Conflict

"I'm looking for the day that the Bangsamoro would be the master of their own selves and destiny," Mohagher Iqbal told me during an interview at the MILF's political headquarters at Semuay Crossing, southern Philippines. "On that day, whether there is heaven or hell, what is important is that the Bangsamoro people could no longer accuse anyone, including the Philippine government, of creating our mess here in Mindanao."

Christie Aschwanden visits the site where a U.S. B-52 was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam in 1972. Video by George Lerner.

B-52 Crash site Hanoi

Interview with Dr. Rapoport about Agent Orange.

Examining the lasting effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Pediatrician Dr. Mark Rapoport discusses what should be done to help children affected by dioxin poisoning in Vietnam in what was a legacy of Agent Orange spraying during the Vietnam War by the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s.

The southern city of Davao used to be the salvaging capital of the Philippines during the 1980's and 90's. The coastal town's booming economic growth lured a mix of rich and poor migrants that included everyone from farmers, Chinese businessmen, and dirty politicians to ex-Maoist and Islamic militants who became guns-for-hire. The more ruthless entrepreneurs terrorized the wealthy elite, stole cars from the middle class, shot street kids, and turned Mindanao's largest city into an urban war zone.

Vietnam has 54 minority culture groups, and we encountered three of them at A Luoi--the Pako, Ta Oi and Catu.

Yesterday we visited the A Luoi valley in Vietnam's central highlands. Vietnam has 54 minority culture groups, and we encountered three of them at A Luoi--the Pako, Ta Oi and Catu. These groups have their own languages and customs. Because the growing season in the mountains is short, these families often struggle to make ends meet. Ours was the only car in the village, and residents here had fewer motorbikes than the urban dwellers we have met thus far.

During the 1972 Christmas air raids, Vietnamese soldiers in Hanoi shot down a B-52 bomber. The plane crashed in Hun Tiep Lake, where it has remained ever since.

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See complete slideshow here.

Visits to two families in Vietnam whose children were born with birth defects revealed how much psychological strain they had endured—some for more than three decades.

I forgot to add a little context to who Habier Malik is and why Sulu is on fire again. Habier Malik is an ustadaz (Islamic teacher) loyal to Nur Misuari, the jailed leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The MNLF, one of three Islamic insurgent groups in Mindanao, led the first insurrection against the Philippine government in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Its goal was to create an independent homeland for Filipino Muslims who are collectively known as the Bangsamoro.

Hanoi is a city on the move. Bicycles, motorbikes and taxis crowd the well-maintained streets.