An Introduction to the Annexation of Laos by Vietnam
20 February 1997 Cracow
The Lao civilisation developed thousands of years ago in a mountainous region of what is now Southern China, and later spread throughout a large part of the region encompassing much of Southern China, Northwestern Vietnam, Laos, Northern and Northeastern Thailand, Northern Burma, and a part of India. Most of these regions are still predominately populated by ethnic Lao today. In addition to such a huge expanse of land, the ancient Lao civilisation had a highly developed culture. Over history much of the territories of the Kingdom of Laos have been lost to the neighbouring countries of Thailand (Siam), Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. From the 18th century to the 20th century Laos was a vassel state successively to Siam, Cambodia (Angkhor Wat period), Vietnam and France.
Discontent with the taxation, domination and political and military oppression of the French, we Lao people fought several land battles with the French in our quest for independence. We were unable to win the battles because the Lao people lacked modern guns. Therefore the French were able to control Laos for over ninety years. The French signed treaties transfering Lao provinces to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia in furtherance of their own interests. The Lao people continually tried to resist the French. By 1949 French troops were driven from our fatherland by the Lao Nationalists. The French left behind many abhorrant memories for our Lao people when on July 19th 1949 the Lao people finally regained our Independence from the French.
With the West's "assistance", Laos tried to maintain her independence during the Vietnam war. However in 1975 Laos again lost her independence, and is no longer a political entity. This happened because certain Lao leftist politicians had trusted Vietnamese politicians since they did not believe that the Vietnamese leaders would ever deceive the Lao people.
On the contrary - the Vietnamese had for a long time schemed to control the so-called Lao Revolutionary Party and take control and possession of Laos. Secretly Vietnam used three political steps to annex Laos as provinces of Vietnam.
The first step was to control, influence and use the Lao leftist leaders, who were carefully selected by Vietnam, seeking puppets who would listen absolutely to the leaders of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Shortly after World War II Ho Chi Minh, Pham Vanh Dong and General Vo Nguyen Giap invited more than one hundred Lao leftists to join the Viet Minh in fighting the French and Americans, and gave them training. At this time some Lao Communists and Nationalists suspected the real plans of the Viet Minh, and not wishing to cooperate with the Vietnamese escaped from Hanoi to Vientiane in Laos. The Vietnamese secretly executed hundreds of Lao people who refused to obey political and military orders of the Vietnamese. However the Lao Revolutionary leaders Kaysone Phomvihane, Prince Souphanouvong, Phoumy Vongvichit, Phoune Siphaseuth, Sisomphone Lovansay and others were unable to understand the political and military objectives of the Vietnam leaders, and they proclaimed Hanoi's political honesty.
From 1950 to 1956 having gained control of the Lao Communists, Vietnamese officils used their military puppet leaders and fighters to fight the French, Americans and the free Kingdom of Laos.
The second step was to ensure complete control of the Lao Revolutionary leaders. Vietnam sent political, military and secret police advisors to every military unit, and every national, city and provincial office. Therefore the Lao leftist Government Authorities have no real power at any level from local officials to national leaders. Their daily activities are conducted in accordance with political and military guidelines from Hanoi. Additionally Hanoi sent more than 60,000 troops to Laos to subdue Lao people who were anti-Hanoi and Lao Communist. To rule Laos effectively Vietnam forced Lao officials to sign a Treaty allowing Vietnamese troops to be stationed in Laos forever.
Hanoi ordered Lao puppet authorities to arrest and kill most of the former officials including the King and his family members.
Within the context of the Vietnamese methods of annexation, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Treaty was in reality a means of completely controlling Laos.
To prevent internal criticism Hanoi insisted on Lao officials arresting Deputy Agriculture Minister Lasamy Khamphoui, Justice Ministry member Feng Sakchittaphong, and Material and Technical Supply Minister Thongsouk Saysangkhi on 8th October 1990, for their desire to defend their beloved country against the excesses of Vietnam. Thongsouk Saysangkhi died in a concentration camp on October 15th 1996 as a result of gruesome and prolonged torture. Already ill from the barbaric conditions to which they were subjected, Thongsouk's hands and legs were tied with rope and he was left outside in the open day and night, with no food, water, or medicine, until he died. At present Latsami Khamphoui and Feng Sakchittaphong are still alive, but are in a critical condition. They have received physical and psychological torture, and despite being ill receive no medicine.
To blind the West and to avoid world condemnation Vietnam agreed in principle with Lao officials to establish their own Embassies in several countries. In each Lao Embassy there are at least two or three Vietnamese advisors disguised as Lao Embassy workers, to keep an eye on the Lao Embassy staff.
The final step of the Vietnamese was to control all aspects of the political activities of the Lao leftist government. They run the political machine in Laos. Hanoi used all means it could think of to support the expansion of its territories. For example, Vietnamese officials ordered their soldiers to rape Lao girls, and also to marry with Lao girls, to alter the ethnic balance of the population and to reinforce their position. They expelled Lao people for not following orders to live somewhere else. From time to time Vietnamese soldiers forced Lao people to move from their villages and sent them to live with other Lao communities in other regions.
Once they had removed Lao people from their homes along the Vietnamese border the Vietnamese replaced them with their own people. No Lao people dared to criticise the Vietnamese authorities.
From July 1977 to the present time, Vietnam recognises Laos only as its own provinces. Lao independence was completely LOST. Once again, Laos was ruled and occupied by her neighbour. Every day the Vietnamese took from the Lao people all kinds of natural resources such as timber, iron, copper and minerals, in huge quantities.
All prison camp conditions are extremely harsh. There is still no due process of law in Laos today. The Lao and Vietnamese authorities do not respect the UN Human Rights Charter. Daily, Lao officials and the Vietnamese secret police execute Lao political prisoners. One former high ranking Lao officer Dr Phairoth Vonvirath, who recently defected to the United States, admitted and estimated that 90,000 innocent Lao people had been executed between 1975 and 1994. A senior Lao Communist leader who visited Washington DC in late 1995, and who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to a group of the overseas Lao Human Rights activists and claimed much higher figures.
In Laos this is the barbaric way one group of human beings who have the power treat another group of human beings who have no power.
We, all free Lao people, are appealing for help from the International Communities, especially the United States, France, Great Britain, Russia, and Germany and other countries. We ask you to use your power to insist on a Vietnamese withdrawal from Laos. We urge Australia, China, Japan, France, Sweden, Thailand and the United States not to fund any aid programmes for the Lao leftist government regime, which does not recognise the Basic Human Rights of their own innocent people.
We also ask you to support our objectives:
I To withdraw all Vietnamese troops, Official Advisors, and Secret Police from Laos;
II To suspend all aid programmes, including all political and moral support for the puppet regime in Vientiane;
III To free all political prisoners, and to allow prisoners' families to have a right to visit;
IV We strongly demand that the Special UN Human Rights Commissioners travel to Laos to inspect prison conditions in Laos;
V To compel Lao authorities to adopt some form of free election under the supervision of UN observers.
We are counting on you for your strong and unequivocable support
Sincerely
Bounthanh Thammavong, Chairman of the Organisation of Lao Students for Independence and Democracy somsanith@aol.com (Somsanith)
An appeal to the world community to support Laos in defense of her ...