VZCZCXRO0108
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHVN #0926/01 3611000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271000Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1714
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNS/COMSOCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENTIANE 000926 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS BESTIC 
STATE FOR PM/WRA HUTCHENS 
DOD FOR OSD SCHUBERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KHDP PREL LA MASS
SUBJECT: LAOS: ANNUAL UXO MEETINGS HIGHLIGHT U.S. 
CONTRIBUTIONS; JAPAN POISED TO TAKE FUNDING LEAD 
 
REF: VIENTIANE 914 
 
1:  Summary:  UXO Lao and the National Regulatory Authority 
(NRA) held year-end meetings to discuss 2007 achievements on 
removal of unexploded ordnance and to look ahead at 2008 
workplans.  UXO Lao is on track to clear approximately 21% 
more land in 2007 than in 2006, with U.S.-funded initiatives 
helping to improve productivity.  UXO Lao,s projected FY 
2008 budget deficit does not take into account the expected 
sharp U.S. funding cut foreseen in the current USG FY 2008 
budget.  The United States will likely lose its position as 
the largest donor to the sector in FY 2008 to Japan.  Current 
projections show Japan giving $2 million in FY 2008, while 
the U.S. is scheduled to only give $1.4 million.  The NRA 
claimed a number of accomplishments for 2007 including the 
publication of national UXO clearance standards as well as 
completing preparation for the first comprehensive UXO victim 
survey to take place in 2008.  This survey, which should 
finally give government and donors reliable statistics on the 
number of UXO accident victims, will be updated each year. 
In order to help maintain political support for further aid, 
donors encouraged the NRA to seek out more funding from the 
Lao Government for the UXO sector.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
"Explosive" Donor Visit Covers 2007 Achievements and 2008 
Plans 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶2.  UXO Lao held its annual donor field visit December 5-7 in 
Saravan province.  The purpose of the trip was to remind 
donors of the reality of what they fund, discuss progress in 
2007, and then approve UXO Lao,s 2008 workplan.  In 
addition, attendees had the opportunity to blow things up, 
including a number of cluster bombs (or bombies as they are 
called in Laos) and some large 500 pound bombs.  The 
explosions did a fine job of concentrating donors on the 
tangible importance UXO Lao,s work. 
 
¶3.  Mr. Bounpone Sayasenh, National Program Director for UXO 
Lao since its inception in 1996, briefed donors on UXO Laos' 
2007 progress report.  According to Mr. Bounpone, 2007 was an 
excellent year.  Although statistics were only available 
through October 2007, UXO Lao had already cleared 2,274 
hectares, 96% of its goal and 21% more than was cleared 
through October 2006.  The national strategic plan, the "Safe 
Path Forward," had called for clearing only 1800 hectares in 
¶2007.  Mr. Bounpone and his team were clearly proud of the 
progress they have made in increasing UXO Lao,s productivity. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
U.S. Funded Initiatives Improve Productivity 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Driving the improvements in productivity are a number of 
management initiatives, many funded by the United States.  A 
2005-2006 study on clearance systems made clear the 
importance of using UXO detectors such as the Vallon VMXC1 to 
help speed clearance rates.  Tuned to detect objects the size 
of half a BLU-26 bombie with fuse (the national standard), 
UXO detectors such as the Vallon greatly increase 
productivity by not requiring the operator to stop to check 
every small piece of metal that mine detectors catch.  The 
vast majority of UXO Lao,s 1,235 detectors are designed to 
clear mines and thus detect even minute amounts of metal. 
Because Laos is covered with scrap, clearing using regular 
detectors is much slower; UXO Lao believes new UXO detectors 
could increase clearance rates by 50%.  UXO Lao currently 
owns 64 Vallons, funded by the USG and Irish Aid.  It plans 
to purchase an additional 230 with non-U.S. funding. 
(Comment: Ref A reports Vice Foreign Minister Phongsavath's 
discussion with PACOM,s Admiral Keating in which VFM 
Phongsavath raised the need for additional equipment.  This 
is an area where increased U.S. funds could make an immediate 
difference.  UXO Lao needs to replace about 800 mine 
detectors with UXO detectors.  Although expensive (the 
Vallons cost 2,650 euros apiece), new detectors would lead to 
an immediate jump in clearance speed and bring Laos closer to 
reaching the end-state foreseen in the Laos UXO country plan. 
 End Comment.) 
 
¶5.  Mr. Bounpone also discussed the importance of the 
U.S.-sponsored enhanced technical survey (ETS), which the 
delegation saw in action.  The ETS allows UXO Lao to make 
judgments, based on available data and spot checks, as to 
whether a plot of land needs to be cleared or can be released 
 
VIENTIANE 00000926  002 OF 003 
 
 
for use.  ETS teams are working in five provinces: 
Luangprabang, Savannakhet, Xiengkuang, Champassack, and 
Sekong.  UXO Lao intends, as funding is available, to deploy 
ETS teams in the remaining 4 provinces where it operates in 
¶2008.  It estimates ETS could release up to 20% of the land 
targeted for clearance, although these plots would need to be 
classified as "released" and not cleared.  The Lao government 
is currently working on legislation to support "released" 
land and cover liability issues. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Planning for 2008 and the plea for cash 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  UXO Lao also presented its 2008 workplan for the donors 
to discuss and approve.  Although donors did not have a 
chance to preview the plan prior to the meeting, the plan 
does not contain many surprises: an increased emphasis on ETS 
usage, exploration of new technologies such as the 
geophysical survey, an increased budget for purchasing 
vehicles and detectors, and an estimated $976,730 shortfall. 
This assumes the U.S. will pay, as previously agreed (subject 
to availability of funds), the operating costs for 
Savannakhet and Champassack provinces.  However, the current 
FY 08 budget cuts U.S. funding to UXO Lao by approximately 
one-third and is no longer sufficient to fund the costs of 
clearing the two provinces; UXO Lao is not yet aware of this 
contingency. 
 
¶7.  Although not raised officially in Saravan a number of the 
donors discussed the need for the Lao government to begin 
funding some of the UXO Lao budget itself.  "Mine action" in 
Laos is essentially paid for by foreign donors, although the 
government does provide buildings.  This discussion spilled 
over into the evening, and the topic was then raised at the 
National Regulatory Authority (NRA) annual review, held 
December 12 and chaired by NRA Director Dr. Maligna 
Saignavongs. 
 
------------------- 
Finding its sealegs 
------------------- 
 
¶8.  The NRA itself remains a work in progress.  In his 
December 12 review of 2007 Dr. Maligna was careful not to 
exaggerate the NRA,s achievements.  He did, however, make 
the case that, as a young agency within the Lao Government, 
the NRA was still developing critical relationships with 
other Ministries (many of which sit on the Board which 
theoretically oversees the agency and determines policy) and 
finding its raison d,etre.  The NRA's key achievements for 
2007 include: 
     Development of National UXO Clearance Standards. 
     Development of a Certification process for UXO 
operators and the first accreditations of Milsearch and 
Bactec, both commercial firms. 
     Installation of the UN,s Information System for Mine 
Action (IMSMA) as the basis for the national Lao UXO database. 
     Development of new Mine Risk Education materials. 
     Development of a comprehensive program to collect UXO 
victim information nationwide. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
2008 Victim Survey Should help clarify extent of problem 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶9.  One of the NRA,s chief objectives is to reduce the 
number of UXO incidents to fewer than 100 people a year. 
Reaching this objective requires good data on the number of 
incidents per year, something which does not exist.  Outside 
of a 1997 Handicap International study which documented 
11,000 people killed or injured by UXO between 1973 and 1996, 
there is precious little hard annual data on accidents.  This 
should change in 2008, as the NRA is moving forward with a 
two-step plan to first gather data on all UXO victims and 
accidents since 1964, and then begin a process to collect 
data on current UXO victims.  The survey will be carried out 
by the National Rehabilitation Center and the Ministry of 
Health.  A previous plan announced in mid-2007 fell apart due 
to bureaucratic infighting related to the control of the 
survey.  Assuming the new survey goes ahead, it should allow 
the NRA to focus UXO clearance, education, and victim 
assistance efforts to areas with high ongoing accident rates. 
 
 
¶10.  Another important development for 2008 is the detailed 
 
VIENTIANE 00000926  003 OF 003 
 
 
workplan which the U.S.-funded technical assistant (working 
via Armor Group North America) helped draw up in consultation 
with the Lao government.  Having set out a clear roadmap, 
including timelines, responsible parties, and budgets, the 
NRA does not lack for direction.  It will, however, need 
strong leadership.  Dr. Maligna is a savvy former Lao 
diplomat who was brought out of retirement to run the NRA. 
Although he has agreed to stay at least through 2008, his 
work and that of his successor will be critical to the NRA,s 
long-run success.  The current favorite among donors is Mr. 
Bounpone, Director of UXO Lao.  Although not quite as 
well-connected as Dr. Maligna, his knowledge of the UXO 
situation and players in Laos is second to none, and Mr. 
Bounpone has shown an unusual ability to manage people and 
his current organization.  Financial controls at UXO Lao have 
also given donor confidence in Mr. Bounpone,s ability to 
manage a budget without leakage, an important issue when the 
entire sector relies on foreign financing. 
 
---------------------------- 
No Longer the Largest Donor? 
---------------------------- 
 
¶11.  The United States has donated more money to the UXO 
sector in Laos than any other country, more than $30 million 
since FY 1993.  It is in danger of losing its crown as the 
largest yearly donor to the Japanese, however. The Japanese 
Government raised its contributions in the recent past, 
giving $1.6 million in FY 2006 and $2.0 million in FY 2007. 
If Japan maintains its FY 2007 numbers in FY 2008, it will 
likely assume the mantel of the largest donor to the UXO 
sector in Laos.  Jun Yoshida, program coordinator for UXO at 
the Japanese Embassy, is cautious about FY 2008 funding 
levels.  A planned FY 2008 USG budget of $1.4 million for UXO 
removal in Laos gives the Japanese government plenty of room 
to come out ahead. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
GOL urged to commit funds to UXO clearance 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶12.  At the NRA meeting, the Swiss representative raised the 
importance of the Lao government taking greater ownership of 
the UXO program by providing at least some funding.  The 
Swiss Government recently donated $1.5 million to the UXO 
sector, of which approximately $500,000 is going to the NRA 
to fund the majority of its FY 2008 budget; the Swiss will 
also provide two technical assistants.  The National 
Strategic Plan, written in 2003, calls for a yearly $50,000 
contribution from the Lao government to the UXO sector; this 
money has never made its way into the budget of UXO Lao or 
any independent operator.  Dr. Maligna of the NRA did note 
that the government is paying for a new building to house UXO 
Lao and the NRA, with construction scheduled to start in 
¶2008.  The funding issue resonated with a number of donors 
who pointed out that it is much easier to raise money for UXO 
clearance when it is clear that it is a true government 
priority, as demonstrated by the Lao government providing 
serious funds. 
 
¶13.  Comment:  While a number of donors made suggestions to 
the Lao government at both meetings, there appears to be 
little significant dissatisfaction among donors with UXO Lao 
and the NRA.  While not moving as fast as we would like, 
considerable progress is being made in creating a viable NRA. 
 A projected revision of the National Strategic Plan, 
strongly urged by the United States and Australia, should 
help clarify Lao government priorities and allow donors to 
focus their aid where most required.  Unfortunately, 
projected U.S. funding levels for FY 2008 will diminish U.S. 
influence and limit our ability to push for necessary 
capacity building.  Fair or not, the Lao Government and the 
international community in Laos link the UXO problem directly 
with the United States.  To the extent we can maintain our 
leadership position in funding, we also extend our influence 
and enhance our prestige. 
 
McGeehan