PEOPLE FLEE VIENTIANE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29389, 16 December 1960, Page 17

PEOPLE FLEE VIENTIANE

Battle For City Continues (A.Z. Press Association—Copyright) VIENTIANE, December 15. A mass evacuation of the Laotian capital began today as fears spread that heavy artillery fire would be turned on the city in the battle between pro-Communist and Right-wing troops. People carrying bundles of bedding and clothing could be seen tramping along all roads out of .the city as howitzer shells flew overhead, landing in rice fields. Buses and trucks were loaded down with the maximum weight of people, suitcases and bedding that could be carried.

Reinforcements for the Rightwing forces of General Phoumi Nosavan, who attacked the city on Tuesday and captured part of it, streamed from the east and north throughout the night and this morning. An artillery duel began after a relief column arrived with tanks and artillery to support General Phoumi.

They fired over the top of Vientiane with 105-millimetre howitzers and Captain Kong Lae’s forces returned the oarrage with Russian howitzer shells. The big guns had not been turned on the city today, but Vientiane hospital reported 15 dead and nearly 100 injured in two days of street fighting in the city. General Phoumi’s Right-wing forces captured Vientiane Airport last night, according to the Thai Defence Minister, General Thanom Kittikachorn, today. General Thanom said Captain Kong Lae had escaped from the Laotian capital, and was making for the north.

The bulk of Captain Kong Lae’s troops were reported to have retired north of Vientiane this morning, but fighting continued in the heart of the city for the third day in succession. French eye-witnesses who drove through to the airfield three miles west of the city reported most of Captain Kong Lae’s troops had withdrawn to the north along the road to the Royal city of Luang Prabang. taking Russian howitzers and mortars/ with them.

Only token resistance forces remain within the city itself, but these forces continued to put up a stiff fight.

At 12.30 p.m., local time, the centre of the United States Operations Mission was on fire, and sharp fighting was reported round the compound. Details were not known.

Heavily-reinforced forces of General Phoumi Nosavan pushed slowly forwards through the city today.

By midday they had moved not more than 200 yards, and some of the soldiers a Reuter correspondent talked to were nervous of the resistance that lay beyond.

The mass evacuation went on throughout the morning, with bicycles, pedicabs, motor-cars, and trucks being used to get family household effects out of the range of fire. Casualties were much heavier than reported earlier today.

The office of the Central Hospital gave them later this morning as five soldiers dead, 10 wounded, and 50 civilians dead and 200 wounded. The American Associated Press

reported that the mixed forces of paratroopers commanded by Captain Kong Lae and the pro-Com-munist Pathet Lao appeared to be falling back toward the airport at the western edge of the city.

A Moscow report yesterday claimed that some of the Rightwing supporters crossed the border from Siam.

In Washington yesterday the United States State Department rejected as baseless Soviet charges of United States interference in Laos.

The department’s press officer (Mr Lincoln White) said: ' “This is but another instance of the Communists charging others with what they themselves are doing.” He said he was referring to “airlifting by the Soviets to Laos of military equipment in the last few days.” Mr White confirmed reports from Laos that the United States now recognised as Prime Minister Prince Boun Oum, the Rightist leader associated with General Phoumi Nosavan.

He said the King of Laos had asked the Rightist committee in Savannakhet to form a Government, which it did. Mr White said in reply to a question that he did not think any formal announcement of United States recognition of this Government, headed by Prince Boun Oum was required, as the Government had been constituted “in complete compliance with the constitutional provisions of Laos.”