Angry France slashes ties with Laos

Press, 5 July 1978, Page 8

Angry France slashes ties with Laos

NZPA Bangkok France slashed its diplomatic, aid, and cultural presence in Laos on Monday as more than 80 officials and their families flew out of the communist country, the f-ench Embassy in Bangkok has said. The French Ambassador to Vientiane (Mr Robert Duzer) was reported to be among those leaving. The reduction was made after the expulsion last week of two French diplomats. It leaves behind only one diplomat and five other staff members iff the dip-

lomalic mission in Laos, a former French colony. The embassy said that a rpecial Air France flight had taken the group of about 85 from Vientiane to Bangkok The group was scheduled to fly on to Paris later. Among the 85 were 51 Government contract workers, including aid and cultural personnel and teachers, the embassy said. The others were diplomats and their] families. In Paris, French officials; cli.imed that the two diplo ! mats — a counsellor and a! cultural attache — were ex-’ pelled because of France’s

policy of harbouring Laotiai political refugees. They said tha Laotiai authorities had told th French Ambassador in Vien tiane that some of these ref ugees were conducting anti Laotian activities on Frencl soil. The officials said M Duzer had been instructed t deny the charge strong! and to protest vigorousl. against the expulsion. France kept a large mis sion in Laos during the las Indo-China war and the g dually reduced it aft* the victory of the commur ists in late 1975.