POST REPORT Vientiane, Laos 19 6 6 POST REPORT

POST REPORT Vientiane, Laos 19 6 6 POST REPORT U.S. MISSION r·o LAOS :· 1966 CHIN A NORTH VIETNAM BURMA GULP' O' TONkiN T H A L A N 0 SOUTH VIETNAM I ··,, \ CAMBODIA \ \ .' i ' EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Vientiane 1 Laos May 28 1 1966 A WORD FROM THE AMBASSADOR Laos is a nation of gracious and attractive people who have long suffered from the ambitions and aggressions of other nations. Despite the turmoil and the privations which have been inflicted upon them for these many years, the Laotians retain their gentle manners, their hopes for peace, and their devotion to the Buddhist way of life. The United States i s a signatory to the fourteen-nation Geneva agreements of 19 62 which endorse the stated desire of the Royal Government of Laos "to build a peaceful, neutral, independent, democratic, unified and prosperous" nation. The work of American officials assigned to Laos is directed towards the accomplishment of these several objectives. Americans working in Laos can feel a real sense of satisfaction in working with our Laotian friends towards these aims . At the same time 1 because of the difficulties inherent in t heir accomplishment , all these objectives pose formidable challenges both to the Laotians 1 and to t he Americans and other friends of Laos who assist them in their task . Therefore, I can assure a ny American official assigned here to Laos an interesting, rewarding and challenging tour of duty among a pleasant people and in a worthy country. This post report is designed to present some impressions of the sort of life which Americans in Laos can expect to live. William H. Sullivan Ambassador Table of Content s Page A Word from the Ambassador • 3 Orientation: General Description of Post 9 Characteristics of Area and Post: Geography 9 Climate 9 Population 9 Language 10 Religion 10 Government Organization 10 Historical Review -. ll The United States Mission 18 Points of Interest • 18 Travel in Thailand • 19 Life at Post: Housing: Embassy/USIS/Attache: r~vernment Quarters 21 "Silver City" 21 Leased Housi.11g • 21 Bachelor Quarters 22 USAID Housing: Family Quarters 23 Bachelor Quarters 25 Temporary Quarters Accomodations • 26 Furnishings: Embassy 27 USAID 27 Other Household Equipment 29 Utilities and Equipment 31 Food, Clothing and Services: Food 33 Clothing • 34 Post Orientation Program • 37 Basic Community Services • 37 Domestic Help 37 Churches • 38 Education 39 Transportation and Communications: Communications • 40 Transportation • 41 Page Health and Medicine: Hedical Facilities • 43 Community Health •••• 44 Recreation and Social Activities: He creation 47 Social Activities 51 Official Functions • 52 Country Regulations and Post Administration: Customs Duties and Passage • • • • • 55 Taxes, EXcises, Exch&~ge and Finance • 55 Po st Administrati on • • • • • • • • • 56 Special Guidance: Travel and Transportation Requirements Enroute Post • 57 Special Inforw4tion 58 Field Offices: Preface 61 Luang Prabang 61 Savarmakhet • • • • i • • 62 Pakse 64 Sam Thong 65 Vietnam to the southeast, 277 with C~ bodia to the south, and 1090 (including f::~nti:~~~~ .Description of Post over 500 along the Mekong River) with Thailand to the west. Its total area Laos has two capitals: the royal covers .approximately 91,000 square capital of Luang Prabang and the admin miles, or slightly more than Id.aho or istrative capital of Vientiane. Luang Great Britain. A large part of the ter Prabang, located approximately 110 rain of Laos, particularly in the north, miles north of Vientiane on the Mskong is covered with dense jungle and rugged River, is the residence of the King and mountains, the latter sometimes rising is a small, picturesque provincial cen over 9,000 feet. ter, which is considered the most at tractive city in Laos. ;,(Jimnle . · · _.. -. Vientiane, the political, adminis The climate of Laos is monsoonal, t rative and commercial center of Laos, with three seasons. There are five is the largest city in the country,with months of heavy rainfall from May a population of about 100, 000. It is through September. When the rains a large provincial town in appearance start t apering off in October, a cool and atmosphere. Vientiane is situated season begins that lasts t hrough Jan on the north bank of the Mekong, on one uary. February through April is hot side of a large plain which extends and humid. In April, the warmest month, some 40 miles north of the city and the temperature in Vientiane normally south over most of northern Thailand. ranges between 72 and 93 degrees Fah Personnel stationed here find living renheit, and in January, the coolest condit ions simple, but agreeably com month, between 57 and 83 degrees Fah fortable despite some inconveniences. renheit. However, temperatures of 103 Many have f ound that the close-knit at have been recorded in April, and 39 in mosphere of the American and interna January. tional communit ies enhances their tours. Besides Luang Prabang, there are four other outlying posts and eleven The population, composed of many field stations, all of which are des ethnic groups; is estimated at 2,300,000, cribed in this report. but no accurate census has ever been taken. This sparse population is un evenly spread, with the greatest con centration in the Mekong valley. Per haps half of them are ethnic Lao, a people of Tai stock who are bel ieved to Geo,:raphy have migrated originally from southwest The landlocked Kingdom of Laos, ern China principally during the 13th the keystone nation of the Southeast century in the wake of Kublai Khan's Asian Peninsula, shares common borders oncoming forces. Mountain tribes, also with six other countries, two of them of Tai stock, are found in nor th Laos, Communist . The border runs 146 miles while a number of other mountain tribes with Burma to the northwest, 263 with of Indonesian or proto-Malay background China to the north, 818 with North Viet inhabit central and south Laos. The nam to the northeast, 301 with South lack of connnon origins, customs, tradi- 9 Lao spelling system is infinitely more representati ve of the spoken word than Thai, which tends to include unpronounced letters that display a word ' s Sanskrit origin. Since textbooks have been developed only through sixth grade in Lao , French remains the principal language of sec ondary education. French thus serves as the second official language, and is commonly used in government and commerce. Probably not over 15 percent of the pop ulation is literateo Furthermor e, the numerous ethnic groups possess their own languages or dialects, and in the case of the Vietnamese and Chinese, their own school systemso Religion . The predominant and,, indeed, state religi on of the Kingdom is Theravada Village girls on their way to market Buddhism, conunon also to Cambodia, Thai land, Burma, and Ceylon . It is not un tions, and beliefs among the various usual, however, to see spirit shrines minorities poses serious difficulties in conjunction with Buddhist temples. for the political unification of the While the mountain tribes are princi Kingdom. There are also influential pally animists, some of them have adopted minorities of Vietnamese and Chinese, Buddhism while retaining many of their and smaller groups of Cambodians, Indians, old beliefs. and Pakistani. In addition, t here are over a thousand Frenchmen and other G.(!vernment .Organization Europeans in the country, of whom few are permanent residents. Laos is a constitutional parliamen Language tary monarchy. Under the December 1955 revision of the Constitution, originally Lao is a tonal language like others promulgated by the King in Hay 1947, the of the Sino-Thai family. The Vientiane hitherto exclusively male franchise was dialect has six tones, only three of extended to women. In normal times, which transfer directly to Bangkok Thai. general elections were held every five Vienti ane Lao and Bangkok Thai have areas years. But Constitutional amendments of mutual comprehension only to educated passed in 1965 gave the King three op speakers. As with English and French, tions during times of crisis. He chose abstract words tend to be cognate more appointment after limited popular con frequently than everyday vocabulary. sultations, and a provisional two-year Assembly was selected. Written Lao and Thai both use scri pts of Indian origin, but Lao let The bicameral legislature is com ter s are rounded rather than angular, posed of a National Assembly of 59 mem and Lao uses fewer consonants. The bers, which wields the real legislative 10 .. .......... .... • .. ... ... ••• t •••• That Luong Temple in V ientiane power of the country, and a less active The Constitution provides that the King's Council of twelve elder states judicial power shall be separate and men, all of whom are appointed directly independent of the executive and legis by the King, six upon the recommendation lative powers. In practice, the judi of the Assembly. An absolute majority ciary is the least vigorous of the of deputies present is required to up branches of government. hold bills returned by the King's Coun cil for Assembly reconsideration. This Council privilege has been rarely, if Historical Review ever, exercised. In the early 19th century, the The Prime Minister is designated Thai of Siam obtained ascendancy over by the King in consultation with poli much of what is now Laos and retained tical leaders. The Prime Minister sub their hold for the most part until mits his proposed cabinet to the Nation France made Laos a protectorate in 1893o al Assembly for approval, a favorable The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined two-thirds majority of deputies present the boundaries of Laos as they exist being required for investitureo Depu today. Under the French, the three ties who are candidates for ministerial kingdoms of Laos - Luang Prabang, Vien posts may not participate in the vote of tiane, and Champassac - were unified in confidence for a new government.

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