LAOS: The Umbrella Man

In the languid, landlocked little Indo-Chinese kingdom of Laos, a man’s rank is told by the color of his umbrella.. Old King Sisavang Vong, who reigns in the royal capital of Luang Prabang, rates a white umbrella. Lesser noble fry rate umbrellas of varying hues and sizes. Viceroys, for instance, are entitled to yellow.

When the Japanese set up the independent kingdom of Laos on the eve of their departure in 1945, an autocratic and petulant prince named Phetsarath decided he was tired of his viceregal yellow umbrella, deposed his uncle King Sisavang Vong, and named himself head of a short-lived Laotian republic. For a brief time nobody had any umbrellas.

The Half Brothers. But when the French returned for their short and unhappy postwar role, they chased Prince Phetsarath into luxurious exile in Bangkok, restored King Sisavang Vong to the throne, complete with white umbrella. Another nephew. Prince Souvanna Phouma, later took over as Premier, has since been doing his best to set up a stable, non-Communist government. His task has been difficult, first because everything is difficult in Laos, second because the country’s Communist-led Pathet Lao forces (which occupy two northeastern provinces) are bossed by his own half brother Prince Souphanouvong.

Two months ago, to the cheers of his National Assembly, Premier Souvanna Phouma broke off two years of fruitless negotiations with his half brother. But last week Souphanouvong was back in the administrative capital of Vientiane. With him he brought elder (68) half brother Phetsarath. back from twelve years in exile.

The old man made obeisance to his uncle (the King he once deposed), in return got back all his decorations and his yellow umbrella. Phetsarath was delighted to be home, smiled and nodded regally when his sarong-clad countrymen offered him hibiscus blossoms and accorded him the full-length, prostrate kowtow he had been accustomed to receive before.

But the old prince was miffed at certain smart-alecky, democratic customs now prevalent in Vientiane (including the fact that the kowtow is going out of fashion) and was also upset, he said, to see that his brothers, Souvanna Phouma and Souphanouvong, were not settling their difficulties.

Ganging Up. Phetsarath journeyed north to the Red-held provinces of Samneua and Phongsaly, came back tut-tutting that he simply did not believe that the Communists were Communists. With the rest of the family thus ganged up against him, Premier Souvanna Phouma resigned as Premier, and got set to take a trip to Paris. The King and the elders of his Royal Council, alarmed at Phetsarath’s obviously strong ties with Souphanouvong’s Communists, began wondering whether it had been wise to give Phetsarath back his yellow umbrella after all, appointed a new Premier to keep the Communists (and Prince Phetsarath) under control.

All this seemed to suit Phetsarath just fine. He announced he would now tour the southern provinces, picking up more hibiscus blossoms and kowtows. Wrily old Phetsarath, who is possibly the best big-game hunter in Southeast Asia, would be delighted to let confusion reign indefinitely in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane. If things get too badly snarled up, he might be willing to take over the premiership himself. And after that, who knows? He might even bag his uncle’s white umbrella.