Word: phoumi
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...ever politically. Neutralist Premier Souvanna Phouma must deal with a country half occupied by Communists, half hung up on the political bickering of the antiCommunists. Souvanna has survived three major attempts to overthrow his government in the past four months, and rightist bands loyal to exiled Deputy Premier Phoumi Nosavan-in Thailand since February's coup attempt-still prowl the countryside between Paksane and Thakhek...
Last week a former Phoumi aide, Colonel Bounleut Sycocie, suddenly ordered three companies of Royal Laotian troops to occupy the Vientiane radio station. Taking over the microphone, Bounleut broadcast a demand for a shake-up in the rightist high command, which the Sananikones interpreted as an attempt at a Phoumi comeback. When Bounleut's troops blossomed out with blue neckerchiefs, Kouprasith's forces replied by donning yellow ones (most Asian armies are well supplied with colored kerchiefs, which are used as identifying insignia for the various battalions...
Next, a pro-Phoumi commander at Paksane, 100 miles to the northeast, advanced on Vientiane to reinforce Bounleut. His troops were scattered by "yellow" artillery fire with a loss of three dead. Phoumi Nosavan then appeared in the capital in full battle dress, announced that unless Kouprasith ended his siege of Bounleut, he would unleash Siho's police. Kouprasith answered with an artillery and mortar barrage, whereupon Bounleut and his men switched sides, exchanging their blue kerchiefs for yellow...
...hours, Phoumi's police and Kouprasith's troops fought it out in the heart of the city. One square block was leveled and the central police station burned to the ground. As is usually the case in Laos, most of the 60 dead were civilian noncombatants. The tide eventually turned against the police, who at one point were attacked by angry wasps disturbed by the gunfire. When the police surrendered, 800 of them were imprisoned in a cigarette factory. Phoumi's luxurious villa was destroyed and Phoumi himself vanished, finally turning up with Police Chief Siho...
...Down. During the fighting, Premier Souvanna Phouma was holed up in the waiting room of a local hospital. If he issued any orders they were neither heard nor obeyed. With Phoumi's flight, Souvanna had lost the second of his Deputy Premiers (the first, his half brother, Prince Souphanouvong, had long since bolted into Communist-held territory). Phoumi, a native southerner, may well intend to rally his forces in the south and try to repeat his successful 1960 march on the capital. As for the Sananikones, with Kouprasith in control of Vientiane, they obviously hope some...