Gun Attack on Laos Bus

by Ma Nguyen Tong

24-2-2003

At least 10 people, including two foreign tourists, were killed by heavily armed gunmen who attacked a bus in Laos. The attack happened near the town of Vang Vieng, a well-known beauty spot about 170 kilometres north of the capital Vientiane. As many as 20 gunmen sprayed the bus with bullets, killing at least eight Laotian passengers. Two foreigners--believed to be French tourists or aid workers--were also killed as they cycled past the bus at the time of the attack. It was not clear who was behind the shooting, but a government spokesperson said an investigation had been launched. Dozens of others were injured, many seriously. Within a week the authorities in Laos made several arrests in connection with the bus attack.

'Act of terrorism'

The bus was travelling from the town of Kasi to Vientiane, and had slowed down to pass a small village when the attack occurred. Two of the bandits boarded the bus and demanded the passengers hand over their jewellery and money, before randomly shooting people. Unconfirmed police reports blame Hmong bandits for the attack. Ethnic minority Hmong forces have been fighting the government ever since the current regime came to power in 1975.

"We believe that it was an act of terrorism," local official Liporn Sonthani said.

The army closed off the roads around Vang Vieng, and the authorities also blocked access to telephones and the internet. Tourists in the area were encouraged to stay in urban centres, and not travel to the surrounding villages.

Seng Oudone, a 27-year-old resident of Pakpoh village, said he was driving a tractor to his farm at the time of the ambush.

"I saw about 20 people firing guns. I was shot in the chest and the left arm and I jumped out of my tractor and hid in a waste-water pipe beside the road," he said.

The nationalities of the victims was still unclear.

"Identification is proving very difficult because the insurgents stole their identity cards and baggage," said a spokesman for the French embassy in Vientiane.

Past violence

Several years ago, the area around Vang Vieng was considered dangerous because of the risk of attacks by Hmong anti-government rebels. But the attacks had lessened in the following years, encouraging an increasing flow of foreign visitors. Renewed fears over security could drive many tourists away.

Tourism had become a vital source of income for Laos, one of the poorest countries in Asia.

Search begins for Laos gunmen

Military patrols in Laos subseuqently started a search for the group of armed gunmen. A spokesman for the Lao foreign ministry said soldiers had been deployed to "scour the countryside" and find the bandits.

Bus suspects arrested

The authorities in Laos made several arrests in connection with the bus attack. Lao's Deputy Foreign Minister, Phongsavath Boupha, said officials had arrested suspects who may have been motivated by "robbery, burglary, smuggling and drug trafficking", according to the Lao state news agency. But he told ambassadors from Germany, France and the United States that the perpetrators of the attack were bandits, not terrorists, according to the report. Local officials initially blamed the killings on ethnic Hmong rebels opposed to the Communist regime.

A Chinese businessman and seven locals were killed, when the attackers sprayed a bus with bullets. Two Swiss nationals were also killed as they cycled past the bus.

"At the moment, police have detained some suspects... and are continuing to follow up the investigation and hunt down the offenders," the Lao foreign ministry said in a statement. There was no information on when the arrests took place or how many suspects had been detained.