1.
SV INT Souvanna Phouma gives press conference (4 shots - MUTE)
0.13

2.
AERIAL VIEW Helicopter flies over jungle (4 shots)
0.27

3.
GV Laotian troops
0.29

4.
SV Girl soldier
0.32

5.
CU Laotian soldier
0.34

6.
SV ZOOM TO Young boy with troops
0.38

7.
SV Soldiers digging trench
0.43

8.
TV Laotian troops relaxing
0.46

9.
GV Helicopters at Pakse airport (2 shots)
0.53

10.
GV T-28 fighter taxiing
1.00

11.
SV Wounded soldiers walk to aircraft (4 shots)
1.12

12.
SV Wounded soldiers boarding 'plane and 'plane taxiing for take-off (3 shots)
1.25



Initials BB/1452 GR/AW/BB/1511



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Laotian Prime Minister Prince Souvanna Phouma accused communist forces of violating the ceasefire on Friday (23 February). The accusations were made against pre-communist Pathet Lao and 'Foreign Troops' -- he did not refer to the North Vietnamese by name -- during a press conference at his Vientiane home. He said that 29 serious violations had been committed by the communists since the ceasefire came into effect on Thursday (22 Feb.).

He added that he would call on the United States to resume its bombing in support of government troops if the violations did not stop. It was announced soon afterwards that the U.S. had resumed limited bombing in response to the call.

He ended the conference by saying that the southern town of Paksong, reoccupied by government forces last week, had been retaken by pro-communist forces immediately after a heavy shelling attack which followed the ceasefire. This film shows government troops digging in at the nearby base of Pakse, five miles (eight kilometres) east of paksong.