Word: souphanouvong
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Laotian capital of Vientiane, Phoui ordered a roundup of top Laotian Communists, including the biggest of them all, Red Prince Souphanouvong, nephew of Laos' ailing, 74-year-old king. The royal Laotian army, though hampered by a communications system that in forward jungle areas consists of runners carrying messages in cleft sticks, slowly succeeded in reconquering most of the lost villages. Early last week Vientiane reported that the bulk of the Communist forces had apparently withdrawn, leaving behind 1,000 men "to conduct political activity and prepare for the next action by Communist troops...
Valley Exit. The integration had been promised in the November 1957 agreement between the government and the rebel Pathet Lao, who then controlled two of the nation's northern provinces under the leadership of Prince Souphanouvong, pro-Red cousin of the King of Laos. "I signed the agreement," said the prince. "I guarantee it will be respected. If the Pathet Lao battalions don't respect the agreement, I no longer consider them friends." To the Laotian government and the army, integration meant that the Communist troops would be parceled out in small numbers among the other troops...
...commander capitulated, marched out of the valley at the head of his unarmed troops. When he was searched, the Red leader angrily cried that it was an "un-Buddhist" action. It was also a valuable one, for on his person was found a letter from Red Prince Souphanouvong ordering him not to accept integration until after the next general election...
Clearly taken by surprise, Prince Souphanouvong was able to muster only 16 of the 47 Assemblymen present to oppose the Premier. Armed with his new mandate, Phoui Sananikone promised Laotians a new constitution, pledged that the royal government would build dams and roads, improve communications, seek foreign investments. He would rule, said the Premier, through the "two essential motors" of an independent state: the army and the civil service...
...Prince Souphanouvong cried that Phoui's taking of power was "illegal," and some panicky Communist leaders lit out for the protection of North Viet Nam. Souphanouvong could not even count on the two Communist battalions that had been incorporated into the royal army, presumably with the intention of spreading discontent. Both Red battalions had been quietly disarmed and interned in separate camps, each under the custody of a heavily armed and loyal battalion of the royal Laotian army...