DECLARATION
On the long-term consequences of war in
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
“The past, far from disappearing or lying down and being quiet, has an
embarrassing and persistent way of returning and haunting us,
unless it has in fact been dealt with adequately.“
— Desmond Tutu, recipient of Nobel Peace Prize 1984
Wars do not end when the bombs stop falling and the fighting stops. The devastation continues long after, in the land and in the minds and bodies of the people. Years have passed since the conclusion of the wars that for decades tormented Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; but throughout the region, innocent victims are still suffering.
People continue to be maimed and killed by the millions of explosive devices left behind from the war. The victim is often a child who chances upon a landmine or unexploded bomb while playing with friends or walking to school; or it may be a farmer whose plow strikes a shell hidden in the earth. These human tragedies affect entire families and communities. During peacetime, there have been at least 50,000 deaths in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, plus countless injuries. The number continues to grow, month after month.
On the long-term consequences of war in
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
“The past, far from disappearing or lying down and being quiet, has an
embarrassing and persistent way of returning and haunting us,
unless it has in fact been dealt with adequately.“
— Desmond Tutu, recipient of Nobel Peace Prize 1984
Wars do not end when the bombs stop falling and the fighting stops. The devastation continues long after, in the land and in the minds and bodies of the people. Years have passed since the conclusion of the wars that for decades tormented Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; but throughout the region, innocent victims are still suffering.
People continue to be maimed and killed by the millions of explosive devices left behind from the war. The victim is often a child who chances upon a landmine or unexploded bomb while playing with friends or walking to school; or it may be a farmer whose plow strikes a shell hidden in the earth. These human tragedies affect entire families and communities. During peacetime, there have been at least 50,000 deaths in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, plus countless injuries. The number continues to grow, month after month.