Quest to Transform Southeast Asia } 205
Laos between a communist-controlled eastern zone and an anti-communist
controlled western zone.^15 This arrangement left Hanoi’s trails in communist
hands. Figure 8-1 illustrates features pertaining to Lao’s role at this juncture.
Laos was an economically primitive country, vast in size (roughly double
the size of New York State), but with a population of only 2 million, most of
whom lived in the Mekong River valley on the west side of the country. The
Geneva conference of 1954 had designated two northern provinces, Phong
Saly and Sam Neua, as regroupment zones for the communist-led Pathet
Lao pending national elections that were to reunify the country.^16 Unlike in
Vietnam, where such elections were never held, in Laos they were held, in May
Gulf of
TonkinSouth
China
Sea(^) Red
(^) R.
Me
kon
g^ R
.^
HanoiYen BayHaiphongVinhKunmingNanningDien Bien
PhuMenglaVientiane
Udon aniLuang
PrabangUbon
RatchathaniDMZ
17th parallel16th parallelHué
DanangBangkokBURMAPEOPLE’S REPUBLIC
YUNNAN OF CHINA
PROVINCEHAINANTHAILANDCAMBODIAREPUBLIC OF
VIETNAMDEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
VIETNAML
A
O
SInltration
trails to
South VietnamApproximate zone of
Communist control in LaosPLA roads
built 1961Plain of JarsNam
aPhong
S alySam
NeuaF IGU R E 8-1 Laos and the Struggle for South Vietnam