Kingdom of Laos

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Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when the communists overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic.^[1] Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a sovereign, independent Laos, but did not stipulate who would rule the country. In the years that followed, four groups contended for power: the neutralists under Prince Souvanna Phouma, the right wing party under Prince Boun Oum of Champassak, and the left-wing, Vietnamese-backed Lao Patriotic Front (now called the Pathet Lao) under Prince Souphanouvong and future Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane.

Contents 1 Government 2 Military 3 Foreign Relations 4 The Fall of the Government 5 After 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Government

Following the Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953, which gave Laos independence, the Royal Lao Government took control of the country. This treaty installed King Sisavang Vong was installed as the constitutional monarchy, and Prince Souvanna Phouma remained the Prime Minister of Laos. At this time, Luang Phrabang was the royal capital. Attempts were made to establish coalition governments. A Government of National Unity was established in 1958 under Prince Souvanna Phouma, but only survived a few months. The Prime Minister would usually appoint his ministers and receive advice from the King. When Souvanna Phouma was Prime Minister, He made a deal with his brother Prince Souphanouvong. Souvanna Phouma gave the Communists two seats in the Cabinet, and in return Souphanouvong agreed to integrate 1,500 of his 6,000-odd Communist troops into the royal army. His half-brother was put into the portfolio of Minister of Planning and of Reconstruction and Urbanization,while the other portfolio that went to a communist member was Minister of Religion and Fine Arts.

[edit] Military

The country was divided into five military regions. The chain of command of the Royal Lao Army was placed under the Ministry of Defense in Vientiane. The 3 branches of Military included Royal Lao Navy, The Royal Lao Air Force and The Royal Lao Army.The navy on had twenty United States-made river patrol boats and sixteen amphibious landing craft. Between 1962 and 1971, the United States provided Laos with an estimated US$500 million in military assistance, not including the cost of equipping and training irregular and paramilitary forces.

[edit] Foreign Relations

The Lao Royal Government had close relations to the United States, who gave aid and assisted the campaign against the Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese communist. King Savang Vatthana visited the United States in 1963 to meet with President Kennedy. It also held close relations to France, Australia, Thailand, Japan and Myanmar

[edit] The Fall of the Government

In 1960, amidst coups and counter-coups, fighting broke out between the Royal Lao Army and the Pathet Lao. A second Provisional Government of National Unity formed by Prince Souvanna Phouma in 1962 met the same fate as its predecessor, and thereafter the situation steadily deteriorated as the conflict in Laos increasingly became a focus for superpower rivalry. Alarmed by the growing power and influence of the Việt Minh and fearing the so-called 'domino effect', the United States began in 1953 to dispense large quantities of aid to Laos, engendering in the process widespread corruption within the Royal Lao Government. American involvement increased further in the early 1960s when - in response to a perceived Soviet-backed communist attempt to take over Laos, and in direct contravention of the 1963 Geneva agreement (which among other things banned the use of foreign troops on Lao soil) - the US government launched a covert war in Laos. At the outset this involved indirect military support, including the training and supply of RLG General Vang Pao’s forces in Xieng Khouang Province by US Special Forces teams and the ferrying of men and equipment into Laos from Thailand by the CIA’s commercial airline, Air America. A ceasefire was finally agreed in February 1973 following the Paris Agreements between Washington D.C and Hanoi, and in April 1974 yet another Provincial Government of National Unity was established, once more with Prince Souvanna Phouma as Prime Minister. However, by this time Pathet Lao forces controlled large areas of the country, and following the fall of Saigon in April 1975 they advanced on the capital. In December 1975 Prince Vongsavang went to Vientiane and handed the letter of abdication of King Savang Vatthana to the Pathet Lao and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established with Prince Souphannavong as President and Kaysone Phomvihane as Prime Minister and Secretary General of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party .

[edit] After

Many people and members of the old Government were taken to re-education camps in the remote areas of Laos. After the communist takeover in 1975, the communist Pathet Lao government killed the Royal Lao family:

• King Savang Vatthana,
• Queen Khamphoui – The Kings Wife
• Crown Prince Vong Savang – Heir to the throne
• Prince Sisavang – The king’s second son
• Prince Thongsouk – The king’s half brother
• Prince Souk Bouavong – The king’s half brother
• Prince Souphantharangsi – Half brother of the King & Secretary General of the royal palace
• Prince Manivong Khammao – the king’s nephew

Along with former government officials, civil servants and those suspected of aiding forces that opposed the communist government were killed which included:

• Former Army Chief Ouane Rathikoun
• Former Army Chief General Bounpone Makthepharak
• President of the Lao Unity Party Bong Souvannavong
• Former Interior Minister Pheng Phongsavan
• Former Deputy Veterans Affair Minister Soukan Vilaisarn
• Former Defence Ministry Spokesman General Thongphan Knocksi
• Politician Issara Sasorith
• Former Ambassador to Australia Khamchan Pradith
• Former Ambassador to China Liane Phavongviangkham
• Former Deputy Minister of Telecommunications Touby Lyfoung

Also the currency was changed to the Kip and the military were renamed.

[edit] See also

• History of Laos since 1945

[edit] References

1. ^ Library of Congress - Laos - Glossary

[edit] External links

• Country Study - Kingdom of Laos