President Kaysone Phomvihane, a true patriotic hero

President Kaysone Phomvihane was beloved by all ethnicities, a great patriot and revolutionist of our nation. He was a national hero and an excellent leader of the Party and government. He was born on December 13, 1920, and died on November 21, 1992. This year is the 98th anniversary of the birth of President Kaysone Phomvihane. 

President Kaysone Phomvihane speaks on the international stage. (File photo)

President Kaysone was founder of the armed force that was the Lao People’s Army. He was also founder of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Laos and was Secretary General of the Party during his lifetime. In addition, he was founder of the first new model state of Laos, defining it as the people’s state, by the people and for the people.
According to a document from the Propaganda and Training Board of the Party Central Committee, even though the world continued to change in complex ways, President Kaysone firmly seized upon Marxist-Leninist ideology. He actively studied the ideology as well as the revolutionary liberation theory of Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh.
He also recognised the real economic, political, cultural and psychological situation of Laos’ social strata. Once the country was liberated, President Kaysone studied the theory of various socialist countries with the aim of putting them into actuality in Laos.
In addition, he created an armed force propaganda unit and was an excellent lecturer of the Party. He was skilled in explaining various issues, taking into deep consideration the education of his audience. For example, if his listeners were students or intellectuals, he would go into great detail, often using foreign languages to make his points. But if his audience were, say, farmers from remote areas, President Kaysone would use simple turns of phrase. Sometimes he would speak ethnic languages, most notably Hmong and Khmu, the former of which he learnt while living with Hmong people during the first period of the revolutionary movement. He was a much-loved guardian of all ethnicities.
President Kaysone had an oratory flair for explaining and propagandising major issues in a reasonable manner. He described youths as being like an eagle that never fears the storm or strong winds - a modern-day Sinxay.
The international landscape changed dramatically when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics collapsed. At the end of 1989, enemies sought ways to destroy the Lao regime. President Kaysone described the situation as being outwardly peaceful like the surface of the sea; however, lurking in the depths were dragons, snakes and other dangerous creatures desiring to eat the Party and the regime. Similarly, he likened his role as leader of the Party to that of a steersman guiding a boat through various islands on the way to victory.
Since the first congress in 1955, President Kaysone played an integral role in defining the strategic guidelines of the Lao revolution. He described the revolutionary outcome as being a step up into socialism. He also guided Laos through its basic duties of the revolution, such as fighting against foreign invaders and their henchman. He defined the main force of the revolution as being working-class people.
Throughout the period of national revolution and into the new era of democracy, President Kaysone studied and planned fighting tactics. At certain times this meant using armed forces, at others opening international negotiations.
These tactics fell under the slogans of “peace, neutrality” and “everything for the fighting front”. President Kaysone also joined with other national patriots to develop excellent battle tactics, especially on strategies for national liberation. 

By Xayxana Leukai
(Latest Update December 13, 2018)