VIET MINH AND LAO ISSARA TRAINING CAMPS IN KANGTUNG STATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R003000350009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 6, 2003
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: August 3, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION
25X
Approved '~Ift
T21MWLL2'a a4AfR E 00457R0 &W
INFORMATION REPO T
"'t ~Juvi
DC UN I'R`( Thailand/Burma
'3U1BJECT Viet Uinh and Lao Issara Training Camps in
;'LACE
ACQUIRED
q)ATE OF INFO
CI) NO.
DATE DISTR. At_fi
NO. OF PAGES 2
Ufa 'U CIA LI011dry NO._OF_ ENCLS.
rMI RO.^.OFOENTCONUIFl89C RZATONAFP6CTIWaTHaRATIONA).DPt+ WOR
GV 4t1R UNITED 6T4710 WITNIP) Tfl =40100 OP THE WNW" A01 ACT 00
U. 3. C.. 89 AND $Y. A$ ANcY.E.ti30, PIS TRASi3W0SEO13 OS] TUX REVELATION
Oft VW GONTEM IN MW I9^V490 CO A9 917, N021! O PE SOS! to PRO-
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
11 A Vetnaaese military training camp is located about four kilometers
northeast of Mong Lin, near the road leading to Kong Lap (20-50;100-2B) .g
at the junction of two small rivers.
2, About 60 Vietnamese, mostly men, live in the camp. All of the Vietnamese
came from Thailand by way of Mae Sai, Access to the camp by local people
is r. cite free, but it is a somewhat risky undertaking for an outsider to
attempt to enter the camp.
The Vietnamese camp has been in existence for nine months and is commanded
by the Can bo, Tran Quang Ho*. The training course varies from three to
six months.
Kangtnang State
25X1A
25X1 C
SUPPLEMENT TO 25X1
REPORT NO.
The chief of all the Vietnamese in Kengtung State is Nguyen Van Long
(Le Van Long). The Regent of Kengtung, Sao,Khunsuek, seems to be unaware
of any especially close connection between Long and the camp at Mong Lin.,
50
Along the west bank of the Mekong, both north and south of its little
tributary, which passes through Mong Lin, there is located a large community
of Lao Issara. They apparently live by farming, fishingrand catching
crocodiles.
Undr;or the l-adorship of Prince Souphanavong, the Lao Issara establishment,
co-isting mostly of men, is conducting an intensive program of military
training, The number of men in training varies from 100 to 600. They are
are1..l. supplied with arms. These include French muskets, American rifles,
pistols, carbines,, submachine guns, machine guns,, and horse-carried antiaircraft
maci:3ine guns?
CONF~~ENTIAL
CLASSIFiCAT$ON ~t1TI7.A
~,Th f/ _Rf_n iY # Nsfis
DISTRIBUTION
DICTRI~UTIQN
AR PAY ; AEn~ # Fel p ~fl
4
This document is hereby regraded to
CONFIDENTIAL In accordance with the
letter of 18 October 1978 from the
Director of Central intelligence to the
Archivist of the United States.
Next Review Date: 2008
Approved For Rpleas
2003/12/10: CIA-RDP82 -4
Date:
25X1
25X1
 Approved For Rel 00
CENTRAL INTgLLIGEF?I;B A W R Y
CONFIDENTIAL
The Regent of Kengtung and Prince Souphanavong are on good terms. The
Regent sees no reason to interfere with the Princess activities, since they
are directed against the French, not the Shares.
Soupha,navong travels frequently between Bangkok and Kengtung State, usually
making the trip from Bangkok to I,a=an * plane, and from Lampang to
Kengtung State by buss Souphanavong was in Bangkok,
During Souphanavongts absence from Mong Lin, general cormand of the Lao
Issara camp is in charge of Bounyawatt, 1sh years old, a former official
in the office of the Viceroy of Laos.
10. The Lao Issara camp near Long Lin has been in existence-since 19145, but
about nine months ago it was reorganized and expanded. Unless one is a'
Lao Issara, it is extremely dangerous to venture anywhere near the camp,
The highway between the Thailand - Shan States frontier and tong Lin is
constantly watched by Lao Issara patrols. Any potential intruder is
kidnapped by the Lao Issara.
ll. U. Vixien** is"in direct charge of military training at the Lao Issara
camp,
lti8T commissar) of the Vietnamese camp.
'orc nt. Lt. Vixien may possibly be Capt. Vichien reported
teT 3 June 1911$. This report states that a Captain
is en, formerly a Sergeant in the Thai Arzi, was one of 20 Free Laotians
with the Chinese Nationalist Army in Kunming. In April 19146, it was
reported that Vichien was sent to Chungking by the Laotian government
to enlist the aid of the Chinese government on the side of the Laotians
in their struggle against the French.
Comment. Vixien appears to be a French Romanization of a fairly
common aLao name of Pali origin. The Thai version is pronounced
' W:.-chien" .
CONFIDENTIAL
25X1
25X1A
25X1 C
25X1X
25X1A
25X1X
25X1
Approved For Release 2003/12/10 : CIA-RDP82-00457R003000350009-5