Word: rightists
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...collapse began at the start of this month, when the political and military strength of the pro-American rightists in Laos ebbed swiftly in the face of Pathet Lao pressure. At first, an official takeover by the Communists appeared imminent. Then the tempo slowed. The Cabinet patiently waited until its regular Wednesday meeting last week to respond to the resignations of two rightist ministers and two deputy ministers. Instead of insisting that the vacancies be filled by leftists, the Pathet Lao permitted Souvanna to name nominal rightists acceptable to the left. This at least maintains the facade of the year...
...Communists plainly have nothing to fear from the tame rightists in the Cabinet. Earlier in the week, Khamouane Boupha, a Pathet Lao general, had been named acting Defense Minister by Souvanna to replace the rightist Sisouk na Champassak, who had resigned. Boupha immediately issued orders grounding the air force, forbidding all troop movements and demanding declarations of loyalty to the new command from all military units...
Fleeing Officers. The Pathet Lao concern about possible resistance from rightist-led units was exaggerated. From the rightist-controlled area of Laos, military units proclaimed loyalty to the new commander. At the police academy, the units actually stripped then" rightist officers of power. Elsewhere, they deserted camps en masse rather than continue under rightists. In other places rightist officers simply disappeared, fleeing with their families in wooden ferries across the Mekong River into Thailand. Rightist politicians and many Chinese and Vietnamese businessmen also fled...
...similar attack against USAID facilities at Savannakhet, a youthful mob looted food stocks and placed three Americans under house arrest. At week's end the demonstrators were refusing to release the three unless senior government officials came to Savannakhet to discuss student demands that Vientiane remove "corrupt" and rightist officials...
Natural Target. In part, the demonstrations were protests against soaring food prices, which are rising at a rate of 70% annually. In Luang Prabang the students also pillaged food shops. The U.S., however, is a natural target for the left. In the last two decades, Washington has propped up rightist and recently-neutralist governments with more than $3 billion worth of military and economic aid. As a result of the demonstrations, all U.S. personnel based in the Laotian provinces were recalled to Vientiane. Washington insists, however, that it has no intention of closing the embassy. As long as the coalition...