The Early Years of the Lao Revolution (1945–49)

Abstract

This paper reviews a crucial period in Lao history, the early years of the revolution between 1945 and 1949, with a special focus on the hinterland areas of south-eastern Laos. Along with the professional historians' reconstituted past, two other analytically different approaches to the narration of this period are discussed: the myth-making narration as found in a recently published Lao history book, and the narrative as remembered by a war veteran who was directly involved in the events.