Word: phouma
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Communist Liechtenstein. Little is known inside or outside Laos about the country's new rulers. "Red Prince" Souphanouvong, half-brother of the ousted Premier, Prince Souvanna Phouma, will probably stay on as the republic's figurehead President. The new Premier and secretary-general of the party is Kaysone Phomvihan; his principal deputy is Nouhak Phoumsavan, a senior member of the Pathet Lao central committee. Both men have strong loyalties to Hanoi: Kaysone's father was Vietnamese, while Nouhak is reportedly a protege of Ho Chi Minh's. It remains to be seen whether they will...
...more important, they had the backing of the Communist-led Pathet Lao, whose soldiers lounged around the compound throughout the occupation. The Pathet Lao presence, in fact, became significant when, after several days of protest, a group of 200 Laotian USAID employees sent a delegation to neutralist Premier Souvanna Phouma to ask that the siege be called off. Though politely received by the Premier, the delegation was rudely dispersed soon afterward by pistolwaving Pathet Lao troops, who arrested and briefly held four people...
...students had already ignored an order from Souvanna Phouma that the occupation be ended, thus forcing Chargé Chapman to deal directly with them and the Pathet Lao. After several long, difficult negotiating sessions-held inside the Interior Ministry building while students outside shouted at Chapman, "Sign it! Sign it!"-an agreement was finally worked...
Angry protests lodged at the Laotian Foreign Ministry by U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Christian A. Chapman did no good. In fact, the Laotian Cabinet-still nominally under the leadership of the neutralist Premier Souvanna Phouma -legitimized the students' demands by insisting that the U.S. end all but formal diplomatic activity in Laos and that it turn over to the government all USAID material in the country. Left with no choice but compliance, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger announced that there will be a "substantial reduction" of U.S. personnel in Laos...
...neutralist Premier of Laos was characteristically expressionless as he spoke, but his words were grave. "Important changes have taken place that some had not expected so suddenly, but they are here," Prince Souvanna Phouma told his countrymen during ceremonies on Constitution Day. "[The new situation] is a great chance to preserve our nation from further bloodshed that would surely take place if one continued to ignore the march of historic events. The war has reached...