Laotian History: Vietnam War -- Renewed Laotian Civil War Fighting (1963)
Figure 1.-- The 1962 Geneva Conference to end the Laotian Civil War failed. The attempt to unify the three separate military units predictably failed. The differences could not be breached. The press caption read, "Soldier at 13: In Khan Khay, Laos--This 13 year old boy member of the neutralist army stood guard recently at a villa where neutralists and pro-Communist leaders discussed settlement of the crisis in the government." The photograph was dated May 13, 1963. The major problem was that the Pathet Lao when ever needed cou;d obrain North Vietnamese support so had no real incentive to compromise.
The 1962 Geneva Conference to end the Laotian Civil War failed. The attempt to unify the three separate military units predictably failed. The neutralist group was not a cohsive force. They were divided between right-leaning neutralists (headed by Kong Le) and left-leaning neutralists (headed by Quinim Polsena and Colonel Deuane Sunnalath). Kong Le's second in command, Colonel Ketsana, was assassinated (February 12). Shortly afterwards Quinim Polsena and his deputy were also assassinated. The neutralist camp began to split with some joining the Pathēt Lao. The Pathet Lao with North Vietnamese support began attacked the neutralist forces (mid-1963). Open warfare between the Pathet Lao and government troops soon resumed. Vang Pao gathered three SGU battalions into Groupement Mobile 21 and spearheaded a drive into Sam Neua held by the Pathet Lao. His offensive was resupplied by CIA (Air America and Bird and Sons) air drops. The United States responding to North Vietnamese violations of the Treaty, re-established a Military Assistance Advisory Group to support those resisting the Pathet Lao. The Requirements Office of the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane was manned by civilians and monitored the need for U.S. military aid to Laos. The United States provided the Royal Laotian Air Force its first four T-28 Trojans that had been adapted for counter-insurgency operations (August 1963). The irregular mountain tribe companies trained in thailand were formed into a battalion--SGU 1. These irregular forces operated throughout the country. A primary target was the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Vang Pao was promoted to Brigadier General by King Sisavong (December 1963). The Pathet Lao and North Vietnmese resonse was genocide. The killed an estimated 18-20,000 Hmong tribesmen. [Harffs and Gurr, p. 359.] It was a one-sided conflict. Only the North Vietnamese were willing to commit combat troops to Laos. Strengthen by North Vietnamese troops and supplies, the Pathet Lao was able to gain control over much of northern an eastern Laos. This was important because it gave the North Vietnamese access to unimpeded supply routes to support Viet Cong operations in South Vietnam.
Sources
Harff, Barbara and Gurr and Ted Robert, "Toward an empirical eheory of genocides and politicides", International Studies Quarterly Vol. 32 (1988), p. 359.
