$Unique_ID{COW02144} $Pretitle{258} $Title{Laos Glossary} $Subtitle{} $Author{Donald P. Whitaker} $Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army} $Subject{lao laos tai known nlhs buddhist communist ethnic government groups} $Date{1973} $Log{} Country: Laos Book: Laos, A Country Study Author: Donald P. Whitaker Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army Date: 1973 Glossary cadre(s)-Reliable, indoctrinated functionaries associated with both political and other administrative activities. cargo cult-Religious movement based on expectation that Western-style goods or other cargo will come via some magic or supernatural means as part of the millennium. Adherents of such cults often believe in the necessity of destroying or consuming all the community's goods as a proof of faith in the coming of the cargo. CDNI (Committee for the Defense of National Interests)-A semipolitical organization, in existence from mid-1958 to 1962, composed mainly of army officers and civil servants, advocating government reform to combat communist influence. Chieng Mai-See Lan Na. Colombo Plan-The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia. An international cooperative effort instituted at Colombo (Ceylon) in 1950 to assist countries of the area to raise their living standards. In 1971 member nations of the plan included: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Khmer Republic (Cambodia), Ceylon, India, Indonesia, Iran, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldive Islands, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Republic of Vietnam, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States. Free Lao-See Lao Issara. karma-Fate or destiny. Also religious doctrine upholding belief that the ethical consequences of one's acts in present and past incarnations determine one's lot in future rebirths. kip (K)-Laotian unit of currency. In 1964 a dual exchange rate system was introduced: a basic official rate of K240 per US $1 was established for use in importation of such essential commodities as rice, flour, chemicals, textiles, and agricultural machinery (support of currency at that rate was financed by United States, France, United Kingdom, and Australia); an official free market rate-supported by the Foreign Exchange Operations Fund (FEOF)-was stabilized at K500 per US $1 until November 8, 1971, when it was devalued to K600 per US $1. The basic rate of K240 equal US $1 is used in this text. In 1962 the Neo Lao Hak Sat (q.v.) authorities introduced in the areas under their control their own currency, also denominated kip. The Neo Lao Hak Sat kip is not accepted as legal tender in the Royal Lao Government area and, in late 1971, had no known exchange relationship to the United States dollar. Lan Na-Also known as Chieng Mai. Ancient kingdom in northern Thailand. In sixteenth century was ruled by Setthathirath, the son of Lan Xang's king Phothisarath. Lan Xang-Ancient kingdom of Laos founded in A.D. 1353 and generally considered to be the golden age of the Lao. Its first capital, Muong Swa, is now known as Luang Prabang. Lao Issara-Free Lao. Movement formed in 1945 to resist any attempt to return to colonial status. Lao Lum-Literally, valley Laotian. The ethnic Lao, the country's dominant ethnic group. Lao People's Liberation Army-The military arm of the NLHS (q.v.); its name until October 1965 was the Pathet Lao (q.v.). Lao Sung-Literally, Laotian(s) of the mountaintop. Term in official Laotian use denoting a category of ethnic groups that speak Miao-Yao languages, chiefly the Meo and the Man (Yao). Lao Tai-Tribal Tai. Tai-dialect speakers, mostly non-Buddhist, who inhabit upland valleys and plateaus. Category includes such groups as the Black Tai (Tai Dam), Red Tai (Tai Daeng), Tai Yuan, Tai Nua, and Phutai. Lao Theung-Also known as Lao Theng and Lao Thung. Literally, Laotian(s) of the mountain slopes. Term in official Laotian use denoting ethnic groups that practice slash-and-burn agriculture on hills at elevations below 3,500 feet and that are (as far as is known) speakers of Mon-Khmer languages and dialects. Major Lao Theung group is the Khmu. Lao Theung are regarded by Lao as the original inhabitants of Laos. Were formerly referred to by ethnic Lao as kha, meaning slave. Mahayana Buddhism-One of the two major schools of Buddhism, the Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle. Popular in China, Japan, and Korea. mandarinate-Group of nonroyal titleholders who held administrative positions in precolonial and colonial periods. Title and position were not hereditary but tended to be associated with certain families. Members of these families still tended to have power and prestige in 1971. muong-Administrative district, territorial subdivision of province; also traditional district among tribal Tai. Neo Lao Hak Sat-See NLHS. NLHS (Neo Lao Hak Sat)-Lao Patriotic Front. The political organization of communist dissidents in Laos formed in 1956. The Lao People's Liberation Army [until October 1965 called the Pathet Lao (q.v.)] is its military arm. Pathet Lao-Until October 1965 the name for the Lao People's Liberation Army, the military arm of the NLHS (q.v.). Phak Pasason Lao (PPL)-People's Party of Laos. The semisecret communist party of Laos that controls the NLHS (q.v.). phi-Spirit(s). Such beings animate and inhabit various features of the landscape, as well as dwell within people, according to popular Lao and tribal Tai beliefs. Provisional Government of National Union-See tripartism. sangha-Buddhist monastic brotherhood consisting of monks and novices, living in wat (q.v.) and adhering to the established Theravada Buddhist monastic code of rules. All Buddhist males aspire to enter the sangha for some period in their lives. stupa-Called that in Laos. A memorial building, usually a hemispherical mound, designed to hold Buddhist relic. tasseng-Canton, territorial subdivision of muong (q.v.). that-See stupa. Theravada Buddhism-One of the two major schools of Buddhism. The official religion of Laos and the principal religion of Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, and Khmer Republic. Sometimes known as the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, school; the other major school, important in the Far East, is called the Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle. tripartism-English equivalent of commonly used Laotian term referring to the system of rule by coalition government (the Provisional Government of National Union), formed in June 1962, of the country's three major political groups: rightist, neutralist, and leftist. Since the late 1960s the leftist group, the NLHS (q.v.), has demanded alteration in the tripartite arrangement to reflect "the realities of the present situation in Laos." Viet Minh-A Communist-led organization, represented as a coalition of nationalist groups, that spearheaded Vietnamese resistance to French rule in the 1940s. In 1951 its communist elements were absorbed in newly formed Vietnam Worker's Party, the ruling communist party of North Vietnam. wat-Group of Buddhist religious buildings enclosed by a wall with gateways; Buddhist temple complex.