Article about American aid to Laos

Item

derivative filename/jpeg
363-08035 to 363-08043.pdf
Digital Object Identifier
363-08035 to 363-08043
Title
Article about American aid to Laos
Description
Original title: "Foreign Aid Prize", Keever's title: "Scandals and Gambles in U.S. Aid-Giving to Laos", Article draft about American economic aid to Laos, for Newsweek Magazine
Transcript
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Beverly Deepe
10. Gong Ly
Saigon
Foreign
ستقل
and.
The Idaho-sized kingdom of Laos mirrors not only the East-West tensions
in the cold war, but also the schizophrenia of the Sino-Soviet dispute.
In the landlocked country bordering the Chinese giant, lumbering m
drab green Russian trucks and American-supplied jeeps whiz through the
narrow, rutted streets of Vientiane. Russian pilots and technicians
meander through the small Chinese, Vietnamese and Laotian shops buying the
fruits of free enterprise-Christian Dior perfumes, French cognacs, American
cigarettes and Hong Kong gadgetry. In the breezeway of the Hotel Constellation
sit America's modern cowboyds-the pilots of civilian aircraft companies
under US-government contract to deliver at high risk of being shot down-
relief supplies to hill tribesmen surrounded by the pro-Communist Pathet Lao.
Since 1951, when the American aid contract was first signed with Laos,
the U. S. economic aid has totaled 291 million dollars. This year's totally
ending June 30, 1963, is 42 million dollars.
From 1955 to 1958, American aid was channeled almost exclusively
into a commx commercial import program in which U. S. dollars paid for
Laotian imports to boost the economy and to generate local currency called kip.
The U. . phid for the imports before they reached Laos--and unfortunately
many of the produces never entered the country.
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Laotian businessmen and government workers fraudently made millions.
Mercedes were purchased at an unp
umrede unprecedented rate in Vientianes
villas and businesshouses were fervently constructed. This coased when a
U. S. House of Representatives Smkt subcommittee compled enough malpractices
to fill a volume two inches thick. (Check the U. S. government publications
U. S. Aid Operations in Laos; Hearings before the subcommittee of the
Committee on Government Operations; House of Representatives, 86th
Congress, 1st Session, March 11-June 1, 1959). The U. government
for $175
then initiated an even wilder schono-that of free convertibility
whereby 80 kip could readily be exchanged at the National Bank of Loose
This made the kip, with U. S. backing, one of the solidest currencies
in Asia. Unfortunately, most of the exchanged dollars were sent to Swiss
banks giving Laos little benefit for its own internal development.
At the beginning of this year, U. S. is again initiating a commercial
import program-$13 million worth-but joint U. S.*Lao customs teams will
inspect that the goods actually arrives in the country; then payment
will be made.
Arkhammmmmhies, the U. S. also decided that it must quickly construct
impressive visible projects-$29 million worth of projects this year. The
U. SAID mission has grown in the past 8 months alone from a small task force
of 15-20 people to more than 100. Among the many differ diversified projects,
education is viewed as one of the most important.
grade schools with 60,000 students of all ages.
In 1956, Laos had 680
There were 1900 teachers.
In 1963, Laos has 1300 grade schools with 100,000 students of all ages.
U. s. Aid was directly or indirectly involved in the inerase of all these.
(Source is USAI director Charles Mann). Laos now has 3500 teachers, 1000
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of them graduates of U. S.-built National Education Center outside Vientiane,
which coby $2.1 million and now has 1098 students. Four regional teacher
training centers are under construction or already completed.
There are but two practical ways to enter Laos from the free world-
and both are U. aid projects. One is by air-and the plane lands on a
new runway, dedicated January of this year, 2000-meters long at a cost of
$3.5 million (along with other airpot airport facilities). The second way
is a paved, two-lane road from Vientiane to Thadeum where a ferry conects Loos
with Thailand. The paved road, carrying much of Lao imports from Thailand,
replaced a gutted dirt trail which necessitated a jeep, was almost impassable
during the rainy season and in which 40% of the perishable products were
lost.
Hence, the first thing that a Russian diplomat sees upong arriving in
Imos is s U. aid project.
However, the problem with u. s. aid is that it is too late. A speedingup
of economic projects is followed by a quickening of the politico-military
takeover of Laos by the Communist elements.
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For example, for Laos, a landlocked country, raods are an essential means
of transportation, communication and a glue for national unity. Yet, there
is but a bare skeleton of roads in the country-most of the transportation
is n by river or small jungle trails.
In 1961, USAID in Laos began a provincial network of reods-one of them
to be a ninety-mile link from Nam The in the north to
Ban Houei Sai in the northwesternmost province of Laos bordering Burma,
Thailand and China.
Thai engineers laid out the route, coolies used small bamboo wicker
baskets to carry out the dirt, level the land and construct drainage
ditches. Mosquitoes, snakes and tigers were a constant problem. Logs were
hauled and erected by elephants.
In the spring of in 1962, when the road was less than half finished,
the battle of Nam The brought this effort to an abrupt end and the Thai
personnel were evacuated just as the airfield was being hit by pro-Communist
Pathet Lao mortar and small arms fire.
Ironically, the Chinese Communists are now building a road which will
The Chinese
link up with the American-initiated southbound dirt road.
xxxxxx 40-mile road will run from Phong Saly in Laos to
Meng La in Tunnan Province China and a second branch from Meng La to Nam
The Chinese-built Phong Sally-Meng La Road, to be dedicated g this
month, and subsequent Chinese road construction into and out of Nam Tha
will give the Chinese not only access to northwest Laos, bat will also make
possible future avenues towards Burma and Thailand.
The.
In another case, the American and British have supplied 65
prefabricated bridges to be used to repair the old French colonial 100-mile
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Deepe
road running from Vientiane northward to the Royal capital of Iuang
Prabang. Since 1959, the bridges have been stored in Thai warehouses
because xenbushes and general insecurity prevented their installation.
With the almost complete capture mixbimmmm by the Pathet Lao of the Plaine Des
Jarres on the western flank of the road, chances are the bridges will never
be installed.
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Deepe
One of the most effective areas of U.S. aid is among the
Meo people, who live in the hills which fringe the
strategic Plaine Des Jarres.
The Meo who cameto Laos originally from Western
Mongolia, are a proud, independent race, very jealous of their
identity. Many of the Meo people in the provinces of
Xieng Khouang and Nam Tha became deeply involved in the
civil war on the side of the Pro-Western forces of General
Phoumi Nosavan, as the Pathet Lao, and to some extent General
Kong Le's neutralists, began to spread out over the traditional
Meo lands.
The Meos, hardy and agile hillmen, are a formidable
military force, particularly when operating as guerillas, and
they more than any other sector of the anti-Communist forces
in Laos have made expansion difficult for the Pathet Lao.
The nature of war has caused the Meo to withdraw into
remote areas where they can easily defend themselves,
this has meant that many thousands of these tribesmen and
their families have to be fed.
and
In the eyes of the West, the Meo are living in their
traditional lands and defending their way of life. In the
eyes of the Communists, they are armed bandits who live in th
what the Pathet Lao call the "liberated zone."
Although the Meo are the most numerous of the Laotian
peoples involved in this situation, there are other tribes
affected, particularly in the province of Luang Prabang.
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Deepe
To keep faith with the Meo and other tribes, the U.S.
is airdropping or freighting about 1,500 tons of relief
supplies every month to the remote areas where these people
have gathered. These supplies are, in the main, food, medical
supplies, clothing and a few small luxuries.
Communist minds,
There is little doubt in mini,
however, that
the U.S. is also suppling arms and ammunition to the Meo to
enable them to keep themselves prepared to resist aggression
from the Pathet Lao.
This has been officially denied by the U.S. Embassy
in Laos, which has also rejected Pathet Lao charges
that the principal air supply contractor, Air America Inc.,
is a "paramilitary organisation."
An official statement by the U.S. Ambassador to Laos,
Leonard Unger, states: "This is a question of simple, human need."
Most of the people involved in the refugee aid
programme of the U.S. are ethnic minorities. Although
statistics are difficult in backward, under-developed Laos,
the U.S. estimates it is feeding and supplying about 70,000
Meo people, about 50,000 Lao-Thouang tribesmen, about
15,000 ethnic Lao and perhaps 5,000 members of other ethnic
group s.
The most significant group, however, are the Meo.
The Meo, people number about 200,000 in Laos. There are
also groups of these people in Thailand, Burma,Communist China
and North Vietnam.
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Deepe
Nearly all Meo wear one or two silver necklaces, made
by Meo silversmiths. Their clothing varies from clan to
clan but is always colourful. The men wear a cloth cap with
a red tassel, jackets with blue linings and a red sash is
worn around the waist.
The women of one major clan wear white skirts or
trousers, but in general, the women wear dark coloured sarongs,
gay pastel sashes, colurful ornamentation on bodice and skirt
and many-hued headdresses.
The Meo religion is a mixture of animism and ancestor
worship.
This is the time of the New Year festival, the greatest
festival in Meo life, and a time for drinking and revelry,
bull-fights and horse-racing, courtship and love- making.
For many Meo, however, the deteriorating situation on the
Plaine des Jarres is restricting their part in the festivities.
As Pathet Lao and dissident neutralist forces have hacked
territory away from neutralist General Kong Le, the Meo have
ranged themselves around the foothills of the mountain range
which fringes the Plaine, ready to move if forward if the
military situation becomes dangerous to them.
Meanwhile, Air America and other contractors have continued
their supply work, flying into tiny strips in the Meo country
at the risk of being shot at by Pathet Lao forces, to keep these
hardy people supplied with the necessities of life.
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Deepe
U.S. aid to the Meo and the other refugee groups goes
beyond mere supplies, however, and ranges into efforts to
improve education, medicine and agriculture. These programmes
have being much hampered by the security situation in the
Plaine des Jarres area, but in some more peaceful valleys
away from the Pathet Lao, some real progress has been achieved.
It is very noticeable that the aid programme to the Mwo
in particular is something very dear to the hearts of the U.S.
officials associated with the programme.
These tough, independent and often child-like people have
a real attraction, an authentic charm and a loyalty which
encourages friendship and admiration.
Date
1963
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Campaigns--Laos; Laos--Relations--United States; Economic assistance
Location
Saigon, South Vietnam
Coordinates
10.8231; 106.6311
Size
20 x 26 cm
Container
B2, F4
Format
dispatches
Collection Number
MS 363
Collection Title
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
Creator
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Collector
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Copyright Information
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
Publisher
Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
Language
English