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51-479: Vieng Phouka , (also Vien Pou Kha Vieng , Viangphoukha , Viengphoukha , Vieng Pou Kha , Vien Pouka ) is a town in Luang Namtha Province , northeastern Laos , approximately 50 kilometres southwest of the town of Luang Namtha . It is the capital of Viengphoukha District . The town was affected by the 2007 Laos earthquake, the epicentre only being several kilometres to the southwest. The area surrounding

102-673: A Laotian counterpart of the Viet Minh later Viet Cong . During the civil war, it was effectively organised, equipped and even led by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). They fought against the anti-communist forces in the Vietnam War . Eventually, the term became the generic name for Laotian communists. Under orders from Mao Zedong , the People's Liberation Army provided 115,000 guns, 920,000 grenades and 170 million bullets, and trained more than 700 of its military officers. The political movement of

153-713: A Vietnamese woman while in Vietnam, and solicited Viet Minh aid in founding a guerrilla force. In August 1950, Souphanouvong joined the Viet Minh in their headquarters north of Hanoi , and became the head of the Pathet Lao, along with its political arm dubbed "Neo Lao Issara" (Free Lao Front). The Pathet Lao founded resistance government with members: Souphanouvong (Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs), Kaysone Phomvihane (Minister of Defence), Nouhak Phoumsavanh (Minister of Finance), Phoumi Vongvichit (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of

204-582: A government at Viengxay in Houaphanh province , northeast Laos. The communists began to make incursions into central Laos with the support of the Viet Minh, and a civil war erupted; the Pathet Lao quickly occupied substantial sections of the country. The 1954 Geneva Conference agreements required the withdrawal of foreign forces, and allowed the Pathet Lao to establish itself as a regime in Laos's two northern provinces. The Viet Minh and North Vietnamese, in spite of

255-665: A hospital, guesthouse, tourist office, morning market, bank, police station, and bus station. This Laotian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Luang Namtha Province The province contains the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area and is one of the main sugar cane and rubber producing areas of Laos with numerous plantations. There are some 20 temples in Muang Sing , including Wat Sing Jai and Wat Namkeo . The anthropological Luang Namtha Museum

306-708: A lot of them were destroyed during the war. There are some 20 temples in Muang Sing. Of note is Wat Sing Jai or Wat Xieng Jai, behind the Muangsing Guest House. The monastery, painted in hues reminiscent of the Caribbean, has a museum, but because its items are of high local value, it is closed to visitors for fear of theft. Another major temple is Wat Namkeo . The wihan in the town are typically multi-tiered, roofed buildings typical of northern Laos, but most houses have corrugated metal roofs and wooden beams, reflecting

357-511: A vassal of the Lan Na Kingdom of northern Thailand until the early-16th century. From the mid-16th until the early-19th century it came under Burmese control. In the first half of the 19th century, it was under Siamese rule and war-torn. In 1885, Chao Fa Silinor, supported by 1,000 Tai Lue people took control of Muang Sing, attracted by its agricultural lands. In 1890, the Tai Yuan occupied

408-641: Is in Luang Namtha. The history of Luang Namtha province is traced to inhabitants who lived there about 6,000 years ago, evidenced by archaeological finds of stone implements discovered from the Nam Jook River Valley in Vieng Phoukha. The Xieng Khaeng Chronicles also mention existence of Xieng Khaeng town in the early-15th century, on the shores of the Mekong River . As its prosperity increased it became

459-531: Is in the Nam Ha NBCA. The IBA's elevation varies between 250–2,094 metres (820–6,870 ft). The topography is mountainous ridges. The habitat is dry evergreen forest, upper montane forest, and Imperata grassland. Crested finchbill ( Spizixos canifrons ), white-bellied redstart ( Hodgsonius phaenicuroides ), and white-necked laughingthrush ( Garrulax strepitans ) are unknown in any other Lao IBA. Confirmed fauna include Assamese macaque ( Macaca assamensis ) and

510-412: Is widely practiced as an economic necessity. Food items such as rice , corn , casava , peanuts , cardamom , rattan , bamboo , jewel orchids , eaglewood , and ginger are used for internal consumption and sale. A wide range of wildlife is consumed or sold. The province has been the site of significant investments by China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative . The Route 3 highway connects

561-526: The Boten International Checkpoint on the border with China and Houayxay , opposite Thailand's Chiang Khong District , sometimes called the Chiang Rai - Kunming R3 highway. Route 13 and the upcoming Vientiane–Boten Expressway also pass through the province, though they do not enter the provincial capital Luang Namtha . The Boten–Vientiane railway , which parallels Route 13, serves

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612-832: The Khmer Issarak in Cambodia and the Viet Minh in Vietnam. Originally the Lao Issara , an anti-French, non-communist nationalist movement formed on 12 October 1945, it was renamed the "Pathet Lao" in 1950 when it was adopted by Lao forces under Souphanouvong, who joined the Viet Minh's revolt against colonial French authorities in Indochina during the First Indochina War . Souphanouvong, who had spent seven years in Nha Trang during his sixteen years in Vietnam, met Ho Chi Minh , married

663-595: The Lao People's Liberation Army , was a communist political movement and organization in Laos , formed in the mid-20th century. The group ultimately gained control over the entire country of Laos in 1975, after the Laotian Civil War . The Pathet Lao were always closely associated and dependent on Vietnamese communists and North Vietnam since their foundation, with the group being established after advice from Hanoi to create

714-709: The Second Indochina War . The city has grid pattern layout and is surrounded by green paddy fields and is a hub of economic activity. Luang Namtha province covers an area of 9,325 square kilometres (3,600 sq mi). The province is bordered by Yunnan , China to the north, Oudomxai province to the east and southeast, Bokeo province to the southwest, and Burma to the west. Notable settlements include Luang Namtha , Muang Sing , Ban Oua , Ban Lacha , Ban Tintok , Ban Ko , Pang Kalom , Ban Thang , Ban Nam Kanne , Ban Meo , Ban Pawi , Ban Sa Pouk , Ban He and Ban Tintok . The Mekong River ( Nam Khong ) marks

765-637: The Viet Cong insurgency in South Vietnam which became known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail . In September 1959, North Vietnam formed Group 959 in Laos with the aim of securing the supply route to South Vietnam and building the Pathet Lao into a stronger counterforce against the Lao Royal government. Group 959 openly supplied, trained and militarily supported the Pathet Lao. The typical strategy during this era

816-548: The ungulate gaur ( Bos gaurus ). The province is made up of the following five districts: The population of the province as of the 2015 census was 175,753 persons. The ethnic groups reported were the Khamu, Akha (Eko), Hmong, Yao (Ioumien) and Lanetene. Lowland Lao people, Tai Lue, Thai Neua and Thai Dam reside in villages just outside the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area close to

867-618: The 1960s and 1970s the Pathet Lao battled the Royal Lao government during the Laotian Civil War , gaining control of the north and east of Laos. The Pathet Lao gained power throughout the country by early 1975. In December, the US-backed government fell and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party formed a new government. The organization can trace its roots from the Second World War , similar to

918-588: The Chinese border, lying between elevations 600–1,556 metres (1,969–5,105 ft). Wildlife reported from the NBCA are wild cattle such as gaur and banteng , Asian wild dogs , tigers , clouded leopard , bears , monkeys and gibbons and also muntjac . The conservation area was initially established covering an area of 677 square kilometres (261 sq mi) in 1991 which was subsequently enlarged to an area 2,244 square kilometres (866 sq mi) (entirely within

969-645: The Ho Chi Minh Trail, with support for the Pathet Lao revolution as a secondary role. In 1968 of the estimated 40,000 PAVN troops in Laos, 25,000 were engaged in supporting the Trail, 700 as advisers to the Pathet Lao and the remainder in mobile units supporting Pathet Lao operations. Publicly the North Vietnamese maintained that they did not have any troops in Laos and were respecting the Geneva Agreement, while

1020-716: The Interior), Souk Vongsak, Sithon Kommadam, and Phaydang Lobliayao. This was an attempt to give a false front of authority to the Lao communist movement by claiming to represent a united non-partisan effort. Two of its most important founders were members of the Indochinese Communist Party , which advocated an overthrow of the monarchy as well as the expulsion of the French. In 1953, Pathet Lao fighters accompanied an invasion of Laos from Vietnam led by Viet Minh forces; they established

1071-772: The Mekong. Some of the best preserved monsoon forest (mixed deciduous forest) of Laos can be found in Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area. It has developed as a sustainable cultural and eco-tourism destination with the help of neighbouring countries, and several organizations including the European Union , UNESCO and the Lao National Tourism Administration . The eco-tourism activities involve trekking, river rafting, camping, kayaking, bird watching and mountain bike tours. The Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) has dense forest covering 90% of

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1122-623: The Nam Tha Valley for a short period of two years, and thus Muang Houa Tha came to be reestablished. It was during this period that Vat Luang Korn, one of Luang Namtha's biggest temples, was built in 1892. In 1894, the French, British, and Siamese colonists, decreed that the province would be administered by the French. The border was redrawn with the Mekong River serving as the northern border (along its northern reaches of Muang Sing to Chiang Saen ) between French Indochina and British Burma . This

1173-665: The North Vietnamese handed the Americans a list of prisoners of war in Laos which included only nine Americans: seven servicemen and two civilians. U.S. agencies believe that as many as 41 Americans may have been held prisoner by the Pathet Lao. Charles Shelton who was captured on 29 April 1965 was listed as a prisoner by the DOD until September 1994. As of 26 July 2019 the DOD's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency listed 286 Americans as missing in Laos, of which 263 were classified as further pursuit, 12 deferred and 11 non-recoverable. Shortly after

1224-583: The Northern Highlands zone, between elevations of 1,000–2,094 metres (3,281–6,870 ft), primary evergreen forest is mixed with secondary forest as well as large patches of Imperata grass. In the Southern Highlands, which range between 1,000–1,572 metres (3,281–5,157 ft) elevations, there is evergreen forest and scrub. Secondary evergreen forests and scrub are found in the Nam Kong area bordering

1275-567: The PAVN for the supply of weapons and munitions and were generally outgunned by the RLA. In May 1968, the PAVN launched a multi-division invasion of Laos. The Pathet Lao effectively served as an auxiliary force to the PAVN. In June 1969 the PAVN/Pathet Lao launched Campaign Toan Thang , their first wet season offensive. Even though US air bombardments contributed to the majority of PAVN/Pathet casualties,

1326-661: The Paris Peace Accords ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the Pathet Lao and the government of Laos signed a cease-fire agreement, the Vientiane Treaty , on 21 February 1973. On 4 April 1974 the Provisional Government of National Union (PGNU) was formed in Laos. In December 1974, the Pathet Lao killed Charles Dean and Neil Sharman , backpackers who were captured near Vientiane. The peace envisaged by

1377-432: The Pathet Lao abandoned the coalition and resumed fighting. By the mid-1960s, the country had fallen into proxy warfare between pro-US and pro-North Vietnamese irregular military groups. The PAVN/Pathet Lao battled the RLA, US irregular forces (including Air America and other contract employees and Hmong commandos ) and Thai volunteer forces in Laos winning effective control in the north and east. The government itself

1428-429: The Pathet Lao signed an agreement with Vietnam that allowed Vietnam to station part of its army in the country and to send political and economic advisors into Laos. Vietnam afterward forced Laos to cut any remaining economic ties to its other neighbours, including Thailand and Cambodia. After the Pathet Lao took over the country in 1975, the conflict continued in isolated pockets. In 1977, a communist newspaper promised

1479-454: The Pathet Lao was called first the "Lao People's Party" (1955–1972) and later the " Lao People's Revolutionary Party " (1972–present). Key Pathet Lao leaders include Prince Souphanouvong , Kaysone Phomvihane , Phoumi Vongvichit , Nouhak Phoumsavanh and Khamtay Siphandone . The political wing of the Pathet Lao, called the " Lao Patriotic Front " ( Lao : Neo Lao Hak Xat ) served in multiple coalition governments, starting in 1956. Through

1530-595: The Plain of Jars and shelling Long Tieng , the base of Vang Pao 's RLA aligned army before withdrawing. On 28 October 1972 the PAVN/Pathet Lao launched Campaign 972 scoring a series of victories over the war-weary RLA forces. With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27 January 1973 all U.S. prisoners were to be released under Operation Homecoming . The United States Department of Defense (DOD) listed 311 Americans as missing in Laos, however on 1 February 1973

1581-543: The RLA were unable to match the numerical strength of the PAVN/Pathet Lao forces, and the RLA took heavy losses. In September 1969 the RLA attacked PAVN/Pathet Lao positions on the Plain of Jars and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. While initially successful, the RLA forces were eventually pushed back by the PAVN/Pathet Lao Campaign 139 . On 2 February 1971 the PAVN/Pathet Lao launched Campaign 74B temporarily capturing

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1632-542: The United States and its allies were violating it; the United States asserted the exact opposite. The Pathet Lao supreme headquarters or center was located in the Viengxay caves near Xam Neua manned by approximately 500 personnel. NLHS membership was estimated as being 11,000 in 1965 and 14,000 in 1978. In October 1965 the armed forces were renamed the Lao People's Liberation Army (LPLA). The LPLA's estimated strength

1683-650: The Vientiane Treaty lasted only two years. The Pathet Lao refused to disarm and the PAVN did not leave the country. In late February 1975, the Pathet Lao, with PAVN assistance, began attacking government strongholds on the Plain of Jars. With the fall of the Cambodian government to the Khmer Rouge on 17 April and the fall of the South Vietnamese government to the PAVN on 30 April 1975 the non-communist elements of

1734-511: The agreement, never really withdrew from the border areas of Laos and the Pathet Lao continued to operate almost as a branch organization of the Viet Minh. Two months after the conference, the North Vietnamese formed Group 100 with headquarters at Na Mèo . The unit effectively controlled and directed the Pathet Lao movement. It was formed into an official party, the Lao Patriotic Front (Neo Lao Hak Sat (NLHS)), in 1956. Its stated goal

1785-527: The area. May to September are the rainy months with average annual rainfall of 1,256 millimetres (49.4 in). December to February are the winter months with temperatures touching as low as 5 °C (41 °F). Heavy fog is common in the morning with warm and sunny middays. The average annual temperature is 25.75 °C (78.35 °F). Vegetation zones in its plains are between 540–1,000 metres (1,770–3,280 ft) elevation, consisting of bamboo, secondary evergreen forest and scrub (introduced by humans). In

1836-413: The national government decided that allowing the Pathet Lao to enter power would be better than to have them take it by force. Long Tieng was evacuated in mid-May. On 23 August 1975, Pathet Lao forces quietly entered the capital Vientiane. On 2 December 1975, the Pathet Lao firmly took over the government, abolishing the monarchy and establishing the Lao People's Democratic Republic . Shortly thereafter,

1887-664: The northwest border of the province. Three large rivers, the Nam Tha , Nam Fa and Nam Long , drain westward and southward into the Mekong. The Phou mountain range runs along the Chinese-Lao border, consisting of mainly dry evergreen forest. The main roads in Luang Namtha province connect Houayxay in Bokeo with Luang Namtha town and Oudomxay with Boten. Boten is an important border crossing with China ( Mohan ), and provides an export route from China, via Xien Kok , loading from trucks into boats on

1938-507: The people were poor because of capitalism and US imperialism. If volunteers were not forthcoming then youth would be drafted, with the draft age of 15, but in many cases conscripts were as young as 12. Training was rudimentary with a greater emphasis placed on political indoctrination than on military skills as the "fighting will" was deemed to be the most important source of military strength. Military units had political commissars down to company level. The LPLA were entirely dependent on

1989-816: The poverty of the area. The Buddhas, however, are golden, and typically have large long earlobes, commonly seen in Xishuangbanna , China, and the Shan State of Burma. Luang Namtha Museum, also known as Luang Namtha Provincial Museum, is in the capital city of Luang Namtha. Largely an anthropological museum, it contains numerous items related to local peoples such as ethnic clothing, Khamu bronze drums, textiles, ceramics, tools, household utensils, handcrafted weapons, and Buddhism-related items. Pathet Lao Non-state allies: Non-state opponents: The Pathet Lao ( Lao : ປະເທດລາວ , romanized :  Pa thēt Lāo , lit.   'Lao Nation' ), officially

2040-583: The province) which borders with Shiang Yong Protected Area in Yunnan province in China. There are 33 large mammals (of which 22 are key species), including Malayan sun bear and black cheeked crested gibbons , and 288 species of birds (of which 18 are key species). It has been designated as an Asian Heritage Site. One issue of concern is of rubber cultivation in large areas. The Nam Ha Important Bird Area (IBA), 1,845.2 square kilometres (712.4 sq mi) in size,

2091-600: The province. The Luang Namtha airport (LXG) has a daily flight to and from Vientiane's Wattay International Airport VTE , QV601/602. Sing District is mountainous. Muang Sing was a garrison town in the past and the northernmost outpost during French colonial rule . It was known as the center of the Sipsongpana civilization where the relics of old barracks and other colonial buildings can still be seen. The Sipsongpana people have shifted to Yunnan province in southern China . There are many old temples of different styles, but

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2142-621: The town is heavily forested and isolated, with dramatic mountain scenery in the distance and part of the Namtha National Biodiversity Conservation Area . The main river in the area is the Nam Fa River . In the southwestern part of the town is Bor Kung Nature Park , known for its shrimp and crab ponds and the Wat Bor Kung . The other temple of note is Wat Ban Thio in the northeast of the town. The town also contains

2193-432: The town of Muang Sing . The province is one of the main sugarcane and rubber producing areas of Laos with numerous plantations. Viengphoukha Coal Mine Co. Ltd., which is mining for lignite , is a major operating company in the province in the mineral sector, as of 2008. Other industries are agriculture, wood processing, lignite and copper mining, handicraft production, transportation and tourism. Shifting cultivation

2244-549: Was 25,000 in June 1965, 33,000 in April 1967, 48,000+ in 1970 and 35,000 in late 1972. The LPLA was divided into regular, regional/popular and militia/guerrilla forces. LPLA forces had PAVN advisers assigned to them but were not mixed with PAVN forces. Recruitment into the LPLA was based on appeals to the patriotism of young Laotians who were told that their country was rich in natural resources but

2295-509: Was captured but the remainder fled to North Vietnam. Then in July 1959 Lao police arrested 16 Neo Lao Hak Sat members, including seven who had been elected to the National Assembly, on charges of treason. These actions brought about a resumption of fighting. In late 1959, North Vietnam had reoccupied areas of eastern Laos. The area was used as a transit route for men and supplies destined for

2346-438: Was effectively powerless. Until 1968 military operations were conducted by small units, usually of company or at most battalion size. Typically the RLA would be dominant in the wet season from May through October when the PAVN/Pathet Lao were immobilized by the rains and the PAVN/Pathet Lao would dominate during the dry season from November through April. PAVN forces in Laos were primarily focused on supporting and defending

2397-624: Was followed by migration of the Tai Dam people from Sip Song Chou Tai from northwestern Vietnam who settled in the newly created Tong Jai Village, on the east bank of the Nam Tha River. Other ethnic groups, such as the Tai Neua , Tai Kao, Akha, Lanten, Yao and Lahu from Sipsongpanna in Burma and northwest Vietnam also migrated to the province. During French colonial rule, the provincial capital of Luang Namtha

2448-499: Was for PAVN regulars to attack first but then send in the Pathet Lao at the end of the battle to claim victory. In the early 1960s, more attempts at neutrality agreements and coalition government were attempted, principally the International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos signed in Geneva on 23 July 1962, but as North Vietnam had no intention of withdrawing from Laos, these agreements all failed. The Pathet Lao entered into another coalition government in June 1962 but by April 1963

2499-431: Was royalist-controlled until the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established in 1975. From 1975 to 1983 Houa Khong and Luang Namtha were a single province and subsequently divided into Luang Namtha and Bokeo provinces. The capital of the province, Luang Namtha, had to be shifted in 1976 to a higher ground, by about 7 km, as the original city was not only prone to floods, but was also substantially destroyed during

2550-454: Was the heart of the Sipsongpana civilization, which later moved to Yunnan province in southern China. After France withdrew from Indochina in the late-1950s, the Houa Thas were in conflict with the US-supported Royal Lao Army against Pathet Lao forces, and from 6 May 1962 the area was under Pathet Lao control. At this time the province was given its present name. The territory between Houei Xay and Vieng Phoukha, known as Houa Khong province,

2601-458: Was to wage the communist struggle against capitalism , as well as Western colonialism and imperialism . Unstated was its subordination to the Communist Party of Vietnam . A coalition government was established in 1957 between the monarchists and communists. In May 1959 two Pathet Lao battalions which had been selected for integration into the Royal Lao Army (RLA) were surrounded by RLA troops who attempted to disarm them. Part of one battalion

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