anthony: in ventiane? mama vaughn: yeah. anthony: have you lived here all your life? no, ah mama vaughn: in france. anthony: in france. michel: by the age of 11 i went to france to study. i came back in, in, in 1971. anthony: in difficult times, 1971. very, very difficult. michel: oh yeah, it was still the war. anthony: mama vaughns long time friend michel is a journalist, though what that means in a communist one party state like laos is necessarily different than what you and i might define it as. michel: when i was in paris, i studied ethnology. when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i t
all your life? no, ah mama vaughn: in france. anthony: in france. michel: by the age of 11 i went to france to study. i came back in, in, in 1971. anthony: in difficult times, 1971. very, very difficult. michel: oh yeah, it was still the war. anthony: mama vaughns long time friend michel is a journalist, though what that means in a communist one party state like laos is necessarily different than what you and i might define it as. michel: when i was in paris, i studied ethnology. when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. anthony: right
when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. anthony: right. michel: american b52s, they came on bombing missions in laos. everyday, everyday, everyday. and after bombing, they have to cross mekong back for and, and land. but they are not allowed to land with bombs on board. so they have bombs left, they would drop them at random. that s why we have so, so many and in, in so many provinces. anthony: what do you think it means though, that the president came here? this is a, look, this is a small country. only 7 million and change people. mama and mi
anthony: mama vaughn s long time friend michel is a journalist, though what that means in a communist one party state like laos is necessarily different than what you and i might define it as. michel: when i was in paris, i studied ethnology. when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. anthony: right. michel: american b52s, they came on bombing missions in laos. every day, every day, every day. and after bombing, they have to cross mekong back for and, and land. but they are not allowed to land
the war. anthony: mama vaughns long time friend michel is a journalist, though what that means in a communist one party state like laos is necessarily different than what you and i might define it as. michel: when i was in paris, i studied ethnology. when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. anthony: right. michel: american b52s, they came on bombing missions in laos. everyday, everyday, everyday. and after bombing, they have to cross mekong back and forth and land. but they are not allowed to land with bombs on board. so they have bombs left, t