State Department Official Visits UXO Programs in Laos

Deputy Assistant Secretary Stephen Ganyard of the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs visited Laos on April 25-29 to observe U.S.-funded clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The United States is the largest donor in this sector. In Vientiane, he received briefings from a number of Lao government officials and foreign donor organizations. In Xieng Khouang, one of the most heavily affected provinces, he visited a metal foundry that will be cleared of explosives by MAG, a non-governmental-organization, with U.S. funding. Accompanied by officials from UXO Lao, the Lao government’s clearance organization, he visited a village where clearance was underway. The village chief told Mr. Ganyard how pleased he was that he and his neighbors would soon be able to farm their fields safely.