Victims of the Pew Cave tragedy remembered

[Vientiane]

When a policeman on guard at a prison in
Khoun district in October 1968 received
a message that the Pew cave had been
bombed and that many people had died, he was
devastated. His wife and three children were among
the victims. They had been sheltering in the cave
for safety during the Indochina war. The policeman
was Mr Bounkham Keomanivong, now aged 67.
He is a Namoeun villager from Kham district and
retold his tale at a recent remembrance ceremony
for the victims of the Pew cave tragedy.
Thirty three years after 374 people were killed
while sheltering in the Pew cave during an air raid
in the Indochina war, crowds gathered once again
on November 24 at Buamluang village, Kham
district, Xieng Khuang province to remember them
and to retell the tale of that day.
"We could not get inside the cave for three
days because of the destruction. When we did
finally gain access to the bodies we had to work
under a sky filled with B52 bombers conducting
day and night raids," said Mr Bounthanh, 73 years
old, a former Xieng Khuang provincial Party
Committee member.
Another witness, Mr Thittha, a Leang villager
from Kham district was a local doctor aged 30 at
the time. He was among six partisans who were
ordered to the scene of the tragedy. He was
horrified upon entering the cave. "We set up a
makeshift hospital around the cave mouth where
we could collect the bodies of the victims. Inside
the cave the hair on our bodies stood on end as
we realised the extent of the massacre that had
been committed there. Bodies just sat and stared
into a distant nothing, women clutching their
babies, heads and hands. The silence was
dreadful," said Mr Thittha.

[ລາວພວນ ລາວຮັກຊາດ]

Inside
> the cave the hair on our bodies stood on end as
> we realised the extent of the massacre that had
> been committed there. Bodies just sat and stared
> into a distant nothing, women clutching their
> babies, heads and hands. The silence was
> dreadful

That result is from outstanding and intelligently work of art
Hmong secret army team, they had such a sharp eyes and
good noses that they can find more than three hundred fear
full Laophuan hiding in the cave.
As you expected merciless Hmong waste no time bark to the
phone call air strike from Udon.
off course no one can get away from American smart bomb,
no doubt about it Hmong secret Army deserved Medal of Honor
and War hero recognition for that mission and also all of them
deserved burn in hell...

[cwj...@gmail.com]

Those were not phi nong Phuans. Those were Khoun "Lan Lian", commies'
human transported horses that delivered arms, foods to its front lines
through the deep jungles. That why Americans callled "Ho chi Minh
trial".

[Vientiane]

when the US government intensified its "escalated war". Many military
operations engaging Thai and Lao royalist troops under the direct
command of US army
officers were launched within the liberated zone. The US Air Force
provided full support
to these operations. In the Xieng Khuang province bombing raids took
place up to 20
times a day. One of these raids specifically targeted Tham Pew, which
US intelligence forces believed
contained Vietnamese troops. But instead when the rockets flew into
the cave they killed many hundreds of innocent civilians. The war
destroyed uncountable houses, temples, schools, hospitals and lives.
The one event that has remained in the minds of all people was the
missiles that slammed into the Pew cave. The
tragedy of that event is still buried deep in the minds of witnesses
and relatives of the victims.

[Vientiane]

> That result is from outstanding and intelligently work of art
> Hmong secret army team, they had such a sharp eyes and
> good noses that they can find more than three hundred fear
> full Laophuan hiding in the cave.
> As you expected merciless Hmong waste no time bark to the
> phone call air strike from Udon.
> off course no one can get away from American smart bomb,
> no doubt about it Hmong secret Army deserved Medal of Honor
> and War hero recognition for that mission and also all of them
> deserved burn in hell...

But instead when the rockets flew into

[ລາວພວນ ລາວຮັກຊາດ]

On Nov 20, 9:27 pm, cwj...@gmail.com wrote:
> Those were not phi nong Phuans. Those were Khoun "Lan Lian", commies'
> human transported horses that delivered arms, foods to its front lines
> through the deep jungles. That why Americans callled "Ho chi Minh
> trial".

Those were Khoun "Lan Lian", commies'

I read couple times. did you mean Khon Lamlieng?
my 3 years old grand daugter misspelling talk like that,
Pajair-Pajair... Phontok (raining) she'll say Phontod,
Tu Beungmauy (grand pa watch boxing)
she'll say Tu pongmoi.. etc...
cwj Hochiminh trail is detour route inside Laos from
North to South of Saravan province.
Thampiew is in Meung Kham Xiengkhuang near the
route Xiengkhuang-Samneur or West to East,
only Hochihmong and Hochiphuan use that trail...
not Hochiminh.....