Chinese Press Charges On Laos

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28973, 14 August 1959, Page 11

Chinese Press Charges On Laos

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, August 13. A commentary in the Peking newspaper, “People’s Daily,” said today that the Laotian Government had “recklessly scrapped” the Geneva and Vientiane agreements and provoked civil war at the instigation of the United States. The commentary, quoted by the New China News Agency, accused the United States of directing the Laotian Government to extend the civil war.

It said the Laotian authorities had “launched large-scale military operations in numerous areas” and that the situation in Laos had become "even more grave.” The commentary said American and Laotian authorities had started a smear campaign against China and North Vietnam in the last few days “to cover up the truth.”

“The rapidly deteriorating situation in Laos in the last few months has been solely brought about by the United States. . . . “In April, at the Wellington meeting of the S.E.A.T.O. bloc, American imperialism formulated a so-called ‘blueprint’ for intervention in Laos. In May the Sananikone Government of the (Laotian Prime Minister, Phouy Sananikone) began to act upon this plan . . . thus the Laotian authorities finally launched a civil war.”

The independent “Times of India” said today it was “surely advisable to avoid any course (in Laos) that imparts even by implication a definite status to Pathet Lao insurrectionaries.

“If crisis there is, it is entirely dut to Pathet Lao, and since its capacity to decide and act on its own is questionable, responsibility can obviously be traced to North Vietnam and Cpmmunist China the newspaper said.

A report from Laos said diplomatic observers believed an 11day lull in the fighting along the border of Laos and Communist North Vietnam might be due to the fact that the Communists do not want to internationalise the dispute. Laotian pro-Communist insurgents have attacked border army posts in the northern provinces of Sam Neua and Phong Saly.

Britain—one of the guardians of the Indo-China peace as co-chair-man with Russia in the 1954 Geneva agreement—was reported to be considering suggesting that United Nations observers should be sent to the front. The Laotian Government was also believed to be ready to welcome neutral observers from such Countries as India to study the charges made by North Vietnam that there was a big American arms build-up in Laos. Diplomats point out that Communist North Vietnam had carefully covered traces of any operations she may have taken on the Laotian side of the frontier. The Vietnamese radio describes the present trouble in Laos as a civil war.

North Vietnam wants the return of the three-nation international control commission set up by the Geneva Agreement which gave her some check on Laotian affairs through liaison with the Polish members of the team.

But diplomats did not think that Vietnam would welcome every incident on her border, where she now has a big freedom movement, being debated in an international forum such as the United Nations. Laotian armed forces were reported today to have taken back all the territory captured by the rebels with the exeception of an area between the river Ma on the Vietnam frontier and the Muongson valley, east of the provincial capital of Sam Neua. Brigadier-General Ouan Rannpene. Chief of Staff of the Army, said that the Communists were still holding 50 villages in the Muongson Valley. A senior Government official said that most of the villages were being reoccupied as the rebe’s withdrew.

There had been no fighting for 11 days. It was believed that the rebels had extended their supply lines too far and were being forced to withdraw.