<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">This tragic story reported by MAG once again demonstrates the critical need for Mine Risk Education (MRE) at every level of school and community involvement. The safety messages must be repeated over and over. Children and adults must not only be knowledgeable of the danger and the awful consequences of touching or tampering with Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), but they must be constantly on the alert for any item of ordnance that may be lying by the roadside or partially concealed in a ditch or garden near their home, and report it <i>immediately </i>so that EOD teams can respond and safely remove or destroy the threat. CS<br>
<br><font size="1"><span style="color:rgb(116,27,71)"><i><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;display:inline">CHUCK SEARCY<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;display:inline">
Project RENEW <br>Veterans For Peace</div><br></i></span></font><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="1"><span style="color:rgb(116,27,71)"><i>M +8 490 342 0769<br>
</i></span></font></div></div></div><font size="1"><span style="color:rgb(116,27,71)"><i>E <a href="mailto:chuckusvn@gmail.com" target="_blank">chuckusvn@gmail.com</a><br></i></span></font></div><i><font size="1"><span style="color:rgb(116,27,71)">Sk chucksearcy</span></font></i></div>
</div><br><br><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif">THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION<br>
<span id="date" class="">Tuesday 27 May 2014</span><br></span></b></font><br></div><div><a id="enlargePhoto" href="http://d24pg1nxua23qm.cloudfront.net/contentAsset/image/43433226-6d4b-4456-ace0-53166b7ab01c/image/byInode/1/filter/Resize,Jpeg/jpeg_q/90/resize_w/960"> <img style="margin-right: 0px;" class="" src="http://d24pg1nxua23qm.cloudfront.net/contentAsset/image/43433226-6d4b-4456-ace0-53166b7ab01c/image/byInode/1/filter/Resize,Jpeg/jpeg_q/90/resize_w/604" alt="" height="279" width="420"></a><br>
<b><span id="tab-container-landscape"><span id="tab-container"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The father of the two young boys killed in a cluster submuntion accident in Quang Binh.</span></span></span></b><span id="tab-container-landscape"><span id="tab-container"><h1 class="">
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;display:inline"></div>Two children killed in front of their parents by cluster bomb left over from Vietnam War</span></h1>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class="">Source: MAG (Mines Advisory Group) <br>Fri, 23 May 2014 05:36 PM</span>
</span><div class=""><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class="">Author: <a href="http://www.trust.org/profile/?id=003D0000017fbUGIAY">Mai Chi, Community Liaison Officer, MAG Vietnam</a><br><br>
</span></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style>MAG Vietnam’s Mai Chi was at the
scene of mourning following a cluster bomb accident that killed two
young brothers in front of their parents. This is her eye-witness report
from Quang Binh – the province worst affected by cluster munitions.</strong></span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">For seven years working for MAG in Quang Binh as a Community
Liaison Officer, I have heard about so many accidents in the poor
villages: two 14-year-old boys, one killed and one badly injured when
they set off a cluster submunition in the schoolyard; a man who is still
suffering from the ball bearings pinned in his body as a result of an
explosion; three children, one killed and two injured when searching for
scrap metal to sell in order to help their poor parents.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">On each occasion, I could feel how terrible the accidents were through my conversations with the victims or their families.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Yesterday there was another.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">It was a hot summer day and our teams were collecting
information about the location of unexploded ordnance in Dong Giang
village, Hung Trach Commune, when we received news that two brothers –
aged five and nine – had been killed 2km away.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">They had been tampering with a BLU-3 cluster submunition, left over from the Vietnam-American War, in front of their home.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">We went there immediately. The rundown house was surrounded by hundreds of people.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I couldn’t tell who the mother of the two children was among
the many crying women there, but someone pointed out the father,
himself still bearing the pain from a recent traffic accident.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">He couldn’t move, and was on his knees screaming: "Today is
my sons' first day of summer holiday. Why didn't God let me die instead
of my sons, why did he take my sons away? They were still so young." I
couldn’t stop the tears streaming down on my face. My heart really hurt.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I saw the pliers and a pair of broken sunglasses that the
children had used to tamper with the submunition, in an attempt to get
scrap metal to sell for cash. I saw a pair of torn sandals, a hole on
the floor and the ball bearings from the submuntion.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I walked closer to the bed in the centre of the house.
Someone pulled the blanket up, revealing two dead bodies. Legs and hands
were smashed and blown away.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">What a terrifying scene. I closed my eyes, felling breathless and ran out. People were crying louder and louder.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Why did these innocent kids have to die? The older brother
was a good pupil at school. He was just nine years old, but always tried
to help his parents. Every day he walked far to bring back some clean
water for the family, and he took care of his five-year-old brother
while their parents were out.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">A bright future was ahead of them. But the legacy of the war that ended 40 years ago has taken their lives away.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I informed a victim assistance organisation of the accident,
so they could provide support to the family. I left MAG's telephone
hotline number there in case they needed help. This village was on our
current priority list for clearance next month.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I suddenly thought of my three-year-old son. This should
never happen again. I have to do something. I will start teaching my son
his first Risk Education* lesson today.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style>For more on MAG's work in Vietnam and worldwide please visit <a style href="http://www.maginternational.org/" target="_blank">www.maginternational.org</a>.<br style>
</strong></span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p style><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style>*</strong> <em style>Risk Education aims to prevent death and injury from landmines, unexploded ordnance, <a style class="">cluster bombs</a> and other <a style class="">explosive remnants of war</a>, by raising awareness of the problems and promoting safer behaviour.</em> <em style>For more information go to <a style href="http://www.maginternational.org/community-liaison" target="_blank">www.maginternational.org/community-liaison</a>.</em></span></p>
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