FocusOnLaosUnderFireTOODAMAGEDCOPYRIGHTED

[Music] photography sees with the eye of a camera it makes records of places people and events photography lets you see the world about you without ever leaving your classroom it's your window on the world photography shows shows how and why things happen and now through photography Kodak brings you this edition of screen News Digest [Music] strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia the landlock kingdom of La is slightly larger than Idaho it is a primitive land barely 15% of its 3 million people can read or write and many Li oans in remote regions still believe the World is Flat life is hard and short with an expectancy of but 30 to 40 years women work and weave live and labor in huts and hamlets where time has seemingly Stood Still for decades Generations centuries struggling for existence and survival the average liosan per capita income is less than $70 a year only the cities reflect the events and influence of the 20th century and even here much of the past is retained and remembered crossed into the turmoil that has gripped southeast Asia for 25 years the kingdom of Laos has passed from colonialism to Independence to Civil War a devoutly religious people they follow Buddha's five Commandments against murder theft falsehood adultery and alcoholism the country is a constitutional monarchy with the King sang vatana whose powers are largely [Music] ceremonial limited Independence came to LA in 1949 after 56 years as a French protectorate and a brief occupation by Japanese forces in World War II the country was granted Sovereign status in a French Union of indo-china [Music] state with the end of the indo-china war in 1954 La was given complete Independence a year later she was admitted to the United Nations the laian government sets up a royal Capital at langang prabang and an administrative Capital at venan but with Independence comes conflict nurtured in the mountainous Northwest provinces of the Strategic Kingdom Under Prince ofan ofong a communist movement is formed to challenge the government in Vian the rebels call themselves the pathet LA meaning land of LA and they are supported and supplied by communist sympathizers in North Vietnam there are through the infant years of laosan Independence attempts to integrate the paet Lao into the central government and its Armed Forces but the efforts fail and the Communists continue their war of Insurgency strengthened from within and without the path at La stream into through and out of the Jungle that provide them Sanctuary sweeping out of the provinces that border on China and North Vietnam the rebels are better trained armed and disciplined government forces suffer rout and Retreat withdrawal and defeat as the path that La forces extend their grip on the country spreading out of the northern provinces to sweep South and West toward the Strategic plane of jars by the spring of 1961 the rebel forces appeared to be in a position to take over the entire country this map illustrates the expansion of the pathet LA in the seven years following the end of the war in [Music] Indochina tens of thousands of refugees are caught up in the spreading conflict uprooted from their ancestral homes with only the worldly Goods they can carry on their [Music] backs as the crisis worsens an American president makes a fateful statement on La in Washington John F Kennedy emphasizes the Free World stake in the continuing Independence of the imperal nation he asserts security of all southeast Asia will be endangered if Laos loses its neutral Independence its own safety runs with the safety of us all in real neutrality observed by all I want to make it clear to the American people and to all the world that all we want in lay off is peace not war a truly neutral government not a cold war Pawn a settlement concluded at the conference table and not on the battlefield our response will be made in close cooperation with our allies and the wishes of the Le ocean government we will not be provoked trapped or drawn into this or any other situation but I know that every American will want his country to honor its obligations to the point that freedom and security of the free world and ourselves may be achieved President Kennedy's words are transformed into increased economic and military aid for La more than 50 million dollars a year in arms and Equipment are flown into the country American Military advisers are provided to train and instruct the Royal laosan troops in the use of US military equipment but no American combat troops are sent into the country [Music] at the same time a 14 Nation conference on La is held in Geneva in 1961 after more than a year of difficult negotiations Agreements are signed in July 1962 providing international guarantees for the independence and neutral status of law Secretary of State Rus signs the treaty for America and foreign minister Andre gromo initially was the historic pack for the Soviet [Music] Union within Laos the three principal political leaders meet to form a coalition government Prince ofan Fong leads the Communist path at La faction his older half brother Prince ofan fuma represents the neutralist forces and completing the trium is Prince buum a former Premier and spokesman for the conservatives the men meet in seeming Harmony for sever hours and announced the formation of a government of national Union with representation for all laosan political parties in the search for peace and stability in Laos buum the rtist and savano Fong the leftist agree to participate in a parliament headed by the neutralist prince Savannah fummer [Music] but within a year the agreement breaks down Savannah fummer continues as Premier but the path at La Representatives withdraw from the coalition government in [Music] venan the Civil War resumes and once again forces loyal to the central government and King batana are severely tested by the communist armies of the pathet LA America continues her military and economic assistance in addition us planes bomb the hoi Min trail that runs through Laos and is used by North Vietnam as a supply and infiltration route into South Vietnam years pass and the Civil War goes on the country is divided politically between the Communist supported paet Lao and the Western supported neutralist rtist [Music] Coalition the Communists can control the eastern half of the country including the vitally important POI men Trail the government rules the NACI Western hand with most of the rice land and the City Early In 1970 the path at La forces mount a new attack on the plane of jars and overrun the Strategic gateway to the country's major [Music] roadways casualties are heavy as the government forces once again are put to Route the crisis raises new concerns over America's commitment to the defense of Laos as a neutral [Music] Nation government leaders report a continuing buildup of North Vietnamese troops and la by Spring of 1970 the figure is said to have reached 67,000 without aid from the Free World Laos cannot continue to survive as a neutral and independent [Music] nation already 600,000 Lans more than 1/5th of the population have been forced to leave their hamlets and homes other thousands have laid down their lives in an official statement spelling out American policy on La President Nixon confirms that the United States has stepped up its combat air support in Laos and increased its military assistance to the government of Premier savan fuma but the president emphasizes America has no plans for introducing ground combat forces into La at the same time he appeals to Russia and Great Britain to initiate diplomatic moves to end the war Prince ianov Fang responds with a proposal that peace talks begin after the United States has halted its bombing raids on the hoim Min Trail the pathed laa leader warns of continuing Civil War until this pre-conference condition is meant and to underscore his words the Communists step up their offenses in venan Premier savan fuma rejects the terms laid down by his half brother but even as he speak the path that La forces overrun and capture a city Only 90 mi from the administrative [Music] Capital pledging an all out fight to defend and preserve his country's Independence and neutrality savan fummer orders reinforcements into battle and within a week the city is recaptured the fighting has taken its toll on the city just as the Civil War has taken its toll on the country a battle has been won but other battles remain and always there is the concern as to how far the supporters of the path at La will go to advance their cause and how firmly the allies of laas will respond to ensure its existence as a free and neutral country [Music] thus on Jungle trails and in lonely Frontier Villages the search for peace goes on a search that has proved so difficult so elusive so heartbreaking in LA and in all of Southeast Asia [Music]