DATE=7/3/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=LAOS-FIGHTING (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-264005
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A group of rebels clashed with government
troops in Laos Monday. Five of the attackers are
believed to have been killed in the clash, along the
Lao-Thai border. The rest of the guerrillas are said
to have fled to Thailand. As V-O-A Southeast Asia
Correspondent Gary Thomas reports, Laos has been
plagued by a series of violent incidents recently.
TEXT: According to Thai officials, a group of about
100 armed men raided the Wang Tao market in southern
Laos, just across the border from Thailand, early
Monday morning. They seized the border customs post
and held hostages for several hours. The hostages
were released unharmed after negotiations with Lao
military forces.
Speaking from the area by telephone, Thai police
Sergeant Sai Boonkong says the Lao troops then
attacked, killing five of the rebels. He says 27 of
the rebels fled across the border to Thailand, where
they were arrested. The rest dispersed inside Laos.
/// SAI ACTUALITY IN THAI: IN AND UNDER
///
One of those captured was identified as Suong
Sangsura, a former Lao government soldier
More information about the attackers or what political
affiliation they have -- if any -- is not known. Laos
has been hit by a series of mysterious violent
incidents in recent weeks.
Since March, six explosions have gone off in Laos --
most of them in the capital of Vientiane. Only one of
them is known to have been accidental. Diplomatic
sources indicate there have been numerous injuries,
but hard figures are difficult to come by. One
explosion took place in late May in Pakse, not far
from the scene of Monday's clash. The most recent
bombing occurred June 28th, in Vientiane.
No one has claimed responsibility for the explosions
and it is not known if there is even any linkage
between them. The government of Laos -- normally
secretive, even in peaceful times -- has maintained a
stony silence about the incidents. There has been
little mention of them in the tightly controlled state
media.
Speculation about who is responsible is wide. One
explosion took place at a shelter harboring Vietnamese
construction workers, leading some people to believe
at least some of the violence is ethnically motivated.
Suspicion has also fallen on members of Laos' ethnic
Hmong minority. Hmong insurgents have been waging a
low-level struggle against the government since the
1975 Communist takeover. However, the Hmong are based
in northern Laos and their attacks have been primarily
confined to rural areas.
The Lao government has blamed Thailand for supporting
the Hmong rebels, but Thailand denies the charge. Lao
authorities also accuse Hmong living in the United
States of backing the insurgents.
During the years of the Vietnam War, the Hmong were
recruited by U-S intelligence agents to fight the
Communist guerrillas, known as the Pathet Lao. After
the war, many of the Hmong fled to the United States.
(signed)
Neb/HK/gpt/GC/WD
03-Jul-2000 05:56 AM EDT (03-Jul-2000 0956 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
