Why? Who? Where?

Whodunit?

May 19, 2012
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Laos 1974-2012

American military forces dropped massive amounts of bombs on Laos in order to knock out the Ho Chi Minh-trail. The result was 80 million unexploded bombs that still keep the population in poverty.

January 24 1971: Four bomb capsules are dropped just south of the small village Sabongkokhai in Laos. Each capsule is filled with 670 BLU-59 cluster bombs the size of tennis balls. The target: A Vietnamese convoy.

February 23 2011: Five year old Nan finds a BLU-59 bomb on the outskirts of Sabongkokhai and throws it against a tree. The explosion badly injures Nan and he dies two hours later in his home, without access to medical care or pain relief.

February 20 1972: Four bomb capsules carrying 665 BLU-26 cluster bombs each are dropped on the village Pakor. The target: A 37 millimeter anti aircraft cannon.

July 11 2011: Farmer Sen from Pakor is killed by an exploding BLU-26 while working in a rice field. He leaves behind a wife and six children.

The war in south East Asia ended in 1975, but people are still being killed and maimed by unexploded bombs in Laos, more than 35 years later. The unexploded bombs are the size of tennis balls and painted in bright colors, making them especially dangerous for children. Around 280 million cluster bombs were dropped over Laos and it has been estimated that 80 million of those bombs never exploded. Undetonated projectiles are buried in the soil and explode when they are exposed to heat. Children have on numerous occasions been killed or maimed while setting up fires in the winter.

The villages of Sabongkokhai and Pakor are located in the Ta Oy district in the Saravane province. It is one of the poorest districts in Laos and is cut off from the rest of the country during the five month long rainy season each year.

Ta Oy, together with the equally poor neighboring district of Nong, was the hub of the gigantic logistical operation called the Ho Chi Minh-trail during the Vietnam War. It was built in 1959 by the North Vietnamese communist party.

A massive road construction program was started in 1964, resulting in five main roads and an additional 29 access- and bypass roads. The Ho Chi Minh-trail finally consisted of more than 19,000 kilometers of roads and paths, featuring underground fuel depots, hospitals, workshops and fuel pipelines.

The American forces quickly realized that the flow of troops and supplies had to be stopped in order to defend against the North Vietnamese forces.

The first attack against the trail took place in October 1964. The attacks were intensified in 1965 and the first bombings from B-52s occurred in December that year. The Americans used herbicides to kill the jungle in order to get a look at the roads, the most well known of these herbicides was the extremely toxic Agent Orange. Around 45 million liters of Agent Orange was used during the war.

The bombings of the Ho Chi Minh-trail were stopped in 1972. Official sources say that more than 2 million tons of bombs were dropped over Laos. This is in addition to the unknown number of bombs dropped by the South Vietnamese air force. This can be compared to the one million tons of bombs that were dropped over North Vietnam, and the three million tons dropped over Germany and Japan during the Second World War.

There was on average ten missions per hour, around the clock for seven years. It is not known how many Laotians were killed by the bombings. The reporting of accidents connected to the war is still very inadequate. A report from the UN development program UNDP claims that more than 12,000 people have been killed, and 8000 maimed between 1974 and 2008. The same report claims that there has been around 300 per year for the last ten years. 60 percent of the incidents were fatal, and a quarter of the incidents involved children.

There is a strong connection between the prevalence of unexploded bombs and poverty, since the bombs are standing in the way of developing modern agriculture. The areas in Laos that hosted the Ho Chi Minh-trail are still the poorest areas in South East Asia. The biggest problem faced by the population is the shortage of rice. It is not uncommon for the rice to last only a couple of months, roots and leaves feed the people for the rest of the year. The hidden unexploded bombs make it impossible to develop an efficient production of rice.

Clearing up old bombs in agricultural areas are a top priority for the Laotian government. International aid mainly finances clearing of roads and built up areas, leaving the agricultural areas to the Laotians. The US is the biggest contributor with a budget of around 3 million dollars. The bombings of Laos cost 15 million dollars, per day.

America is sanitizing depots and investigating the effects of Agent Orange in neighboring Vietnam. No such thing is being done in Laos.

The Laotian government estimates a total of 9,000 square kilometers are contaminated by cluster bombs, an area the size of Cyprus. 2,000 of these are rice fields. It will take 300 years to free the country of unexploded bombs if the current rate of clearing continues.

Agriculture is the key to improving the situation of the poor. Agent Orange and intense bombings have completely wiped out the jungle in large areas, leaving an open landscape consisting of bamboo, bushes and weeds which makes it suitable for agriculture. But the bombs remain an obstacle.

May 19, 2012
by why-who-where
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The battle of Barcelona

May 1937, the streets of Barcelona are suddenly filled with barricades, blood and the smell of gunpowder. The telephone station, which had long been controlled by the anarchists, was occupied by communist forces. Battles broke out between the different groups that were defending the Catalan capital, despite the civil war that was raging in the rest of Spain.

Life in the city is paralyzed; people stay in their homes for days. The few cars that are out on the streets are stopped by barricades.

Hundreds are killed

The battles that raged between the 3rd and 7th of May in 1937 kill around 500 people. While the internal struggle is going on in Barcelona, the army led by General Francisco Franco conquers large parts of Spain.

King Alfonso XIII fled Spain in 1931 following a popular uprising. The country became a democratic republic. The following years introduced a number of reforms in the deeply conservative country. Women gained the right to vote, and the church was separated from the state.

A leftist alliance called the Peoples Front won the elections in February 1936. This infuriated a group of military leaders.

The war began in the colonies

The Spanish Civil War broke out in the summer of 1936. The General’s revolt started in the Spanish colonies in North Africa and quickly spread to Spain. General Franco soon emerged as the leader of the revolt. His forces were supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy; the republican government received limited support from the Soviet Union and volunteers from all over Europe. Great Britain and France refused to sell arms to the democratically elected Spanish government.

The military took over city after city. But some towns, like Barcelona, had well organized and armed trade unions that could fight back.

Catalan nationalism was strong

Barcelona differed from the rest of Spain in several ways. The Catalan nationalism was strong. A majority wanted to form an independent republic with Barcelona as its capital. Barcelona was the biggest city in Spain and had a strong economy, modern industry and a growing worker’s movement. The rest of Spain was underdeveloped and poor.

The anarchists had the most support, but there were several other left wing parties in Catalonia. The anarchists were the first to violently resist the military uprising in 1936. They defeated the military and suddenly became the leaders in the region.

They immediately started implementing their vision of worker controlled socialism. Most companies were taken over by worker collectives.

Red and black banners

Red and black banners could be seen everywhere. They flew over cafes –controlled by the waiters- and decorated taxis, trams and all other forms of transport. Even the shoe shiners painted their boxed red and black.

The Catholic Church had traditionally been very conservative and opposed societal reforms. This caused groups of workers to dismantle churches and other religious buildings. Hundreds of priests, monks and nuns are claimed to have been killed.

Since the anarchists controlled the telephone central in Barcelona they had the possibility to eavesdrop on all telephone calls. They also controlled whether certain calls should be rejected or not. Not even the president of the republic could count on being able to speak to the head of government in Valencia.

The anarchists’ successes in Catalonia payed off when the republican central government was established in November 1936. Four anarchists became ministers; among them was Federica Montseny who became the first female minister in the history of Spain.

Dependent on the Soviet Union

But the republican side was shook by internal battles. The hostilities increased between the radical left and the Stalinist Communist Party. Since the western powers refused to sell arms to the government the republic was dependent on military support from the Soviet Union. This created possibilities for the Stalinist Communists.

The central government in Valencia decided that all privately owned weapons should be turned in on the spring of 1937. The aim was to create a ‘non-political’ police force, effectively disarming the unions. The leadership of the anarchist trade union CNT claimed that this was only a first step towards taking over the industries in Barcelona.

War on the streets of Barcelona

The fighting erupted on May 3 when communist forces tried to evict the anarchists from the telephone station.

News of the fighting prompted many anarchists to take to the streets. Barricades were built and important buildings were occupied.

6000 government troops arrived from Valencia on May 7. The reinforcements allowed the government to take control of the central parts of Barcelona; the anarchists still controlled the working class neighborhoods and workplaces. All work was stopped, the lack of production and trade led to a shortage of food and the anarchists finally gave up. 500 people were killed and more than a thousand were injured.

The battles in Barcelona led to a new government controlled by the communist party. The anarchists in Catalonia weren’t completely crushed, but they had lost most of their power.

Franco mounts an offensive

Franco started a massive offensive against Catalonia in October 1938. The republicans were systematically and brutally defeated. The battle of Ebro became the biggest, longest and bloodiest battle in the war and completely defeated the republican forces.

The defeat in Ebro left Catalonia defenseless. The final assault on Barcelona began on December 23. The city fell a month later. Franco’s forces advanced slowly, allowing the hundreds of thousands of refugees time to cross the French border.

The republican president, the Catalan republican president and his Basque colleague left the country on foot in February. Madrid was taken a few weeks later and the civil war was over and the Catalan civilians faced a 38 year rule of terror.

April 12, 2012
by why-who-where
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Alfred Ander: Last person to be executed in Sweden

Alfred Ander was the last person to be executed in Sweden after being convicted of a brutal murder homicide. The execution took place on Långholmen central prison in Stockholm, the execution was the first and only time that a guillotine was used in Sweden.

The life of Alfred Ander

Ander did his compulsory military service at Vaxholm artillery corps. After completing his military service he started several failing restaurants.

The repeated failures were mostly due to Alfreds severe alcoholism. He was arrested for several petty crimes and was at times a fugitive.

Alfred Anders and his wife, Julia Charlotta Ander, moved in with his parents in Karlsudd in 1909. Julia later testified that she had been brutally beaten repeatedly and that she was afraid she was going to be killed by Alfred.

The murder of Victoria Hellsten

Alfred robbed the Gerell money exchange office on Malmtorgsgatan in Stockholm on January 5 1910. Cashier Victoria Hellsten was badly beaten during the robbery and later died from her injuries.

The robbery netted 5,211 SEK. The money was covered in blood and would later be used as evidence against Ander. The bismar used to kill Hellsten was also tied to Ander.

A coal delivery man arrived at the office at 10:30 and found Hellsten lying on the floor. She was bleeding from a head wound and was unconscious. She died at the hospital an hour later.

A trunk that had been left by Ander at hotel was found containing parts of the money, blood, a photograph of Ander and identifying documents.

The trial and execution

Alfred Ander and his wife Charlotta Ander was arrested the following evening. Charlotta was released the next day.

Alfred Ander was sentenced to death on May 14 1910 for murder and robbery. He appealed the sentence all the way up to the Supreme Court but the verdict remained. The execution was scheduled to take place on November 23 1910.

He was the last person to be executed in Sweden. The execution was carried out by headsman Albert Gustaf Dahlman using a guillotine that had been purchased from France.

It was reported that Ander refused to talk to the prison priest before the execution. His last words were a request to say a few words before the execution. His request was denied.

April 10, 2012
by why-who-where
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The Swedish West India Company

The Swedish West India Company (Swedish: Svenska Västindiska Kompaniet) was a Swedish chartered company operating in the West Indies. The company was active between 1786 and 1805 and was based on the Swedish island of Saint-Barthélemy. One quarter of the profits went to the Swedish state; the remaining three quarters went to the company.

The Swedish West India Company was founded on October 31 1786 on suggestion by state secretary Johan Liljencrantz. The biggest shareholder was King Gustav III with ten percent, the rest of the shares were held by Swedish businessmen. The company was headquartered in Stockholm but operated from Gustavia on Saint-Barthélemy. The goal was to develop trading in the Caribbean Sea.

The company was tasked with taking part in the administration of the colony in exchange for the trading rights, this caused repeated conflict with the islands governor. The company was allowed to take part in the transatlantic slave trade. The trade was a part of the so called triangular trade; Slaves from Africa to the West Indies, agricultural products such as tobacco, cotton and sugar cane to Europe, and trade goods such as fabrics, glass, weapons and alcohol to Africa.

An initial expedition to Africa was being prepared in 1787. The expedition had to be cancelled due to Gustav III’s war with Russia in 1788. The company meanwhile organized the trade from Saint-Barthélemy. The island temporarily became a hub in the transatlantic slave trade. Around 50 Swedish slave transports took place between the 1600s and 1800s according to the Swedish government.

Business worsened and the company applied for economic support from the Swedish state in 1794. The company applied for an extension of the charter in 1801, but the trade continued to worsen. The charter ended in 1805 and all profits went to the Swedish state. The company finally dissolved on May 22 1805.

April 9, 2012
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Danguolė Rasalaitė: The real Lilja 4-ever

16 year old Danguolė Rasalaitė came to Sweden with her boyfriend; she had earlier happily told her grandmother that she had gotten in contact with a man that could get her a job. The man gave her a fake passport and put her on a plane from Lithuania.

Danguolės mother had left her alone in Lithuania after moving to the US together with a man that the mother had met when the girl was 14 year. Her father was serving a life sentence in prison. The mother had resigned all contact and responsibilities of the girl in a letter to the municipality. Danguolė arrived to Kristianstad on September 17, 1999.

Her passport was taken from her when she arrived, and she was driven to Arlöv where she was locked in in an apartment. She was told that she ‘owed’ the man over 20 000 euros for passports and travel and that she must pay off the sum by prostitution.

After a month of prostitution, Rasalaitė managed to escape the apartment through an open window. She didn’t dare to contact the police, but instead made her way to Malmö where she met a Macedonian man who offered her a place to stay. It has later been revealed that she was raped by the Macedonian man and his friends on January 6, 2000.

Danguolė Rasalaitė committed suicide by jumping from a motorway bridge in Malmö on January 7. She was taken to hospital but died three days later due to injuries sustained in the fall from the bridge. Danguolė never regained consciousness during her time at the hospital.

Aftermath

Danguolė Rasalaitė did not have a passport or other documents, but the police found a telephone number written on a piece of paper. This helped the Malmö police find the apartment in Arlöv where she had been kept.

Two other girls that had been forced to become prostitutes were also found in the apartment. They were two sisters from the Czech Republic who were 13 years old.

Danguolė had been tricked by a Russian citizen that could not be identified, and nobody has been charged as a consequence of the Danguolė case. The Swedish queen Silvia held a speech against violence towards women on January 23, 2006 and told about the life and death of Danguolė.

Lilja 4-ever

Swedish filmmaker Lucas Moodysson made a movie called Lilja 4-ever, released in 2002, loosely based on the faith of Danguolè. Danguolè Rasalaitè was played by Oksana Akinsjina.