920 Chapter 6
communists in Laos and helped them escape. They charged that Laos was violating
the Geneva Conventions and that the United States was supporting them.
The Soviet Union condemned the United States sending arms, ammunition, and
military personnel into Laos. China and North Vietnam denounced the actions of
Laos, in militarily integrating the communist battalions into the Royal Laotian army,
in May 1959. Pathet Lao, communist rebels in Laos, and the Laotian army fought
through May and June of 1959. Communist rebel bands were attacking the northern
border posts and were said to have had North Vietnamese officers leading them in
July 1959.
On August 7, Laos planned a counter-offensive in response to the North Vietnam-
ese combatants and Laotian communist rebels that had attacked several Laotian prov-
inces. On August 8, North Vietnamese authorities ordered the withdrawal of troops
from Laos when the Laotian government moved its army of 25,000 into Northern
Laos. One thousand communists are reported to have stayed behind, but these were
rebels of the Pathet Lao. On September 5, Laos asked the United Nations for support
after a severe attack from North Vietnam on August 30 which caused Laotian forces
to abandon their border posts.
In October, the United Nations was able to link rebels to North Vietnam, but evi-
dence does not support troop invasion. North Vietnam charged that Laos had invaded
on December 5 and killed five, wounded three, and set fire to a village. North Vietnam
charged Laos for border violations on December 27 and 29. On January 7, 1960, a new
civil government was established in Laos after the army assumed power on December
31 when the Prime Minister and his cabinet resigned. The new government was to be
a compromise between the two groups in Laos.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 5, 1958. End Date changed
from January 5, 1960.
MID#2029
Dispute Number: 2029
Date(s): December 30, 1960
Participants: 812 Laos/816 Vietnam
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On December 30, 1960, the Laotian government reported that the North
Vietnamese had invaded Laos along its northern border and were attacking the town
of Nonget. The North Vietnamese government denied these accusations, claiming
they were “absolutely groundless.” On January 5, 1961, western sources suggested
that what actually happened was that North Vietnam stacked troops on the Laotian
border in order to draw the government’s attention to what looked like an invasion,
distracting it enough so that the pro-Communist Laotian forces could make its own
strike within the country, taking hold of several airfields. Laos continued to claim that
North Vietnam was sending troops across the border to assist the rebels, but none of
those claims were substantiated.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 27, 1960. End Date changed
from January 6, 1961.