Deuane Sunnalath

Lieutenant (later Colonel) Deuane Sunnalath (1927–1978) led a schism within neutralist forces fighting in the Laotian Civil War. After following Captain Kong Le through his 1960 coup that established a third side in the war, Deuane led a walkout from Kong Le's Forces Armee Neutraliste (Neutral Armed Forces) in April 1963. Deuane would lead his disaffected Patriotic Neutralists into an alliance with the Communists, while the remaining Neutralists in FAN would favor the Royalists. Deuane would eventually become the Deputy Minister of Education in the Provisional Government for National Union on 9 April 1974.

Lieutenant Deuane Sunnalath (alternative spelling Deuane or Deuan Sounnarath) was born in Vientiane, the Kingdom of Laos in 1927. He originally served as an interpreter for the French military at their Vung Tau training center during the First Indochina War. In December, 1953 Aspirant Deuane and Vang Pao led a 100-man Lao contingent undergoing military training at Khang Khay, the Kingdom of Laos. Once commissioned, Deuane proved a bright, flamboyant, mercurial but capable officer. At various times, he led the Groupement de Commando Mixtes Aeroportes (Mixed Airborne Commando Group), and ran the commando training course for the Royal Lao Army.

Deuane continued to serve in the Lao military after the French defeat, becoming a company commander in Bataillion Parachutistes 2 (Parachute Battalion 2) under Captain Kong Le. When Kong Le revolted against what he perceived as a corrupt government in August 1960, Deuane sat out the coup. However, afterward he attached himself to Kong Le as the captain tried to rally the nation to the side of the coup forces.

When General Phoumi Nosavan attacked Vientiane in a countercoup, Deuane was at Wattay just outside the city. He may have joined General Kouprasith Abhay on 8 December 1960 in the general's abortive countercoup attempt in Vientiane, but returned to Wattay upon its failure. At any rate, he was a member of the party that flew to Hanoi on 10 December to formalize the ongoing Soviet aerial supply mission to Kong Le's forces. At 0900 hours the following morning, six Russian transports landed at Wattay to unload four 105mm howitzers, six 4.2 inch mortars, and a dozen artillery experts from the People's Army of Vietnam. Despite this reinforcement by heavy weapons, Kong Le's Forces Armee Neutraliste (Neutral Armed Forces) was defeated and withdrew northward up Route 13 to the Plain of Jars. Along the route was the town of Vang Vieng about 150 kilometers north of Vientiane.

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