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Further Reading

Pathet Lao Uprising in Laos

The name "Pathet Lao" (Land of Laos) referred to the communist movement that occurred in Laos beginning in the 1950s and was the Laotian equivalent of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and Vietnam's Viet Cong. The movement was formed by Prince Souphanouvong in North Vietnam during the first Indochina War between France and the Vietnamese communists. The Pathet Lao was committed to the communist struggle against colonialism. In 1953, the Pathet Lao guerrillas accompanied a Viet Minh invasion of Laos from Vietnam and established a government at Samneua in northern Laos.

Soon after Laos was granted full sovereignty from France. Civil war followed soon after however, as the Pathet Lao made several attacks on central Laos, making considerable gains. An agreement between the Pathet Lao and royal forces was reached in 1957, but only 2 years later the coalition government collapsed and fighting resumed. Soon a 3-way civil war was upon the country, between the Pathet Lao, the right-wing government who controlled the Royal Laotian Army (this was the force recognized by the United States and other western countries), and the Soviet-recognized so-called neutralist forces of Souvanna Phouma, who had fled to Cambodia.

In 1960 Vientiane was taken in a coup by Kong Le, who demanded the creation of a neutralist government. Kong Le and his supporters were soon driven from power by rightist forces and the neutralists aligned themselves with the Pathet Lao and could now enjoy Soviet support. In 1961 a cease-fire was agreed upon that called for the neutrality of Laos under a unified government with Souvana Phouma as primier. Despite this initial success, failure to integrate the armed forces led to the cease-fire's collapse and the Pathet Lao began to move against neutralist forces, with war beginning in earnest in 1963.

The Pathet Lao had the support of the North Vietnamese and were able to take control of north and east Laos. There was a right-wing military coup that forced the resignation of Souvanna Phouma, but because he had the support of both the US and USSR he remained in office.

As the US began to bomb North Vietnamese military bases inside Laos, the Pathet Lao's guerrilla activity began to decline. There were also attacks on the portions of the Ho Chi Minh trail that led through Laos, and with the South Vietnamese offensive into Laos, the country became a major part of the Vietnam War. As part of this, the US government began to give increasing support to the Laotian government and financed up to 21,000 Thai mercenary soldiers.

Despite this support, the Pathet Lao, with the support of the North Vietnamese, were able to make major gains in Laos, eventually controlling about two thirds of the country. A cease-fire was finally declared in 1973. The new agreement called for a coalition government under Souvanna Phouma, the stationing of equal numbers of government and Pathet Lao troops in the 2 capitals, and a withdrawal of all foreign troops and advisors. After communist forces came to power in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Laotian coalition government collapsed and the Pathet Lao took power in Laos in 1975. The monarchy was abolished, the country became a republic, and Prince Souphanouvong became president. This led to thousands of Laotians fleeing to Thailand and the US.