up to 30 percent of the fatal weapons failed to erupt, establishing Xieng Khuang as one of the most heavily-bombed provinces in Laos.
An official from the province’s Labour and Social Welfare Department announced that a non-government organisation was offering assistance and support to the survivors in addition to what is provided by the state.
Though three UXO explosions in Xieng Khuang were reported last year resulting in seven injuries, no lives were claimed.
Statistics have shown, that since the end of the war in 1975, UXOs have killed and crippled tens of thousands of civilians in Laos.
TEDxLanexangAve Releases Much Anticipated Videos of Talks
TEDxLanexangAve has released the full videos of each of its speakers’ talks on its official YouTube channel. This is the first time that a TEDx event has been organized in Laos.
The Idea of Laos | Anoulak Kittikhoun
What is the idea of Laos? The idea of Laos, like all ideas, is based on two things and two things only: the place we are located in, and the history of this place. In an increasingly competitive, highly integrated, technologically advanced world, is this idea of Laos sufficient?
Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun researches, writes and speaks about how ideas shape an organization, nation, region and the world. A political scientist by training, he graduated as an International Valedictorian from the Australian National University and received his Master and Doctor of Philosophy from the City University of New York. In his past life, he was a staff of the United Nations Secretariat (the first international staff from Laos) and a college professor in New York. He has published on the UN, conflict management, international relations, revolutions and Laos, in which his article won best award from the American Sociological Association. In his current day time, he serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at the Mekong River Commission.
Why Laos was Bombed: The Enemy is me | Mike Boddington
How was it that the most powerful nation on earth, the most technologically advanced, the wealthiest, could spend nine years bombing the heck out of one of the weakest countries on earth, one of the least technically advanced, one of the poorest?
Educated in agriculture and economics, Mike Boddington became an academic at London University in 1967 under the tutelage of Professor Gerald Wibberley, the doyen of countryside planning in UK. Mr. Boddington left the sheltered confines of academia and established a rural planning consultancy, in 1972, which took him all over the world.
He visited Lao PDR in August 1994 to assess the need and established a project with the Ministry of Health. COPE, a cooperation between the Ministry and international NGOs, was established in 1997. Wanting to have a representative of the Lao disabled community, Mr. Boddington established the Lao Disabled People’s Association in 2001. To generate a longer term, sustainable income for COPE, a Visitor Centre was created in 2008 and recently visited by U.S. State Secretary and President Obama.
Pragmatism is a passion killer | Sebastien Perret
Around the world, there are many NGOs, many international organisations, working to regulate and distribute humanitarian aid. Most of these NGOs use a pyramidal management model, where decisions are taken at the very top, and those affected at the bottom are seldom asked if they like the solutions.
Because many of these organisations are very big, they have heavy bureaucratic systems and a tendency to be very pragmatic, not tailored enough to the problem at hand
Sébastien Perret thinks that both form and contents are equally important. Alongside with a team of 8 passionate Laotians in 2010, he helped build up the first ever emergency ambulance service, literally from scratch. Today, Vientiane Rescue counts 220 volunteers and helped save more than 25,000 people for the last 6 years. Vientiane Rescue is more than just a rescue service. It’s a true miracle that could teach the whole word a lesson of generosity, dedication and selflessness. Thanks to its non-paid volunteers, Vientiane Rescue provides a fair, timely and compassionate service to a 800,000 inhabitants city.
From Fear to Fearlessness | Amy Chanthaphavong
Fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It helps us to stay alive. Fearlessness is NOT about winning. It’s about courage and living your life with boldness, unafraid of the outcome. It is freedom from FEAR.
Amy Chanthaphavong was the first Laotian-American woman to be crowned Miss Asian America in 2009, the longest running Asian pageant in the U.S. As Queen, she traveled across the U.S. and abroad as a goodwill ambassador and a leader in the Asian American community. She actively utilized her title to bring awareness to social causes such as Human Trafficking, Education, Preservation of the Family Unit and her parents’ native country – Laos.
My Philosophy of Giving | Sanva Saephan
Knowing that giving is good and can bring so many benefits to us, I am sure the next logical thing that follows in the mind of everyone here is “How to give?” That is the hardest part, isn’t it?
Once you secure the commitment from the receiver, it already demonstrates the context of good giving. How to make good giving to become great giving? The joy of giving is amazing if one can achieve “great giving”.
Displaced by the Secret War in Laos from 1963 to 1973, tens of thousands of highland Laotians, Mienh and Hmong people made perilous journey across the Mekong River to seek temporary refuge in various camps scattered across Thailand. Sanva was also among one of the refugees and only migrated to Bokeo, a province in the north of Laos, in 1994.
While in Singapore, San Saephan published his very first book in 2013 titled “Stateless: Diary of a Spirited Boy at Napho Camp” with the proceeds going towards building a much-needed primary school in his hometown. Continuing from the success if his first book, Sanva, in 2014, published another book titled “Transition: A Journey in Laos” with the proceeds going towards constructing a vocational training center for the less fortunate female in Vientiane.
Currently, he is the founder of Yaonoy Center, an educational social enterprise, to provide an affordable language enrichment class to students from all walks of life.
The Lesson Is Never Just a Number | Sousada Chidthachack
Lessons about grit and mathematics. “Grit” is persevering despite the obstacles. “Mathematics,” for many people, is about overcoming obstacles, or problem solving. It is safe to say, mathematics mirrors life.
Dr. Sousada Chidthachack is a champion of education. Currently at University of San Francisco, she serves as the Upward Bound Math and Science STEM Education Coordinator. In this role, she prepares and inspires first-generation college students for careers in STEM fields. Dr. Chidthachack has traveled to over 25 countries on six continents while earning a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Her research and professional work has been presented nationally and internationally in Brazil, Cambodia, China, Germany, Laos, Thailand, and South Africa.
In an effort to improve the country’s healthcare services and human resources development, management administrators from five major hospitals recently met in Vientiane to review effective management methods.
The one-week course, occurring under the Swiss Laos Hospital Project, included patient services management, quality health services, and issues surrounding human resources and development.
Participants in the training also studied a variety of other topics including framework corporate culture, strategic planning, organisational leadership, good governance, financial management, human resource management and change management in regards to project management.
Deputy Director of the Healthcare Department under the Ministry of Health, Associate Prof Dr Bounnack, stressed the importance of improving hospital management in Laos, stating that that it was imperative for us to increase our understanding of hospital management, especially amongst hospital administrators across the country.
It was added, that sometimes senior officials who are undergoing training don’t always necessarily have experience in human resources development or patient service management because they are specialists in other types of healthcare.
However, these same doctors, nurses and medical staff still can’t adequately provide quality standards for certain types of medical services because they lack adequate knowledge of management practices, which means they don’t always look after their patients as well as they should, says Associate Prof Dr Bounnack.
In previous years, The Ministry of Health collaborated with various hospitals around Vientiane and conducted meetings and workshops to gain an understanding among doctors, nurses and medical staff about the importance of providing quality healthcare services.
Unfortunately, hospital administrators still lack the capacity and knowledge to manage these services and their associated issues.
Before the ministry can expand and implement this model to other hospitals in the country, the Deputy Director explained that this course must first be successful in bridging the gaps and laying the foundation as an example for hospital management in Laos.
Deputy Director General of Mahosot Hospital, Associate Prof. Dr Ounkham Phanthaly, said he believed the workshop had an important role to play in the development of capacity and knowledge of hospital administrative staff.
“We think that if we want to solve problems in healthcare services we should start with hospital administrators because they are the ones who will make the decisions on most issues within their organisations,” Associate Prof. Dr Ounkham stated.
Hospital management aspires to protect the rights and benefits of members of the public in regards to delivery of medical treatment and reducing the number of complaints.
The broader policy aims to provide people of all ethnic groups with quality treatment on an impartial basis.
Lao New Year, known as Pi Mai Lao, is traditionally celebrated for only three days from April 14-16. This year it has been extended to five days .
Officials have announced that since April 15th and 16th occur on a weekend (Saturday and Sunday), April 13 (Thursday) and April 17 (Monday) will officially be added as public holidays in compensation.
The government has requested for all state departments and citizens of the country to celebrate the national festival in hopes of preserving the traditions and customs of the Lao people, as well as promoting tourism.
In an announcement made by the Prime Minister’s office earlier this week, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport was called upon to work with the necessary sectors to launch a road-safety campaign and facilitate traffic to ease congestion during the holiday.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce was instructed to confer with relevant sectors to guarantee an ample supply of food and goods available in local markets at this time of high demand. Furthermore, the relevant authorities were advised to oversee that merchants do not take advantage of the public, by raising prices unreasonably,
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism was advised by officials to collaborate with other provinces across the country to encourage people to celebrate Pi Mai Lao in line with Lao traditions and customs.
During the holiday, numerous activities will be organised nationwide with special attractions occurring in major towns and at popular tourist sites. These activities draw a massive number of domestic and foreign visitors, who enthusiastically take part in water fights and other scheduled events.
Traditionally and as the New Year approaches, local authorities will announce the details of activities to be organised in certain locations.
The project for expansion of the Vientiane International Airport terminal is now falling behind schedule. Construction began in December 2015 and is expected to be complete by 2018.
According to the project’s monthly schedule, construction should have been at 16 percent completion by last month but has only progressed to about 13 percent.
However, Project Director Mr Sengsangouane is confident the project will be back on schedule by the middle of the year.
A variety of factors have contributed to the setback of the extension, including a lack of coordination between the sectors involved, delays in the import of equipment and materials and document approvals.
The airport expansion is one of the government’s priority projects. The passenger terminal building, access roads, car park, rapid exit taxi lane and other facilities are all set to be renovated to accommodate the future increase of people passing through its terminals.
The upgraded facility will allow for passengers to travel comfortably, assist in a boost to tourism for the country, and permit new international routes to be introduced.
In keeping with the country’s economic growth rate, which exceeds 7 percent annually, airline passenger demand in Laos has significantly increased in recent years.
According to recent reports, Wattay International airport was accommodating about 202 international and 270 domestic flights per week.
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of passengers passing through the airport increased by 9 percent on average each year.
In 2014 the airport accommodated 690,000 international and 300,000 domestic passengers and is projected to serve an additional 1.9 million international and 460,000 domestic passengers by 2023.
To facilitate the renovation of the deteriorating 50- year-old domestic terminal, services have been relocated to a temporary terminal built in October of 2016.
As of December of last year, the west side of the international terminal has had its foundation established, while the east side of the terminal, piling work has been carried out to support the building.
According to the Embassy of Japan to Laos and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
the west side of the terminal and its concourse are expected to be functional in August 2017 while the east side is expected to accessible in December 2017.
The airport continues to play an important role as a position for economic activities, serving as the main gateway into Laos.
The project is being financed by a concessional loan from the Japanese government of about 9 billion Japanese yen.
While Lao Nationals hit an all time high for travelling abroad in 2016, as previously reported by The Laotian Times, the number of foreign visitors entering Laos has dwindled after several consecutive years of visitor growth.
According to statistics provided by the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Laos reported an average annual growth in foreign tourist arrivals of 10.7 percent over the past five years. However, in 2016 just over 4.23 million foreign visitors came to the country – a drop of 10 percent since 2015,
Collectively, visitors from the other nine ASEAN member countries dropped by an estimated 14 percent to 3 million people. Tourists from the Asia Pacific region dropped by 11 percent to about 3.9 million people, and visitors from the Americas dropped by 3 percent to just 86,211 people.
Though the number of tourists from some regions have increased, it is marginal compared to how many visitors the country has lost overall. Visitors from Europe, and Africa and the Middle East, increased by 2 percent and 6 percent last year to 221,952 people and 11,263 people respectively.
Travellers from Thailand and Vietnam, the majority of foreign visitors to Laos, dropped significantly to just over 500,000 visitors.
An official gave several potential reasons for the decline of visitors to the country, explaining that Thailand has been encouraging their citizens to take tours in their own homeland by offering special promotions and incentives.
This includes granting Thai nationals the ability to claim a reduction on their personal income tax, equivalent to what they spent while on holiday if they spend it within the country.
Additionally, the number of foreign tourists entering Laos in previous years was boosted by Vietnamese workers entering the country on tourist visas and finding work illegally.
However, governments within ASEAN, including Laos, have been strictly enforcing measures to regulate foreign workers, which is speculated to have deterred Vietnamese workers from entering Laos, thus reflecting a decrease in the number of Vietnamese in Laos on tourist visas.
The official also brought up that the cost of living in Laos has increased and could also be a contributing factor for the vast reduction in visitors. Living costs in neighbouring countries, for example, Thailand are significantly lower than in Laos.
The official suggested that Laos should attempt to put more effort into attracting tourists from Muslim countries. By providing prayer rooms in public places along with promoting halal restaurants the country would be more welcoming to Muslim visitors if such facilities were provided, especially in the provinces.
Statistics indicate that visitors from Muslim-majority countries like Brunei and Indonesia have dropped by 44 percent and 17 percent to just 484 and 5,010 visitors respectively in 2016.
It is urged for Lao tourist authorities to do more to promote tourism in the country, starting with an official comprehensive website where all tourism-related information can be obtained. The website should include tourist attractions, transportation, accommodation, a calendar that indicates when and where a cultural festival will take place and any other related costs visitors should anticipate.
It was added that the Tourism Development Department is requesting insight from other departments regarding the decline in tourist entries in order to identify common grounds and take steps to remedy the situation.
Tour facilitators have expressed that a lack of tourist activities, underdeveloped facilities at tourist sites, and the absence of direct flights to many countries seemingly discourage tourists and are factors that need to be addressed.
Thanks to the stimulated economy and continuing socio-economic development in Laos, reports show that in the first two months of 2017, approximately 9000 vehicles have been newly registered.
The Vientiane Public Works and Transport Department disclosed that just in January and February alone, there were 8,972 newly registered vehicles, bringing the number of newly registered vehicles in Vientiane Capital to 807,991 units since 2000.
Newly registered vehicles this year contain 5,642 motorcycles, 808 sedans, 483 pick-up trucks, 489 jeeps, 119 vans, 406 heavy trucks and 25 buses.
A total 0f 69,000 newly registered vehicles was reported for 2016.
It is speculated by the authorities in the department that the purchasing volume of vehicles has increased due to the boost of civil servant’s’ monthly salaries.
As a result, the influx of vehicles has heavily contributed to traffic congestion and road accidents within the city of Vientiane. Last year, more than 1,000 road accidents were reported nationwide.
This Facebook link thumbnail image template was created by Christian Karasiewicz, owner of www.christiankonline.com
Last month, the month of Love, Express Food Group Co, a the subsidiary of RMA Group offered a special campaign for customers of The Pizza Company, Swensen’s and Dairy Queen at all store branches to win one of three special prizes: a trip to Phuket, and two round-trip tickets from Vientiane-Bangkok, generously provided by Bangkok Airways.
All clients from February were eligible to receive a coupon to participate in this campaign and all of the coupons were drawn in order to find the winners on 11 March 2017 at the Pizza Company at Vientiane Centre. The event was attended by Mr Korbsouk who was a representative from Bangkok Airways, Mr Matthieu Hotel) who is the General Manager of Express Food Group, Ms Monemany Sopha, a marketer of Express Food Group.
The lucky winners were
Ms Sengaloun Soundala residing at Phonepapao Village. Mob: 7712 1488
Mr Daosavath Dethphommathed residing at Phonethun Village. Mob: 020 98066662
Mr Phetsana Souvannaphong residing at Phonethun Village]
Please follow us on The Pizza Company Laos, Swensen’s Laos, Dairy Queen Laos, Texas Chicken Laos Facebook pages. We offer special campaigns every month. So, don’t miss out!
