INCIDENTS OF POISON GAS ATTACKS AGAINST RESISTANCE ELEMENTS IN LOUANG PRABANG, XIENG KHOUANG AND SAVANNAKHET PROVINCES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06156947
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2017
• Case Number: F-2012-01432
• Publication Date: March 21, 1980

pproved for Release: 2015/01/05 -a--6156947
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DIRECTORATE OF
OPERATION*
orS.,;(41'
Intelligence Inf mation Cable
IN u0456442A
PAGE 001 OF 007
FURTHER DISSEMINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT.
STATE/INR JCS/mC(DIA) CIA/N4CC
,Sr.S NSA TREAS OCO
(HARD COPIES TO: NSC/S NFAC wHS1TRm OCR).
THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
kEROR1 CLASS S E E T/wNINTEL--NOFORN
CITE
DIST 21 MAR 80
COUNIPY LAOS/VIETNAM
SUBJECT INCIDENTS OF POISON GAS ATTACKS AGAINST RESISTANCE ELEMENTS
IN LOUANG PRABANG, xILNG KHOuANG AND SAvANNAKHET PROVINCES
SOURCE
SUMMARY:
FROM AUGUST 1976 TO MID�
OCTOBER 1979 LAO PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY (LPLA) FORCES CONDUCTED
CHEMICAL WARFARE (CW) ATTACKS ON HMoNG VILLAGERS IN LOUANG PRABANG
PROVINCE, RESULTING IN HUNDREDS OF DEATHS. ONE HMONG VILLAGER FROM
xIENG KHOUANG PROVINCE, wHO HAD LOST CLOSE RELATIVES IN A CM ATTACK
IN MARCH 1979 AND PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THE EFFECTS OF THE GAS,
SAID THAT IT AS HIS OPINION THAT THE PEOPLE WHO DIED FROM EXPOSURE
TO -THE CIN DID SO BECAUSE OF A SEVERE LOSS OF BLOOD THROUGH VOMITING
.SET,.
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INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED
FURTHER OISSEmINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT
AND UEHyURAT1ON. THREE SOVIET mIG-21 AIRCRAFT HERE REPORTED TO HAVE
ATTACKED RESISTANCE FORCES IN SAVANNAKHET PROVINCE IN EARLY JANUARY
1980 wITH Cw BOMBS WHICH EXPLODED IN wHITE SMOKE BUT LATER TURNED TO
GREEN AND YELLOw SMOKE. END SUMMARY,
LOUANG PRABANG PROVINCE, LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (LPDR),
FROM AUGUST 1976 TO 9 OCTOBER 1979 THERE wERE ABOUT 30
INSTANCES OF 10xIC CHEMICALS USED BY LAO PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY
(LPLA) AND
THE AREA,
VILLAGE OF
PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM (PAVN) FORCES ON INHABITANTS IN
CHAO FA: RESISTANCE FORCES AROUND THE
BAN NONG KWAI (SG9668)r XIENG NGOEN DISTRICT, BEGAN CLASH-
ING .I1H LPLA ELEMENTS IN AUGUST 1976. AT FIRST, THE LPLA LAUNCHED
ATTACKS AGAINST HMONG VILLAGES USING 105MM ARTILLERY WEAPONS POSITION-
ED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LOUANG PRABANG AIRFIELD (TH0302). HOWEVER,
IN MARCH 1977, THE LPLA, USING HMoNG PEOPLE WHO HAD JOINED THE PATHET
LAO FORCES FOR A LONG-TIME, BEGAN LAUNCHING ATTACKS ON VILLAGES WHERE
THE CHAD FA RESISTANCE FORCES HERE ENTRENCHED wITH 122mm ROCKETS
CONTAINING TOXIC CHEMICALS, IN ADDITION TO THE 105mM AND 155MM
HOwITZERS.
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FURTHER DISSEKINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
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LPLA TROOPS WERE PREPARING TO LAUNCH
CHEMICAL AA4FARE OPERATIONS TO SUPPRESS THE HMONG IN MARCH BY
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
DELIVERING THE CHEMICAL IN 122Mm ROCKETS.
THE
HMONG
RESISTANCE hAS
AARNED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
FROM EXPOSURE
TO
THE TOXIC GASES BY
HIDING OUT IN CAVES.
COMMENT:
VARIOUS
OTHER
SOURCES HAVE
REPORTED THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS
BY THE
LPLA AND
PAVN FORCES
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
AGAINST THE HMONG RESISTANCE.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
2. AHEN THE LPLA BEGAN FIRING THE 122M ROCKETS CARRYING THE
POISON GASES, IT AAS DONE ALMOST EVERY DAY AND NUMBERED ABOUT 30-40
ROCKETS.- COMMENT: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LDUANG PRABANG
AIRFIELD AND THE HMONG VILLAGE TARGETS IS ABOUT SIX TO NINE KILO-
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
METERS, THE RANGE OF THE 122Mm ROCKETS IS ABOUT 12-13 KILOMETERS.)
WITHIN TWO MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL GAS ATTACKS BEGAN, OUT OF THE
NINE HMONG VILLAGES CONTAMINATED BY
THE TOXIC GASES, APPROXIMATELY
300 HMONG
PEOPLE HAD BEEN KILLED.
(b)(1)
HAD uuRIED 50 PERSONS. DURING THIS PERIOD, MARCH-APRIL
(b)(3)
1977, ENEMY
TROOPS, COMPRISING ONLY LAO AND HMONG SOLDIERS, CONDUCTED
THREE SEPARATE SEEP OPERATIONS INTO THE NINE VILLAGES. BY MID-JUNE
1977, THE AREAS WHERE THE NINE HMONG VILLAGES WERE LOCATED HAD BEEN
COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER bY LPLA FORCES, nHILE THE APPROXIMATELY 2,600
HMONG PEOPLE FROM THE VILLAGES AHO HAD FLED INTO THE JUNGLE WERE
REGROUPING IN AN AREA NEAR PHUU DIN DAENG (SG9468), XIENG NGOEN
DISTRICT, LOUANG PRAIJANG PROVINCE.
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3. INFORMATION REACHING THE HmONG RESISTANCE FORCES Al PROW DIN
DAENG INDICATED THAT LPLA FORCES MERE NO PLANNING TO LAUNCH CHEMICAL
hARFARE ATTACKS UN THAI LOCATION. FROM OCTOBER TO DECEmBER 1977,
LPLA 105mm ARTILLERY hEAPONS POSITIONED ALONG THE muANG NAN (NCA) -
muANG xIENG NGLJEN (NCA) ROAD BEGAN FIRING 105mm RoCNDS AT THE HMONG
STRONGHOLD, AT THE SAME TimE, I22mm ROCKETS WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS
WERE FIRED FROM THE VILLAGE OF KIEh KA CRAM (TG0965).
DURING THIS PERIOD 132 HmONG PEOPLE .ERE KILLED BY
POISON GAS, BURYING OF 32 OF THEM,
THE REST OF THE 6,270 HMONG PEOPLE IN SEVEN VILLAGES AROUND PHOU DIN
DAENG FLED AND RELOCATED IN AREAS AROUND NAM KAI (TG0441) AND PHA
KDI (5G9523).
4. ON 8 AUGUST 1978, LPLA FORCES, JOINED BY PAyN TROOPS, BEGAN
LAUNCHING HEAVY CHEm1CAL 'WARFARE ATTACKS ON THE NAP KAI AND PHA
KOI AREAS; HOwEVER, THIS TIME THE CHEMICALS MERE DELIVERED BY LIGHT
OBSERVATION TYPE AIRCRAFT FIRING ROCKETS. SUPPORTING LPLA AND PAVN
JOINT SWEEP OPERATIONS nERE 105mm, 130mm AND 155mM ARTILLERY
wEAPoNs, AND 122mm ROCKETS.
THE LPLA OPERATION
LASTED FOUR MONTHS DURING WHICH THE LIGHT OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT,
ARMED nITH SIX TO EIGHT CHEMICAL WARHEAD ROCKETS, FLEA ABOUT 15
mISSIONS DAILY. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT AT LEAST 300 ROCKETS, BOTH
ORDINARY AND CHEMICAL WARFARE TYPES, WERE FIRED INTO THE .REAS EACH
DAY. LPLA FORCES HAU POSITIONED 105Mm wEAPONS AT BAN HIN NGOM (NCA),
155Mm WEAPONS AT KASI (1G1229), 130MM wEAPONS.AT BAN CHIENG (NCA),
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KASI DISTRICT, AND 122mm ROCKETS FROM PHoU PA CHAO (NCA), ABOUT SIX
KILDmETERS EAST OF KASI. THE SAME TYPE ROCKETS wERE ALSO FIRED
FRom THE AIRFIELD Al KASI WITH CHEMICAL AGENTS INSIDE.
AS A RESULT
OF THE HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF POISON GAS ATTACKS, 276 HmONG PEOPLE
DIED FROM CONTAMINATION BY THE TOXIC GASES.
5.
THE LAST EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT
INVOLVING THE USE OF POISON GAS OCCURRED IN EARLY OCTOBER 1979.
ON U OCTOBER, AN L-I9 AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE AREA OF BAN PHA KOI
(SG9523) AND FIRED CHEMICAL WARFARE ROCKETS AT HmONG VILLAGERS IN
THE AREA, THE ATTACK WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 130Mm ARTILLERY FIRE AND
122mM ROCKETS WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS. THE GAS FROM THE EXPLODED
ROCKETS DELIVERED BY AIRCRAFT WAS WHITE, RED AND GREEN SMOKE. THE
AFTACK RESULTED IN 12 HmONG PEOPLE KILLED. FROM 9-14 OCTOBER,
ANOTHER ATTACK USING THE SAME WEAPONS WERE DIRECTED AT THE PHA KOI
AREA CAUSING 32 HmoNG PEOPLE TO DIE FROM EXPOSURE TO TOXIC GASES.
THE REST OF THE VILLAGERS FLED THE AREA AND ON 20 OCTOBER 515
HMONG PEOPLE CROSSED THE MEKONG RIVER TO THAILAND.
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
6. ANOTHER HmONG REFUGEE
FROM XIENG KHOUANG PROVINCE,
DESCRIBED HIS PERSONAL
(b)(1)
EXPERIENCE FROM
EXPOSURE TO A CHEMICAL ATTACK,
ON 19 MAY 1978, TWO
LIGHT OBSERVATION (b)(3)
AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED A POISON GAS ATTACK ON THE AREA OF
PHA PHAI
(uG0916). ALTHOUGH THE HMUNG VILLAGERS ATTEMPTED TO
FLEE THE AREA
AND RELOCATE TO AN AREA ABOUT TWO KILOMETERS WEST OF
PHA PHAI, NOT
ALL THE PEOPLE MADE 1T. THE HmONG REFUGEE SAID THAT
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HIS ELDEST SON,
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CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT
AGE 19 YEARS, AND HIS UAUGHTER, AGE FOUR YEARS, MERE KILLED BY THE
POISON GAS THE SAME DAY. FIVE CHILDREN, ALL UNDER THE AGE OF TWO
YEARS, OF RELATIVES LIVING IN THE SAME AREA ALSO PERISHED BUT ON 20
MARCH, THE HmONG REFUGEE SAID THAT HE EXPERIENCED TOXIC SYMPTOMS
FOR UP TO THREE DAYS AFTER THE ATTACK. HE SAID THAT HE SMOKED OPIUM
FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEFORE
BELIEVING HE AAS CURED. HE DES-
CR1bED HIS SYMPTOMS AS DIZZINESS, A SEVERE HEADACHE,
COUGHING. HE HAD CHEST PAINS AND NOTICED IT AAS
10 BREATH, HE ALSO HAU A DRY THROAT, FELT VERY
SUMED LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER. THE REFUGEE SAID
DIARRHEA, AND VOMITED BLOOD FROM HIS MOUTH AND NOSE.
AND
EXTREMELY
THIRSTY,
HE HAD
HE
FREQUENT
DIFFICULT
AND CON-
MILD
DID NOT
EXPERIENCE BLOOD COMING OUT THROUGH HIS PORES.
COMMENT: THE
(b)(1)
REFUGEE SAID HE ObSERvED THAT THOSE HmONG PEOPLE
wHO DIED
FROM EX-
(b)(3)
POSURE 10 THE POISON GAS HAD VOMITED A LOT OF BLOOD. AS SUCH, HE
BELIEVED THAT THEY DIED BECAUSE THEY LUST TOO MUCH BLOOD AND FROM
DEHYDRATION.)
7. ON 2 JANUARY I980,
(b)(1)'
(b)(3)
THREE SOVIET mIG-21
AIRCRAFT FLEA FROm THE EAST IN THE SAME DIRECTION
AS DA NANG,
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV), AND DROPPED SIX BOMBS IN THE
VICINITY OF A CAVE USED BY RESISTANCE FORCES, AFTER STRAFING THE
AREA FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND DROPPING THREE MORE BOMBS, THE MIG-21
AIRCRAFT FLEA AWAY. Al FIRST, THE BOMBS PRODUCED A AMITE SMOKE BUT
LATER CHANGED FROm,A rifilTE COLOR TO A MIXTURE OF GREEN AND YELLOA
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SK.:OKE. THREE DAYS Ai.TcR THE INCIDENT,
(b)(1)
VISITED THE AREA uF THE ATTACK AND OBSEkvED
A DEAD wILD BOAR AND
(b)(3)
THAT THE FOLIAGE
uN THE
TREES wAS bEGINNING TO DRY UP AND FALL TO
THE GROUND.
COMMENT: IN NOVEmbER 1979, THE ENTIRE LPLA 3RD
(b)(1)
BATTALION, LPLA
923RD
CONSTRUCTION GROUP, DESERTED FROM ITS (b)(3)
LOCATION ALONG ROUTE 9. LATER, ABOUT 200 OF THE LPLA DESERTERS WERE
CAPTURED BUT THE REmAINDER TOOK REFUGE INSIDE A CAVE LOCATED ON PHOU
xANGLE MOUNTAIN /wD5078/.)
8.
9.
REPORT CLASS SECRET/wARNING NOTICE-INTELLIGENCE SOURCES
METHODS INVOLVED/NUT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS
CARRY CLASSIFICATIoN AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT
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